The idea of a ‘side hustle’ has received growing interest due to the global cost-of-living crisis. This study explores deviant side hustles (DSH) when employees aim to earn additional income from an additional job at the same time as their main job. We conduct two studies to extend our understanding on side hustles relating to doing two jobs simultaneously. Study 1 has two samples (n=769 employees and n=268 managers) and we explore the antecedents (e.g., working-from-home) of a DSH. We find shared and distinct drivers for each sample, and we find a DSH occurs at low levels, although managers have significantly higher levels than employees. Study 2 explores behavioral outcomes of engaging in a DSH using time-lagged data on 596 workers. We find largely detrimental effects – higher turnover intentions and counterproductive work behaviors – but also a beneficial effect towards innovation behaviors. The overall conclusion is that DHS appear real and occur infrequently, but when they do occur, they are largely detrimental for employees and their employers.
