The hustle. The grind. The pursuit of diversifying your income streams. Gig work has become increasingly more popular for just that reason. Plus, it offers benefits such as flexible pay and self-employment. But, it’s no surprise that taking on a new side hustle means more hours spent working, leading to burnout, exhaustion, and decreased productivity in one’s primary role.
We all know that side hustles often come with flexible yet irregular schedules. The American Sociological Association found that individuals who engage in gig work are more likely to work less predictable schedules than those who are employed in traditional jobs. Without structure, it’s hard to create routines that allow for healthy sleep schedules, personal relationships and hobbies. This mix of demanding work and sporadic timing can lead to lack of energy and ultimately impact performance at one’s primary job.
Also, it’s common for individuals with a side hustle to experience burnout, a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged exposure to stress. According to Flexjobs, 75% of gig workers report experiencing burnout. Balancing multiple gigs on top of a 9 to 5 is extremely difficult and it’s common for exhaustion to set in. With less structure and less downtime, it’s easy to see how work might slip in one’s primary role.
Despite the negative effects of pursuing a side hustle, many Americans still turn to gig work because of the flexible payment structure. In fact, 80% of workers believe they should have access to their earned wages at the end of each workday or shift, instead of a bi-weekly or monthly schedule. The gig economy allows workers to get paid almost immediately after completing a task or job. This is also true for freelance workers who are paid on a per-project basis. According to a survey by Upwork, 70% of freelancers reported being paid within a week of completing a project, and 27% reported being paid within a day.
If people are pursuing side hustles for the flexible payment schedules, offering on-demand pay option for your employees might be worth looking into. While this won’t necessarily increase their cash flow, employees will have more flexibility and will save money on late fees, overdraft fees and credit card interest. Plus, you might be able to save some employees the exhaustion and burnout that comes with a side gig.
While a side hustle seems like an attractive option for some extra cash, it could negatively impact productivity and motivation in a person’s primary career. Ultimately, offering an on-demand option will allow your employees to skip out on the burnout and exhaustion. So, if you’re considering a side hustle, make sure to balance it out with self care and rest. After all, you can’t hustle and grind if you’re running on empty!
FlexJobs. (2019). The State of the Remote Job Marketplace. Retrieved from https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/2019-state-of-remote-job-marketplace/
American Sociological Association. (2018). Study Finds Growing Number of Americans Are Working in the Gig Economy. Retrieved from https://www.asanet.org/press-center/press-releases/study-finds-growing-number-americans-are-working-gig-economy
National Bureau of Economic Research. (2018). The Rise of Alternative Work Arrangements: Evidence and Implications for Tax Filing and Benefit Coverage. Retrieved from https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w24950/w24950.pdf
Upwork. (2018). Freelancing in America: 2018. Retrieved from https://www.upwork.com/i/freelancing-in-america/2018/
Edward Segal. (2021). Most Workers Want to be Paid Automatically Everyday, According to a New Poll. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2021/09/13/most-workers-want-to-be-paid-automatically-every-day-according-to-new-poll/?sh=38b5d3d0293f