Should you keep your side hustle a secret?

sideline activities have become enormously popular, with research showing that more than a third of Britons surveyed operate one. While it’s common to pursue interests and passions outside of the 9-5, a big question on the mind of all side jobs is whether you should tell your boss.

We’ve collected opinions and advice on this below…

• Margaret Buj – Interview Coach
• David Ciccarelli – Chief Executive Officer at Voices.com
• Meera Watts – Founder of Siddhi Yoga
• Lucy Jeffrey – Founder and CEO of Bare Kind
• Lamar Romero – Chief Executive Dragon at Dragon Spirits Marketing and Promotion
• Lyle Solomon – Principal Attorney at Oak View Law Group
• Vivienne Neal – Lecturer in Digital Marketing at Cornwall Business School, Falmouth University
• Maciek Kubiak – Head of Human Resources at PhotoAiD

For questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

Margaret Buj

Business: interview coach

Website: https://interview-coach.co.uk/

“First you just need to check your employment contract – some of which require you to disclose any business activity outside of your main job. I have a friend who is a coach, but her main job is recruiting on Facebook and her employment contract doesn’t allow her to have private coaching clients. Conversely, I’ve worked for tech companies who didn’t care that I had a part-time interview coaching business and a YouTube channel as I was always 100% committed to my job and doing my own thing outside of office hours.”

“There is no one right answer here because every company culture is different – ​​some are open to people doing their own thing, some are not. It also depends on how friendly you are to your boss and colleagues.”

“On the one hand, nobody can accuse you of being a go-getter in your free time. On the other hand, they might worry if you can still do your work for them. When I started my own interview coaching business almost 16 years ago, I mentioned it to my boss and co-workers and they supported me, but that may not always be the case. It’s probably wiser to lay some groundwork for the business first and not tell people until you’ve started making some money.”

“Whatever you decide, you need to make sure you’re fully committed to your day job while you’re there. Do not take calls or do marketing for your own business while at work. You don’t want your employees working part-time while you pay them! If you do your job well and get your job done, your employer has no room to complain.”

David Ciccarelli

Company: Voices. com

Website: https://www.voices.com/

“Absolutely not. If you have a desire to start a part-time job, you probably have ambitions for it to become your full-time job. To that end, it’s inevitable that others will find out, so it’s best to start early and with others often.” communicate, which will make them your first fans, your supporters, and maybe even your first customers.”

For questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

sea ​​watts

Company: Siddhi Yoga

Website: https://www.siddhiyoga.com/

“It depends from employer to employer. Some employers are okay with their employees working at some other companies. This could be because they know the employee is already in the game. But some employers might disagree. A side hustle can create distractions from work. And so they might tell you to quit or fire you if you don’t deliver the results on time.”

“I think it’s different to tell your friends or family when you share your life with them. They know that no bad vibes will come from them and they will only be happy. But in your full-time organization, you’re just an employee. And keeping your private life private and what you do outside of the office is your personal business. You don’t have to share any of this. It’s better if you keep your part-time job and your full-time job private.”

“Keeping it private gives you more peace of mind. Even if you delay your results, your organization will not question you about your side hustle. If you think your part-time job makes you happy and it meets your needs, you can let everyone know. That way, if any questions arise, you can just quit your job and work on your new side job without hurting your career or finances.”

Lucy Jeffrey

Company: Naked Art

Website: https://barekind.co.uk/

“I think that in the beginning it can be an advantage to keep your side hustle a secret. Sometimes people have the right intentions, but if you discuss your idea with them and they’re either super supportive or super negative, it can give the wrong impression.”

“Some people might love you so much that they won’t be honest with you about your ideas (in a nice way!). And others may have their own concerns about the risks of starting a business, and don’t let that stop you from starting one. I think it’s good to get some traction, test the waters and then talk about it more publicly. It’s hard for someone to say ‘I’m not sure’ when you’ve already started!”

