Moonlighting: illegal Or unethical ? Why Did Wipro Fire 300 Employees?
The IT services company Wipro has fired almost 300 workers for "moonlighting" as it hardens its stance against employees working a second job after hours.
The term "moonlighting" is common in other nations as well, when workers are wanting to supplement their income with projects outside of their profession, therefore the problem is not just with Indian tech enterprises.
Not only Wipro, but IBM also issued a warning a few days ago over the latest business practice known as "moonlighting."
Despite the fact that moonlighting is integrally related to Infosys' history, the business forbids its employees from engaging in it. The internet company recently emphasized, "Remember - NO TWO-TIMING - NO MOONLIGHTING," in an email received by the HR department.
Concept of Moonlighting
The idea of moonlighting is not new. Look at the below example of moonlighting that we encounter in daily life.
- Some of our professors may still be fresh in our minds; they taught students in the evenings or on weekends in addition to their 9 am to 5 pm schedule at the school.
- Doctors who work full-time in private hospitals may also occasionally conduct part-time private practice at home. We may visit their private clinic nearby their home if we become ill and need to see a doctor.
- Nowadays, in addition to their normal occupations, workers can be observed partaking in a range of extracurricular activities like music, singing, acting, theatre, making material for social media, and other creative endeavors.
What is Moonlighting
The term "moonlighting" refers to doing many jobs in addition to one's regular job. Businesses disagree with the approach, claiming that having staff perform numerous tasks can reduce productivity.
Since working from home became the norm during the Covid-19 pandemic, which is said to have contributed to an increase in dual employment, moonlighting has become a contentious issue in the IT sector.
When it comes to side jobs, Indian IT companies are divided. Some belief it to be unethical, while others think it to be urgent.
What Issues Do Businesses Fear?
- The main issues that businesses have with moonlighting are productivity loss and data and confidentiality breaches.
- Long hours at a second job could lead to an employee's physical exhaustion, a distraction from their primary duties, and neglect of their duties at work.
The person doing moonlighting may have the chance to share trade secrets. - Employees must be aware of the value of protecting information that might be useful to a rival company.
- Because employees might use corporate resources for a second job, operating costs go up.