More than a million people in the UK now have second jobs, according to BBC reporting on the rise of the multi-job workforce. For small employers, that is not just a labour-market curiosity. It can affect hiring, rota planning, staff wellbeing, availability and retention.
The story reflects a wider pressure that many SMEs will already recognise: rising living costs, insecure work, falling vacancies in some sectors and more people building income from a mix of employed, freelance and gig work. Small firms cannot solve that national picture alone, but they do need to understand how it may show up inside their own teams.
What is happening
The BBC reported that more than a million people in the UK now have second jobs, with some workers taking on extra shifts, freelance projects, online selling, hospitality work, event work or other side income to cope with costs and uncertainty.
The examples in the report are not all traditional employees. Some are self-employed, some are freelancers, and some are moving between part-time roles. But the pattern matters for employers because it shows how normal it has become for workers to rely on more than one source of income.
The report also points to a changing jobs market, with unemployment recently rising, vacancies falling, and just under five million people taking part in gig work. Only a minority rely on gig work as their main income, but many use it to top up earnings or create flexibility.
Why this matters for SMEs
Small employers often rely on a smaller number of people doing a broader range of work. When a team member has a second job, it may not be a problem at all. In some cases, it can suit both sides: the employee gets flexibility and the business gets someone experienced for the hours it needs.
The risk comes when the arrangement is invisible until it causes strain. Staff may be tired, less available for overtime, harder to schedule at short notice, or more likely to leave if another income stream becomes more stable. In customer-facing sectors such as retail, hospitality, care, delivery and local services, even small gaps in availability can affect service.
There is also a management challenge. If workers feel they need multiple jobs simply to stay afloat, employers may see the effects in morale, stress, absence or performance. BritishSME has recently covered fit note reform and sickness absence planning for small employers, and the themes overlap: people under pressure may need clearer, earlier conversations before problems become formal absences or resignations.
What employers should check
The first check is contracts and policies. Small firms should understand what their contracts say about second jobs, conflicts of interest, working time, confidentiality and availability. Heavy-handed rules may not fit every workplace, but unclear rules can cause disputes later.
The second check is working time. Employers should be careful not to ignore fatigue just because hours are spread across more than one workplace. If someone is working long hours elsewhere, that can affect safety, reliability and wellbeing, particularly in driving, machinery, care, food service or late-night work.
The third check is scheduling. If a business depends on last-minute cover, it may struggle more as workers build other commitments around it. Better rota notice, clearer shift swaps and realistic expectations around overtime can help small firms avoid avoidable friction.
The fourth check is pay and progression. Not every SME can raise wages quickly, but owners can still look at whether people see a future in the role. Reliable hours, training, progression, predictable rotas, small benefits and respectful management can all affect whether a worker stays or treats the job as one income stream among many.
Side work is not always a threat
It would be a mistake to treat every second job as disloyalty. Many people use side work to develop skills, manage caring responsibilities, test a business idea or build resilience. Some of those skills can make them better employees.
For SMEs, the practical approach is to focus on the risks that actually matter: conflict of interest, fatigue, safeguarding, confidentiality, reliability, health and safety, and whether the employee can still meet the agreed requirements of the job.
Owners should also think about their own recruitment offer. If a role is genuinely part-time or seasonal, it may attract people with other work by design. That is fine if the business plans around it. The problem is pretending a part-time job will command full-time availability without paying for it.
The practical takeaway
The rise of the multi-job workforce is a signal that more workers are piecing together income in flexible but sometimes fragile ways. Small employers should not panic, but they should make sure their expectations, contracts, rotas and management habits match the reality of the labour market.
The strongest SMEs will be the ones that talk early, plan shifts properly, watch for burnout and make their roles worth keeping. In a market where people may have several options but little security, clarity and trust can become a real retention advantage.
Source: BBC News: Why millions of workers are taking second jobs to cope.
