Posted by Setu Partiwala

The COVID-19 pandemic gave individuals ample time and seclusion that they would otherwise not have, which they could use to work with other businesses simultaneously—increasing the number of people practising moonlighting among the white-collar professions in India.

In the past year, multinational companies like Infosys and Wipro have let go of many employees for moonlighting. Other IT companies such as TSC and more have shown concern regarding the widely practised activity calling it unethical.

India today is highly populated, with most of its population being underpaid. Moonlighting is a concept that has been around for ages, and it is here to stay.

Moonlighting is the practice of working another job outside business hours. Some do it for passion, while others do it for boredom. It is not an approach that came into effect due to covid or the work-from-home model but has proliferated.

There are multiple reasons why it is still in practice today. Low salaries and incentives make for a tempting situation. It acts as a fallback or plan B to ensure financial independence. Flexible working hours have made it easier for people to devote time to activities and side hustles.

While no specific regulations stop employees from working on side gigs, certain restrictions are placed on factory workers and industrial employees. However, none of those laws applies to IT sector-based companies, but the employment contract may prohibit people from seeking or accepting other jobs.

IT companies are concerned about moonlighting, and most are worried about employees’ job quality and productivity. Working multiple jobs can be taxing and cause poor attentiveness and fatigue. Another primary factor is the risk of a breach of confidentiality, especially when working with a rival.

AMA conducted a session to shed light on the topic on December 16, 2022. Inviting Associate Professor Dr Bindiya Gupta and Assistant Professor Ms Radhika Joshi from Karnavati University along with Mr Jitendra Jehlot, Associate Manager, Accenture at ATCI, and Mr Parag Bhatt, Group HR Head at Tatvic Analytics; professionals well acquainted with the subject matter in the field to shed some light on the topic.

Moonlight has stirred controversy over the future of white collared jobs in India. Many believe moonlighting is an issue of ethics. While many firms stand on the side of moonlighting and may even propose business policies in favour of it, most IT companies are firm on their no-moonlight policies.

The panellists reaffirmed their beliefs, concluding that before starting side jobs, employees must crosscheck their employment contract with their primary appointment to avoid violating it or refrain from moonlighting entirely. Considering the debate on moonlighting, the government should create new policies. It will help provide a legal structure to what has been going on covertly for many years.