on one's own time

1. During non-working hours, especially when one is not being paid. For example, Marcia wrote poetry evenings and weekends, on her own time. This expression implies that the time one spends working for someone else is no longer one's possession.

Example Sentences

It’s as though these songs contain some secret about how to live on one’s own time, surrendering neither hope nor ambition.

Read more on The New Yorker

The bill would not allow employers to punish workers for beliefs expressed on one's own time, such as donating to a campaign against same-sex marriage.

Read more on US News