Side Effects Of A Side Hustle: An Emerging Employment Law Challenge

While many of us find it difficult to imagine having enough spare time to take on a second job, the rise of remote and hybrid work arrangements has opened the door for enterprising employees to set up "side hustles." While cost of living increases have left some with little choice but to moonlight, a new decision out of the Supreme Court of British Columbia (BCSC) has highlighted some of the challenges that employers might face in trying to manage workers who bite off more than they can chew.

The question that arose in the BCSC case, Dove v. Destiny Media Technologies was whether an employer wrongfully dismissed an employee who decided to assist with a start-up at the expense of her full-time job.