“But after that, I think the more people you talk about it, the better. It depends on your job but my co-workers have all been super supportive and when it finally came down to quitting my job to run the company it didn’t come as a shock and everyone was very happy for me.”

Lamar Romero

Company: Dragon Spirits Marketing and Promotion

Website: https://dragonspiritsmarketing.com/

“My personal philosophy is that the truth should always be told because dirty little secrets are detrimental to a good life.”

“As an employer, I would not appreciate it if an employee had a part-time job and didn’t tell me about it. Rather, I want to know about the side hustle and work out a plan with my co-worker to maximize a great work experience with our company and the side hustle.”

“This is currently happening at my own company, Dragon Spirits Marketing. Our VP of Sales has a very active life outside of the company, teaching country dance classes and giving mini-lessons on Tik-Tok (which go viral for him). I applaud his efforts and encourage him because the more fame he has, the easier it is for him to make sales and everyone benefits.”

Lyle Solomon

Company: Oak View Law Group

Website: https://www.ovlg.com/attorneys/lyle-david-solomon/

“After you’ve taken care of your main job, you may have enough time and enough zeal to do some work that can be your side hustle or extra income. You can earn that extra money to be successful or to meet your financial needs.”

“Now it’s a point where a lot of work needs to be disclosed, like selling a product online, writing on the web, or promoting your Youtube videos.”

“While some jobs are high-paying and don’t require promotion, if you’ve excelled at driving, for example, you can make cab driving a part-time job. You can keep this profession secret if you want to highlight your main job (CEO of a company) as your identity.”

“We all know that we can develop our identity through a profession; People can understand what we do.”

“So that’s situational, but I think it’s best to keep things low-key at first. This forces you to prioritize business development over social status. It is always preferable to work quietly.”

“I would say it largely depends on whether or not your new venture crosses competitive boundaries. If you’re a competing company, it’s probably best to keep it quiet.”

“Make sure there is no competition between your company and your full-time or part-time job. If there is no competition, you can show your side hustle to people to promote your business.”

“The more people who know what you’re up to and support you, the better. Plus, you can make connections that are useful in ways you haven’t thought of.”

“Last but not least, if you work for someone else, do your best to improve that business or carry out the duties assigned to you to the best of your ability.”

“Make sure you don’t mess with your employer. Before proceeding, read the fine print in your employment contract and company manual to ensure you have legal protection when taking on a part-time job.”

“Read the contract thoroughly to ensure there are no potential conflicts of interest or specific policies, such as B. a non-competition clause, exist.”

“Look for sections that explain how long the non-compete obligation lasts, what types of work you are prohibited from doing, and whether or not the non-compete obligation applies only regionally.”

For questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

Vivienne Neal

Business: Lecturer in Digital Marketing at Cornwall Business School, Falmouth University

Website: https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/

“I can understand that employers want to know that employees are fully focused on their tasks. But considering how old 9-5 work patterns have changed – particularly with the advent of mobile connections and technology, one might be tempted to say, if all expectations and processes have been met uncompromisingly, then why not explore the side hustle? ; It can actually offer some benefits for large, less agile organizational structures.”

“Anyway, when companies encourage their team members to live fulfilling lives outside of work, that makes them happier team members, doesn’t it? I firmly believe that those who continually learn and gain experience are more likely to innovate, and that those rich perspectives gained through diverse experiences can only be for good….”

Maciek Kubiak

Company: PhotoAiD

Website: https://photoaid.com/

“In general, it’s better not to keep it a secret. The reason is simple – you may need more space and flexibility from your regular work after starting a part-time job. However, it does not work in all cases. There are times when you don’t have the best relationship with your current employer, and telling them about the second job might actually make it worse. What is best in your case is up to you to decide. What can help you make the final decision is to ask yourself if you know about your co-workers’ side hustles — if you don’t, it might be a red flag. Believe me, there is no office without a side hustle!”

For questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.