Moonlighting & market: Should employees have side gigs? Bosses & HR gurus are divided. But answer is in supply & demand

Source– The post is based on the article “Moonlighting & market: Should employees have side gigs? Bosses & HR gurus are divided. But answer is in supply & demand” published in The Times of India on 14th September 2022.

Syllabus: GS3- Indian economy (Employment)

Relevance– About Moonlighting

News- The article explains the concept of moonlighting and concerns of employers about this new concept.Moonlighting has expanded exponentially during pandemic. It is prevalent in sectors where demand outstrips supply, like IT sector.

A PwC survey found that 54% of respondents strongly or moderately agreed that India faces a shortage of their skill sets.

What are some facts about moonlighting?

It is related to employees doing jobs on the side of their contracted full-time work.

It expanded exponentially during the pandemic period.

It is resisted by major employers who want to restore their white-collar works to the definition of pre-pandemic level.

What are employers’ viewpoints about moonlighting?

(a) Some employers are worrying about productivity. They are concerned about IP (Intellectual Property) leaks and conflicts of interest. For example, Infosys has called it “two-timing” and the Wipro chairman called it “cheating, plain and simple”.

(b) Others are open to the idea of companies working productively with employees without having exclusive ‘ownership’ of them. For example, Swiggy and Cred have greenlighted moonlighting.

According to them, moonlighting can help one do one’s day job better.

An American study published in the Academy of Management Journal last year found that it made employees feel empowered. It resulted in uplifting their mood and increasing performance.