Slashies are real, and they’re gaining momentum
Slashies made a cameo appearance in the 2001 movie Zoolander with the “Fabio Slashie Award” for Best Actor ‘Slash’ Model. Twenty years later, analysts asked if 2020 would be the decade of the slashies.
The answer is a proven YES!
A recent Bankrate survey reported that 45% of U.S. labor force participants are deriving income from pursuing various routes and projects in addition to their primary job. And an Upwork study stated that 60% of employers are using hybrid workers, and in the next 10 years, it’s predicted that number will increase 168%.
The reasons slashies like working a combination of gigs are as diverse as the freelance jobs they seek. This cohort wants flexibility and creativity citing boredom with one job as the primary motivation for being a freelancer. It is also their modern-day answer to job insecurity. Psychologists say that the ability to leverage interests and multiple skills into income-generating opportunities is empowering and enhances marketability.
Yet the hybrid gig workstyle has its downside. Hiring personnel can be leery. Slashies may struggle with time management, keeping track of income/expenses, lack of consistent work, and most importantly, staying on top of self-care routines. If slashies can manage these variables with a healthy sense of balance, being a slashie can be a most rewarding “profession.”