There is no such thing as a denying that the UK is submerged in a value of residing disaster, with Shelter reporting a rise of 45% (since April 2022) in renters being behind with, or constantly struggling to pay, their lease (a rise to virtually 2.5 million renters). It’s no shock that many are turning to second (and even third) jobs to attempt to improve their revenue.
Getting one other revenue stream in itself might trigger potential points by way of time (and lack of it for household and your family members) and elevated tiredness, in addition to the dearth of any work-life steadiness, however some may even see no different choice than to tackle one other job.
Nevertheless, additional issues might happen when your new revenue stream impacts your current job, and never simply due to your tiredness and lack of vitality.
Might your new revenue stream, taken on to assist hold your head above water, truly put you in jeopardy of shedding your predominant revenue?
Potential implications of taking extra jobs
As an worker, you’ll have each categorical and implied phrases inside your contract of employment that, if breached, might deliver your employment to an instantaneous finish and, in some circumstances, imply that it’s a must to pay your employer.
Implied phrases embody an obligation of constancy (as established in Faccenda Rooster Ltd v Fowler [1986] 3 WLR 288) which, in fundamental phrases, signifies that the worker should act in good religion and never compete with their employer.
It will make sense so that you can tackle one other job in your talent set and in an analogous business to your predominant position, not least as a result of you may capitalise in your experience and expertise. Nevertheless, this might fairly simply imply that you’re competing along with your current employer and are subsequently susceptible to being dismissed for a breach of your contract.
This implied time period does go additional, however right here I’ve highlighted the methods during which it may very well be breached (possibly even innocently) by taking over a second job.
Specific phrases are prone to be extra apparent and workers ought to be extra conscious of them as they are going to be said of their contract.
I talk about beneath a few of the commonest categorical phrases of an employment contract that will trigger points when taking over a second position, however the primary one to look out for must be an categorical clause stating that the worker can not work for anybody else whereas employed by the employer (often with out their consent or approval). It is a widespread clause inside employment contracts. This may increasingly appear apparent, however it’s stunning how shortly you neglect all of the clauses you signal as much as as soon as you’re in a job. How many people truly return and evaluation our employment contracts repeatedly?
Employment contracts, particularly these for extra senior roles, can also embody a clause that states the worker should dedicate the entire of their time, consideration and talents to the enterprise. Working for an additional employer, even when it isn’t a competing enterprise, might breach this clause. In case you are working for another person, can you actually be devoting your entire time and a spotlight to your predominant employer?
For some roles, workers can also have restrictive covenants (also called post-termination restrictions) and these will prohibit what they’re able to do each throughout their employment and after their employment ends. These are prone to embody clauses that stop the worker from poaching employees and shoppers from their employer, however might trigger the worker issues in the event that they tackle a second position meaning they’re coping with their predominant employer’s shoppers or clients and suppliers, as these are prone to be protected by the restrictive covenants. A breach of those covenants might be very expensive, each in defending any authorized motion and injunction but in addition in damages. This might result in the worker shedding their second job (by way of an injunction) in addition to their predominant job and result in them paying damages and authorized charges (one thing which may be unimaginable when the very purpose they’ve taken the second job is to assist their monetary scenario).
In the end, taking over that extra revenue is probably not all that straightforward and might trigger you to lose your predominant revenue and worsen your monetary circumstances.