What Is Polyworking? A New Way to Work at Any Age

Author: Eat Well · Feel Well · Live Well Editorial Team

For a long time, having one job was considered the standard way to work. You joined a company, built your career there, and eventually retired.

But that model is gradually beginning to change.

Some people work for a company while also freelancing. Others spend a few days a week in an organisation and use the rest of their time to build their own business. Some continue in their professional field while taking on smaller roles in entirely different areas.

The term “polyworking” is gaining attention as a way to describe this style of working — combining multiple jobs, professional roles, or sources of income.

SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) has highlighted polyworking as one of the workplace trends to watch in 2026. Reuters, AP and other media outlets have also reported on the growing number of people in the US and Europe taking on multiple jobs, amid rising living costs and concerns about job security.

However, viewing polyworking simply as “a side job to help cover living expenses” misses the bigger picture.

What Is Polyworking? How It Differs from Side Hustles and Multiple Jobs

Polyworking refers to a way of working in which one person holds multiple jobs or professional roles at the same time.

It is similar to concepts such as a side hustle or having multiple jobs, but there are some differences in nuance.

A side hustle usually means taking on additional work alongside a main job. There is still a clear distinction between the primary job and the secondary one.

By contrast, having multiple jobs or professional roles can mean treating each of them as part of the same overall career, without necessarily defining one as the “main” job.

Polyworking is close to this idea, but the term is often used more broadly. It can include combining employment, freelance work, self-employment, creative projects, consulting, or part-time roles in a way that fits your lifestyle and goals.

For example, someone might work for a company three days a week, consult on other days, and gradually build a small business of their own. That, too, can be a form of polyworking.

The key point is not simply to take on more work.

It is about building a career that is not limited to one company or one job title, and combining different kinds of work in a way that suits you.

That is what makes polyworking different from the traditional idea of simply having a side job.

More People in Switzerland Are Working Multiple Jobs

Working multiple jobs is no longer unusual in Switzerland.

According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), 8.1% of employed people held more than one job in 2025. That is almost double the 4.1% recorded in 1991.

In other words, roughly one in twelve workers in Switzerland now has more than one job.

Part-time work has long been common in Switzerland, and many people are used to adjusting their working hours or employment percentage to suit their circumstances. This makes it relatively natural to combine a main job with other professional activities or independent work, rather than building an entire career around a single employer.

At the same time, holding multiple jobs can create some Switzerland-specific challenges. One example is the second pillar of the pension system (BVG/occupational pension). When income is spread across several employers, earnings from each individual job may fall below the relevant pension threshold, potentially resulting in weaker occupational pension coverage. The Swiss government has also been examining how people with multiple jobs can be better protected under the second-pillar system.

For this reason, polyworking is not simply about how many jobs you have. It is also about how you structure your income, time and social security as part of your overall working life.

In a country like Switzerland, where working 100% for a single employer is far from the only established model, polyworking may be less a completely new trend than a new name for a way of working that has already been gradually taking shape.

What Are the Downsides of Polyworking?

Polyworking can broaden both your sources of income and your career options. But the more jobs you take on, the more there is to manage.

One of the biggest drawbacks is fatigue and burnout caused by overworking. When you are juggling several employers, clients, or projects, the boundary between work and rest can easily become blurred. Before long, it may feel as though there is always something that needs to be done.

If you are employed by a company while also taking on other work, it is also important to check your employer’s rules on outside work, confidentiality obligations, and potential competition. If the roles overlap, there may be a risk of conflicts of interest.

Managing several jobs can also make scheduling more complicated. Each role comes with its own deadlines and responsibilities, and an overloaded calendar can end up taking away the freedom that polyworking was supposed to create.

Another important point is not to treat every job as if it requires the same level of energy and commitment.

Polyworking is not about working as much as possible.

One job may provide financial stability. Another may be something you want to grow for the future. A third may simply be work you enjoy and want to keep in your life. The key is to understand the role each one plays and adjust the balance when necessary.

Because polyworking offers greater freedom, it also requires the ability to decide not only what to add, but what to reduce or let go of.

That is one of the most important ways to make polyworking sustainable over the long term.

And・・・

Polyworking is not simply about taking on more side jobs.

Rather than limiting your career to one company or one job title, it is a way of combining different kinds of work while considering income, fulfilment, future opportunities, and balance in everyday life.

As the way we work continues to diversify, the idea that everyone should have one clearly defined “main job” is gradually beginning to change.

At the same time, taking on too much can make time management more difficult and lead to fatigue or stress. What matters is not how many jobs you have, but finding a combination that feels sustainable for you.

Perhaps the future of work will be less about asking, “What do you do?” and more about choosing work based on the question, “How do I want to work?”

---

Editor’s Note

We are moving from an era when staying in one job for a long time was seen as the “right” path to one where we can shape the way we work for ourselves.

What drew me to the idea of polyworking is that it is not simply about taking on more jobs. It reflects the belief that the way we work can change as our lives change.

One job may offer stability. Another may be something we genuinely enjoy. A third may be something we want to grow for the future. Each can have a different purpose.

There is no single right way to work. What matters is finding a combination that feels sustainable, meaningful, and right for you.