EXPLAINED: Moonlighting and the controversy around it!

A lot has changed about the work-life balance and working styles during and post the pandemic era. Now as offices have resumed and people are back in on-site workplaces, new working trends are evolving every now and then. Few among them being 'Quiet-quitting’, ‘FIRE movement’, and Great resignation’.

Now it’s time to talk about a new elephant in the room called ‘Moonlighting’. No, this has nothing to do with the astronomical elements. Rather, the dictionary meaning of this term is ‘to have a secret second job, typically at night, in addition to one's regular employment’.

The practice majorly came into focus after major IT companies in India announced a slack in pay offs in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2023. However, it seems that the IT sector is clearly divided, when it comes to moonlighting. It is evident by the Tweets of Rishad Premji, the Chairperson of Wipro, where he wrote, "There’s a lot of chatter about people moonlighting in the tech industry. This is cheating -plain and simple.”

On the other hand, T. V. Mohandas Pai, Former Director of Infosys was quoted by media saying that he does not consider moonlighting cheating as employment is a contract between an employer who pays for working for them for 'n' number of hours a day. Now what employees do after that time is their freedom. N Ganapathy Subramaniam, the CEO of TCS, also described it as an "ethical issue".

Also watch: Say bye to great resignation; shake hands with quiet quitting!

Why is Moonlighting trending these days?

Recently, a popular food delivery app announced its “industry first" policy that allows moonlighting for its employees. It said “Any project or activity that is taken up outside office hours or on the weekend, without affecting productivity, and does not have a conflict of interest, can be picked up by the employees”.

Is Moonlighting ethical in India?

In India, moonlighting depends on the agreement that a company has with its employers. It is considered illegal if an employee’s agreement strictly prohibits a second employment. However, it is legal if the employer provides relaxation. So, before hunting for a side job, it is always wiser to turn the pages of your work agreement.

Why do people prefer Moonlighting?

There is no doubt that the global economy has been hit badly by the pandemic and the incidents of companies shutting down and laying off their employees are way more than ever before. However, there could be many reasons behind moonlighting, besides earning those extra bucks. For some an extra job at night could be a plan B if they are insecure about their regular daytime job. For some, it could be following a passion or exploring their creative side. Some people go moonlighting as an option for a career change.

While various discussions and arguments will come and go, the ‘OG’ of moonlighting will always remain our school teachers who would turn into our tuition teachers by evening.

Don’t we all agree on this?

Also watch: Early Retirement plan 101: Know all about FIRE movement