Taking on two jobs

So you want a second job? Make sure you’re ready for the extra hours, confusing tax laws and conflicting priorities that will come with it. We’re here to help you out (and offer you a virtual cup of tea and foot rub).

And, after this shift...another one somewhere else.

Is it legal to work two jobs?

Legally, here’s nothing stopping you from having a second job, but you’ll need to think about:

• Legally how many hours you can work
• Paying tax for two jobs
• What it says in your contract

How many hours can I work in all?

By law, your employer can only ask you to work 48 hours a week. You’re entitled to work over that (over two jobs), but your main employer needs to know that you’re working above these hours elsewhere.

“If you’ll be working over 48 hours because of a second job then your main employer will need to have a signed opt-out agreement from you and should monitor the hours you work in a week,” says Sue Terry from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). “If they feel working long hours has an effect on your duties they may feel they need to speak to you regarding your performance.”

If you’re under 18, you can’t work more than eight hours a day, and no more than 40 hours a week. You can’t opt out of this.

Will I have to pay more tax?

Well, if you earn more, you pay more tax, but having two jobs can make things more complicated.

Because you won’t have a P45 when you start your second job you’ll need to fill in a P46 to get a tax code. Your employers will see you have another job, but you don’t have to tell them where you’re working or how much you’re earning. You’ll have two tax codes – one for each job (and if you have three jobs, you’ll have three codes).

Your personal allowance (the amount you don’t have to pay tax on) will usually only be calculated from your main job. You’ll therefore have to pay income tax on all of your other earnings. However, you can ask for your allowance to be split between jobs.

You’ll also have to make National Insurance contributions on both jobs if you’re paid over a certain amount. If both of your jobs are low paying, however, you may not have to pay NI at all, as each job is treated separately.

It’s important to check that the right tax code is being used for each, so have a look at your payslips. If you have multiple tax codes, or you think you’re paying too much tax, it’s worth contacting HMRC to check you understand what’s going on and that you’re being taxed correctly.

Can my contract stop me from having a second job?

An employer won’t normally mind if you have a second job, however you should check your current contract. It could limit the jobs you can take if it says something about your behaviour outside work not affecting your company’s reputation, or causing a conflict of interest.

Check with your boss if you’re unsure whether a certain job is appropriate.

It’s worth being open with your employer about your other job from the beginning, so they can support you. Your employer can’t simply bar you from taking a second job if there’s nothing in your contract that stops it and there isn’t any obvious problems with your performance. If they try to, it’s worth getting specialist advice from Acas or your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).

If your work involves creating or inventing – whether that’s graphic design, journalism or writing computer programs – it’s not unusual to find a clause in your contract that states your employer owns all your creations of that type, even if you come up with them when you’re not at work. Some employers may be OK with you doing the same kind of work for other companies, but it’s best to get this in writing.

Photo of two jobs by Shutterstock