The rising cost of living is a huge concern for many people right now but especially younger generations. As this recent Deloitte survey of Gen Z and Millennials highlighted, Gen Zs (29%) and millennials (36%) selected cost of living (e.g., housing, transport bills etc.) as their greatest concern. As a result, many white collar workers are working multiple jobs.
Increasing number of workers juggling multiple jobs
According to this article citing a recent survey from Indeed, “one in 10 Australian white-collar workers are performing multiple full-time jobs.
Gen Z and Millennial workers are the most likely to juggle an 80-plus hour work week, with one in six being Gen Z and one in seven being Millennials. The resounding majority of both groups said they work such hours to save for property (87 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively) and to cover rising costs of groceries and other essential items (79 per cent and 57 per cent).”
The majority of white collar workers with multiple full-time jobs have admitted they regularly do their additional job on their primary employer’s time. But how are they juggling it all? It’s made possible with the use of AI.
AI changing the working landscape
We often hear about how AI will kill off certain jobs and this is no doubt true. But for numerous opportunistic workers, AI is allowing them to hold down multiple full-time jobs. As highlighted by the Indeed survey with over 92 per cent of respondents stating AI helps them to do their jobs. Without AI, many believe that holding down multiple jobs would be near impossible, with 91 per cent saying it’s a key reason.
“The use of AI to manage multiple jobs highlights how technology is reshaping the workforce. However, the toll on workers’ mental and physical health cannot be ignored. Balancing two full-time jobs – regardless of technology efficiencies – is pushing many to their limits,” Sally McKibbin, a career expert at Indeed said.
Productivity measures
The repercussions for workplace dynamics and business performance are signifiant. Productivity and innovation are two significant areas that take a hit when staff are outsourcing to AI and rushing through their work in half the time it’s expected to take. Many organisations are calling for employees to be back in the office more, in part so managers can keep a closer eye on staff.
Employee motivation
Australian wage growth in recent years has been relatively slow. Employees have experienced the cost of living rise while salaries stagnate. Salary has a significant impact on employee motivation in the workplace, especially if workers aren’t earning enough to get by as the stress of this bubbles over. Companies looking for hard working and loyal staff need to be mindful of having competitive renumeration. Additionally, there are other key factors keeping employees engaged and motivated such as: career opportunities, recognition systems, training and development.