How to Talk to Your Boss About a Side Gig
It’s no surprise that side hustles are becoming more and more popular. Living costs are skyrocketing, and people need to keep up with inflation. But starting a side gig raises the question of whether you should tell your current company about it.
In short, the answer is usually yes. Yet, many factors go into whether to tell your primary job or how to approach your boss.
Read our top tips if you’re just getting started in gigging as a side hustle.
When to Tell Your Boss About a Side Gig
Most of the time, it’s best to tell your boss right away. Sometimes, you might want to keep it to yourself as a moonlighting job. For example, if you’re looking to dip your toe and aren’t sure if you want to commit to a side gig. Here are five questions to help you decide if you should approach your boss.
Does your company require you to disclose side gigs?
The first thing to do is check your workplace policies and employment contract. Some companies want you to disclose second jobs, freelancing gigs, or side hustles. Always tell your boss if your company does.
Does it relate to your current job?
Always disclose a side gig if it’s related to your primary job. Using your job to help/assist your side hustle is a big no in all situations. To avoid a conflict of interest, disclose it to your boss immediately.
Is it important enough to bring up?
If you answered no to the first two, ask yourself how dedicated you are to the side gig. Is it something you want to try out for a couple of weeks to see how it goes? Or is it something you’re serious about doing for the next few years?
Will it affect your job performance?
If you need to dedicate twenty or more hours to your side job, it’ll likely impact your workload and performance. Talk to your boss to plan how to divide your time and stay productive at your primary job.
Will they find out anyways?
If you’ll post about your side hustle on social media or promote it elsewhere, chances are your company will see. It’s better to bring it up to them rather than them having to talk to you about it.
How to Bring Up a Side Gig to Your Boss
Be open and honest
Be completely transparent with your boss about your side gig, intentions, and plan. If you’re honest from the beginning, they’ll trust you moving forward.
Address their fears
Your boss’s main fears about your side hustle are likely that you’re not happy at work currently and will quit.
Let them know that that’s not the case and explain your reasons for wanting to start a side gig. Whether financial, personal, or professional fulfilment, it’s good to let them know where your head is. They might be able to achieve those goals in your primary job as well.
Tell them how it’ll help you be a better employee
A side gig can help you be a better employee for them. Here are six ways it might help:
You’re learning new, relevant skills to your current responsibilities
You’re becoming more adaptable by learning to have a flexible schedule
You’re improving your time management skills
You’re improving your decision-making skills
You’re improving your communication skills
You’re networking with more people
Explain your plan
Before you talk to your boss, you should have a plan. This includes when, where, how long, and how you’ll balance it with your day job and personal life. You could look for night jobs or weekend jobs. Share this plan with them to make them more comfortable with the idea, and let them know you thought it through.
Include them in the process
Even though you already have a plan, take their input, and include your boss in your decision. Instead of telling them what is happening, ask them for their thoughts. They may be able to help you balance two jobs.
Eddy’s Story
Eddy currently works as a Warehouse Associate. He wants to earn extra money and experience different industries. So, he plans to get temporary jobs in manufacturing, landscaping, and construction companies. Eddy decides to tell his boss, Hayden, about it before looking for labour gigs.
When he approaches his boss, he asks him to step to the side. He said something like:
“I want to make extra money and explore other industries through side-gigging. I want to learn new skills and processes to help me in this job. I’m not looking to replace this job, and I don’t want to quit. It’s a way for me to experience different jobs and make a side income. This won’t affect my current job performance. I plan to get Saturday jobs for about eight hours and leave my evenings and Sundays off. Is that alright with you?”
Hayden says of course and asks to be updated if anything changes. He thanks him for his honesty and lets him know he can offer him overtime hours if he’s looking for extra cash. Eddy goes forward with his plan and gets a gig every Saturday.
In this example, Eddy stated what he wanted, his intentions, how it’ll help him, and his plan. He alleviated all Hayden’s concerns before he even asked about them and gained his trust.
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