Lisa James meets a travel worker who needs an evening job to make ends meet, and we offer five tips for those considering a second income. See part one for more on the trend for travel industry workers to take a second job.
Second job case study: Michelle Hadjiyerou
When 22-year-old Jetset reservations clerk Michelle Hadjiyerou moved into her own flat a year ago, she took on a part-time job to help pay the bills.
Twice a week, Michelle leaves work at Jetset’s Enfield office at 5.30pm, then goes to her second job, as a radio controller for a local cab company, where she puts in another six hours.
She said: “It was a case of getting a job one or two nights a week to get a bit of extra money together. I told my boss at Jetset and he was very understanding and supportive.
“All of my wages from Jetset go to the flat and bills, so the extra money I earn is my spending money.
“When I first started, it was tough going and I would come into work at Jetset feeling tired. I was all over the place for the first two or three months. But now I have got used to it.
“In an ideal world, having a second job is not something I would choose to do. I love working at Jetset, but at the moment, I need to supplement my main income.”
But having a second job does have its compensations.
Michelle said: “The cab drivers are always asking me to sort them out with a holiday for them, which means I generate more sales for Jetset.”
Tips for travel workers considering a second job
1. Check the contract you have with your main employer, as some don’t allow staff to take second jobs, have restrictions on the type of work you can do, or insist that you tell them if you have a second job.
2. Check you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to, such as Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit. And check that any benefits you receive will not be cut if you bring in more money.
3. Taking a ‘cash in hand’ job may be tempting, but the Government is clamping down on dealing with people who don’t pay tax on earnings.
4. Do your sums and take into account costs like extra childcare and travel expenses to get to the second job. You may not be much better off, particularly when you take into account loss of ‘me time’.
5. Consider alternatives. Look at your expenditure and see if you could make savings by, for example, getting rid of cable TV or cancelling your gym membership.