Side hustles are increasingly affecting day jobs, HR professionals in the UAE warn, as more young employees juggle multiple roles.

Nearly six in 10 Gen Z workers and almost half of Millennials now have side hustles, according to a Harris Poll. The trend is driven not only by ambition but also by the desire for flexibility, freedom, and multiple income streams to gain control over the future.

A 2024 Glassdoor-Harris poll found that 39 per cent of employees take on side hustles to supplement their income, rising to 57 per cent for Gen Z and 48 per cent for Millennials.

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In Dubai, this shift is also fuelled by wage stagnation, rising living costs, and changing definitions of work and success.

Jessie Joy, Head of HR and Admin at Magnitude Creative, said, “Side hustles are becoming more prevalent at our agency due to remote and hybrid employment. One employment is no longer seen by workers as the sole source of stability. It’s a sensible reaction to inflation, housing costs, educational fees, or family obligations for many members of the elder generation.”

As for Generation Z, she explained many begin working part-time while they are in school. “It seems typical to keep doing so after getting a full-time job. It provides a sense of security and additional revenue.”

She explained the challenges it brings to workplaces.

“When workers commit to several projects and continuously switch between their primary job and a second one without taking adequate time off, burnout becomes a serious issue. We deal with employees arriving late or departing early, submitting unscheduled leave requests, or appearing distracted from sleep deprivation. This can eventually affect employee engagement, loyalty, and long-term sustainability at work, not because they don't care as much, but rather because they are overworked."

Hemant Jain, Executive and Career Transformation Coach in Dubai, pointed out that the Millennials he is coaching are exploring side hustles as a backup and safety net in case of a sudden job loss.

“The Gen Z look at them as low-risk experiments to find out what they like, and what they want to do in life. In both cases, the side hustles are taking far more time and energy than they thought and are affecting their day job negatively, in terms of their attentiveness and even commitment."

Hemant Jain

This is turning into a challenge for employers. “They (employers) fail to understand the root cause of the problem as the side hustles are seldom publicised or revealed,” added Jain.

For many young professionals, side hustles are about more than money — they’re about security and skill-building.

“Like many people my age, I took on a side hustle not just to earn extra income, but to feel more secure about my future,” said Aisha Haddad, a 24-year-old Syrian expat. “Living in the UAE comes with opportunities, but also responsibilities, and my freelance work helps me support my family back home while building skills that my full-time job alone wouldn’t give me.”

Tejasvi Sandeep Gurjar, a 22-year-old fashion marketer, pointed to rising expenses as a driving force.

“The price hike in commodities and the spike in rents really pinches and is concerning. To overcome this, I feel a lot of people in my generation have started investing in cryptocurrency. I personally do and it’s a good platform to tackle expenses. If you invest for a longer period of time, one can benefit from it.”

Tejasvi Sandeep Gurjar

The pressures of AI and technological disruption are also reshaping career strategies.

Gurjar added, “I see a lot of juniors of mine (from college) who are worried about choosing a field because they feel anything can go wrong due to AI which can outsmart employees and replace traditional roles.”

She noted that to manage these uncertainties, many young professionals take on two to three jobs. “This is done often across different freelance assignments, to diversify income streams both for financial stability and career growth.”