Is work polygamy a new trend or the daily norm for researchers?

Balancing multiple jobs has become increasingly popular, so much so that the term ‘work polygamy’ has been conjured up to address this trend. Although typically referring to working more than one salaried position, it also covers working beyond the defined responsibilities of an individual’s job description and performing other voluntary activities, as well as working on various ‘side hustles’.

For many chemists, work polygamy isn’t new. Academics in particular have long been used to managing a variety of different roles, even if many of them aren’t clearly defined or even paid. Working different jobs simultaneously can be an effective way to develop new skills – as long as the workload can be managed.

Curiosity and passion

For three years Senzekile Majola has been a full-time lecturer at Durban University of Technology, South Africa, while also working on a PhD in the same department (which she completed in 2025). On top of this, she also spearheads community engagement initiatives and owns her own hair and beauty small business. Her different jobs bring her excitement and keep her motivated. ‘It’s just passion and purpose,’ she says.

Majola has been fortunate to be in a supportive department where she can ask to reduce her teaching workload if it is impacting her research. She’s also been fortunate to have funding: ‘I wouldn’t say I do all of this because of financial constraint,’ she reveals.

During the week Majola dedicates her time to teaching. Weekends are for helping young South Africans apply for higher education and her beauty business – which covers mainly wig installation and make-up, often for party and wedding packages. She is a one-man show, doing all the bookings, marketing and labour.

Her ambition is to secure a postdoc position overseas in organic chemistry synthesising therapeutic drug molecules. Even when she achieves this dream job, she wants to continue her additional roles – ‘I won’t leave community engagement, I love it so much.’ As for the business, she hopes to employ and train others to deliver the services she has made a name for herself doing.

Majola credits her success to good organisational skills. ‘It’s all about planning. If you just work non-stop, you’re going to be burned out and no longer enjoy what you’re doing.’ She makes sure that once a month she focuses on herself. ‘You need your me time,’ advises Majola, who’s been through depression and realised that having time for her own reset is vital for her to be on top form.

Experience counts

Glenn Larkin, American expert in wood chemistry, started his work polygamy in high school – ‘I was always doing side gigs.’ Since then, he has worked in research, quality control and started two environmentally friendly dye companies.

Larkin started a PhD eight years ago but didn’t complete it as he was also balancing family and a full-time job. ‘It got to a point where my age and my stage of career made it so that there wasn’t a whole lot of motivation on my part to continue with the PhD,’ he explains. He wanted to become an academic; fortunately, his vast experiences gained through working polygamously gave him a skillset and the expertise to mean he didn’t require a PhD credential.

Larkin is now at Michigan Tech University in the US researching ways to detect wood decay early using spectroscopic techniques. He also does consultancy work on wood science and in the dietary supplement industry, saying that in the past as long as there was no time conflict with work and studies, he would maintain his consultancy. He also volunteers for professional societies like the American Chemical Society (ACS). ‘I wanted to get more involved in governance and understanding how ACS worked and if I can make a difference,’ says Larkin. His polygamous career means he feels he has a good grasp of the reality of the chemical profession and so he’s not afraid to ask difficult questions in society meetings, often advocating for researchers without doctorates.

Improving visibility

Academics traditionally balance salaried teaching and research roles while carrying out other networking and outreach activities that are often unpaid yet expected parts of the academic career model. Chilean computational chemist Francisca Benítez was aware of this from starting her studies in chemistry at university after looking at what her professors did. ‘They have to do research, teaching, communication, outreach and a lot of administrative works,’ she says, adding that these skills aren’t taught at undergraduate level. During her master’s and PhD she took classes to improve her teaching even though it caused issues with her supervisor – ‘there are still some academics who believe graduate students should dedicate all their time to research.’

Her wider work polygamy stems from curiosity. ‘I really like to know a little bit of everything,’ she says. Alongside her paid research and teaching roles she is active in broader scientific community engagement, championing Latin American chemistry visibility.

LatinXChem connects and amplifies Latinx chemists worldwide, provides networking, fosters collaboration and celebrates successes. Benítez has been involved for four years in various positions, describing it as hectic as there are different languages spoken and multiple time zones to work across, so most of the work is done by text to avoid any misinterpretation. This has helped her to develop communication skills that are useful in her other roles too – from teaching in the classroom to wider outreach and advocating for scientific policy.

Adding these supplementary responsibilities to the official job description and being appropriately remunerated may make academics more satisfied with their work and improve overall job performance and productivity. In Elsa Zacco’s experience, academics are already working polygamously, but this is not formally recognised.

Since her PhD in medicinal chemistry, Zacco has navigated an academic career spanning biotech, biophysics and cell biology. Her current role at the Italian Institute of Technology includes a variety of additional responsibilities that are not reflected in her job title or salary. ‘I can say that I know how to manage a group, but I have never been a group leader officially … I can write grants and manage budgets, but I [do not have] a way of proving it very well.’

A juggling act

Even when work polygamy is rewarded, undertaking it can be challenging. Larkin found it difficult to say no, leading to conflicting commitments. ‘Juggling is fine as long as you recognise you can only do so much,’ he says. Looking back, Larkin advises against taking additional jobs during PhDs due to the high risk of failure, despite financial temptations.

Benítez acknowledges that her involvement in LatinXChem isn’t always easy. ‘Some days, I feel like a superwoman, juggling tasks that often have nothing to do with each other or even with my main role, and somehow making it all work,’ she says. But other days she feels like a fraud when she doesn’t excel in any of her capacities. However, with good people around she feels she can do anything she sets her mind to, pacing herself and giving herself time to reset.

Benítez has also decided not to have children and pursuing a career in academia influenced that choice. ‘When you have a family, you have to pay a price,’ she says. Larkin acknowledges that societal structures often expect women to carry more domestic chores that may hinder their ability for work polygamy, especially during child-rearing years. ‘We don’t recognise being a parent or spouse as being a full-time job. And ultimately, it’s far more important than career accolades,’ he says.

Words of advice

Benítez believes work polygamy will become the norm or even mandatory, especially in the highly competitive academic space where having external commitments gives you an advantage when applying to new roles. However, she emphasises that the environment in which this multitasking happens is crucial – ‘if your main role exists in a supportive, nourishing environment, work polygamy can be a true ally.’

‘It’s something that you need to do if you want to continue in academia,’ she says, adding that performance is often dictated by how well you can secure funds, publish and manage multiple responsibilities. Having knowledge that extends beyond your niche will give you an edge against competitors. ‘If you have a lot of interests, pursue them. You’ll never know where it will take you.’ Benitez is now focusing on science policy.

When hiring chemists, botanists and technicans, Larkin looks for people who are output-driven and flexible, recognising that knowledge can always be learned. He would not criticise employees for pursuing other interests as long as the main job requirements are met. ‘If it takes you one eight-hour day to do everything that needs to be done and do it well, then you’ve got four days to do whatever the heck you want,’ he says.