Taking a second job as an older employee

Why would an older worker take on two jobs?

Motivations vary. Some want extra income to cover a family expense, repay a loan or prepare for the end of their career. Others want to explore a different field without leaving their post, keep up a social life, or balance a desk job with something practical.

Before you start looking, it helps to name the aim clearly: earn a specific sum, test out a new trade, or simply fill your time differently. A financial goal calls for regular, properly paid work, while an exploratory goal allows more flexible hours or even voluntary activity for a while. That clarity stops you wearing yourself out for a gain that turns out to be small.

What the law allows and limits

In France, an employee may in principle hold several jobs. The limits mainly concern working time, which is assessed by adding up all salaried activities: as a general rule, no more than ten hours a day and forty-eight hours a week, with an average of forty-four hours over twelve consecutive weeks. Going over these ceilings exposes you to penalties.

The employee must also respect rest periods. In practice, two schedules that follow each other without a sufficient break between the end of one and the start of the other are a problem, even if each employer follows its own rules. It falls to the person holding both jobs to make sure the whole picture holds together, and one of the employers may ask for a written statement that these limits are being respected. Other countries set their own limits, so readers elsewhere should check the rules that apply to them.

Re-reading your current contract before you start looking

The first step is to re-read your employment contract and any applicable collective agreement. Three points deserve attention.

• The exclusivity clause: it may forbid any other job. It is valid only if justified by the nature of the duties and the company’s legitimate interest, which is judged differently for a full-time and a part-time post.
• The duty of loyalty: it prevents you from competing with your employer or using confidential information.
• Collective-agreement provisions: some sectors set particular rules, for example prior notification.

If in doubt, it is better to ask the human resources department or a staff representative than to discover a problem after you have signed the second contract.

Measuring the energy you actually have

With age, recovery often takes longer. A second job should therefore be prepared like a sporting effort: judged over the long run. You need to count the hours on the contract, but also the journeys, the preparation, last-minute changes to the rota and tomorrow’s tiredness.

A few simple benchmarks help you decide:

• note your real hours and rest periods for two weeks;
• spot the days when your main job starts early or finishes late;
• check that the new activity does not make your main work dangerous, for example in a driving or security post;
• plan at least one day a week with no obligations at all.

A word from your GP or occupational health doctor is valuable if you have a health condition.

Types of second job that are often compatible

Short, regular slots generally suit better than shifting hours. Formats that come up include part-time evening or weekend work in retail, reception, catering or logistics; occasional assignments at events; tutoring or training for a few hours a week; home help for an elderly person; or an administrative role done remotely.

The sector matters less than stable hours and a short distance from home. A job fifteen minutes away on foot is often more sustainable than a better-paid post far away. Some self-employed activities, such as a micro-business, fall under a different framework from holding two contracts, with their own declaration rules.

Working out the real gain from the extra income

An additional salary is not always as valuable as it looks. It may change your income tax, certain means-tested benefits or your level of contributions. You must also deduct direct costs: transport, work clothes, meals, and any care you pay for a relative.

Here is one line of reasoning, with no reference value attached: if an assignment of a few hours a week brings in a modest net amount but needs two car journeys and a meal out, the final difference can become very small. It is therefore worth comparing the net gain, month by month, with the tiredness and free time you give up. For complicated cases, a tax adviser or a social worker can explain the effect on your personal situation.

How to apply openly and cleanly

Transparency prevents conflict. At the interview for the second post, it is normal to say that you already have another job and to specify the hours you can offer. The future employer may ask for proof of your hours in the first post.

1. Set your time slots and communicate them in writing.
2. Check that the contract states the working time and how the hours are spread.
3. Ask how cover and rota changes are handled.
4. Inform your first employer if your contract requires it.
5. Keep both contracts and your payslips.

A trial period may apply: it also lets you check that the pace is sustainable.

Comparing with other solutions

A second job is not the only answer to a need for income or change. A pay rise, a move to another post, an increase to full-time hours, training that leads to a better qualification or a light self-employed activity can sometimes achieve the same goal with less tiredness.

A career adviser, whose service is free of charge in many situations in France, can help you compare these options. As retirement approaches, it is also useful to find out about the rules on combining work with a pension and about phased retirement, which, under certain conditions, lets you reduce your working time while receiving part of your pension.