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 hire (a rise to nearly 2.5 million renters). It’s no shock that many are turning to second (and even third) jobs to try to enhance their revenue.
Getting one other revenue stream in itself could trigger potential points when it comes to 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 might even see no different choice than to tackle one other job.
Nevertheless, additional issues could happen when your new revenue stream impacts your current job, and never simply due to your tiredness and lack of vitality.
May your new revenue stream, taken on to assist maintain your head above water, truly put you in jeopardy of shedding your principal 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, may deliver your employment to a direct finish and, in some instances, imply that it’s a must to pay your employer.
Implied phrases embrace an obligation of constancy (as established in Faccenda Rooster Ltd v Fowler [1986] 3 WLR 288) which, in fundamental phrases, implies 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 identical business to your principal 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 together with your current employer and are subsequently vulnerable to being dismissed for a breach of your contract.
This implied time period does go additional, however right here I’ve highlighted the methods through which it may very well be breached (possibly even innocently) by taking on a second job.
Specific phrases are prone to be extra apparent and workers needs to be extra conscious of them as they are going to be said of their contract.
I focus on beneath among the commonest categorical phrases of an employment contract that will trigger points when taking up 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 (normally with out their consent or approval). It is a widespread clause inside employment contracts. This may increasingly appear apparent, however it’s shocking how shortly you overlook all of the clauses you signal as much as as soon as you might be in a job. How many people truly return and assessment our employment contracts often?
Employment contracts, particularly these for extra senior roles, can also embrace a clause that states the worker should commit the entire of their time, consideration and skills to the enterprise. Working for one more employer, even when it’s not a competing enterprise, may breach this clause. In case you are working for another person, can you actually be devoting your entire time and a focus to your principal employer?
For some roles, workers can also have restrictive covenants (also called post-termination restrictions) and these will limit what they can do each throughout their employment and after their employment ends. These are prone to embrace clauses that forestall the worker from poaching workers and shoppers from their employer, however may trigger the worker issues in the event that they tackle a second position which means they’re coping with their principal employer’s shoppers or prospects and suppliers, as these are prone to be protected by the restrictive covenants. A breach of those covenants could be very expensive, each in defending any authorized motion and injunction but additionally in damages. This might result in the worker shedding their second job (via an injunction) in addition to their principal job and result in them paying damages and authorized charges (one thing that could be unattainable when the very motive they’ve taken the second job is to assist their monetary state of affairs).
Finally, taking up that extra revenue might not be all that easy and may trigger you to lose your principal revenue and worsen your monetary circumstances.
