A Review of Moonlighting in the IT Sector And its Impact

Abstract

There is a rapid change in the global environment and the economy. As a result of remote work and inflation, some workers have begun moonlighting, working secondary jobs either to make ends meet or to earn a little extra spending money. In addition to taking on various dimensions, human resource management (HRM) practices are also changing. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of people holding multiple jobs. The prevalence of this phenomenon is attributed to flexible work hours and work-from-home options offered by most IT companies. During this time of economic change, employees are more concerned about their economic well-being than their professional advancement. In addition to their primary job, they have been doing extra work with other employers for extra pay. Employers' compliance policies are affected by moonlighting, as it affects employee work lives. A growing concern exists over the efficiency implications of moonlighting in the management of IT sectors. The study also compared the rate of moonlighting in the IT sector and the relationship between workers' main job and secondary job. Could the employee be working in two or more organizations without their current employer knowing? To prevent employees from moonlighting, how can organizations support them economically? How would it be if the employee handled all the tasks more effectively without hindering any of them? During the transition from blue moon to full moon, moonlighting practices by employees are of great concern.

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A Review of Moonlighting in the IT Sector And its Impact
Dr. A. Shaji George1, A.S. Hovan George2
1Director, Masters IT Solutions, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
2Masters IT Solutions, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
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Abstract –
There is a rapid change in the global
environment and the economy. As a result of
remote work and inflation, some workers have
begun moonlighting, working secondary jobs either
to make ends meet or to earn a little extra spending
money. In addition to taking on various dimensions,
human resource management (HRM) practices are
also changing. Recent years have seen an increase
in the number of people holding multiple jobs. The
prevalence of this phenomenon is attributed to
flexible work hours and work-from-home options
offered by most IT companies. During this time of
economic change, employees are more concerned
about their economic well-being than their
professional advancement. In addition to their
primary job, they have been doing extra work with
other employers for extra pay. Employers'
compliance policies are affected by moonlighting,
as it affects employee work lives. A growing concern
exists over the efficiency implications of
moonlighting in the management of IT sectors. The
study also compared the rate of moonlighting in
the IT sector and the relationship between workers'
main job and secondary job. Could the employee
be working in two or more organizations without
their current employer knowing? To prevent
employees from moonlighting, how can
organizations support them economically? How
would it be if the employee handled all the tasks
more effectively without hindering any of them?
During the transition from blue moon to full moon,
moonlighting practices by employees are of great
concern.
Keywords: Moonlighting, Part-time job, blue moon,
Secondary-Job, Full moon, IT Sector, Quarter
moonlighting, Half moonlighting, IT Market, side gig,
Gig-Jobs, Freelancer, side hustle.
1.INTRODUCTION
In recent years, IT market flexibility has led to lower
employee-employer loyalty, rising unemployment
risk, and shorter job tenures. As an Outcome of these
changes, individuals must seek alternative
strategies to ensure employment security and a
continuous and higher income stream.
Occupational mobility has become more important
in modern job markets because of rapid
technological change and the requirement for
continuous skill updating. The above volatility has
forced a significant number of workers to develop
an energetic strategy of holding multiple jobs or
moonlighting to cope. In addition to addressing
financial constraints, multiple jobs can ensure
uninterrupted employment spells and provide an
opportunity for further career advancement by
accumulating occupation-specific expertise. As the
Indian IT market has become more flexible,
moonlighting has become an important
characteristic. To supplement one's income, a
person takes on a side job, or side hustle, or side gig,
in addition to their primary job. Some side jobs are
done because of necessity, such as when a person's
income derived from their primary job is not enough
to support them, or simply to earn more money. The
practice of moonlighting refers to working a side job
after normal working hours. It is possible to keep
more than one-side job simultaneously, such as a
full-time job, part-time contract, or freelance work.
In India, side jobs are becoming increasingly

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popular. With wage stagnation and low wage
growth, income hasn't kept pace with the cost of
living, leaving nearly a third of people with side jobs
unable to make ends meet. Taking on side jobs is
usually done in order to increase disposable
income. It is typically referred to as a "day job" when
an individual's primary job is only meant to provide
income so that they can pursue a side job of their
choice. For a deeper understanding of income
growth and career progression, as well as for the
purposes of developing future IT market policy, it is
crucial to examine the relationship between
occupational experience, moonlighting, and
job/occupational mobility. Additionally, holding
multiple jobs has a negative impact on employee
health, productivity, work-life balance, and overall
wellbeing. Increasingly innovative techniques are
being developed to motivate employees to work
more effectively. Worldwide, there is fierce
competition for survival of the most qualified, and
organizations must adapt to the changing work
culture and adopt new human resource practices.
People who refuse to change will remain in the
backyard and face defeat. It is therefore imperative
that the organization implement the latest human
resource practices. For most of us, one job is
enough. Some people, however, are barely able to
pay their bills, so they take on another or even a
third job just to survive. In what ways does
moonlighting affect the workplace and employees?
Moonlighting, or holding a second job in parallel with
one's current job, is a frequent practice that ranges
from blue moonlighting to full moonlighting. The
transition from blue moon to full moon and its effect
on organizations should be understood first.
2.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In this article, will examine various aspects of
employee moonlighting. Data have been collected
from the period of January 1, 2014, to Sep 18, 2022. In
this study, secondary data are compiled from
journals, articles, books, and the Internet.
2.1 Moonlighting: Why Do Employees Do It
There are many reasons why employees choose to
take on a second job. The obvious reason is
monetary consideration, but there are other reasons
for employees to take on a second job as well.
Following are some of the major reasons why
people moonlight:
2.2 There are monetary reasons for this:
As a
reward for the effort an employee puts into the job,
money is the major benefit. In Maslow's hierarchy of
demands, money helps satisfy the first two levels,
Needs related to physiological health, safety, and
security. Employees can earn additional income by
taking on a second job. A country like India, where
the pay level is not so high, encourages employees
to take on more than one job in order to meet their
basic needs.
2.3 Experience in the Workplace:
It is common for
employees to want to gain more experience in their
fields. It's especially important for new entrants who
want maximum exposure in a limited amount of
time. In a brief period of time, doing two jobs
simultaneously allows them to gain the maximum
amount of experience.
2.4 Skills Acquisition:
New skills are learned by
employees, which enhances their personal
development. Their employability is further
enhanced by the increased skill set.
2.5 Find out what career options are available:
It is
common for employees to be dissatisfied with their
current career choices. It is possible that they would
like to explore other career options without leaving
their current position. Can discover new
opportunities in different fields by taking on a
second job simultaneously.

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2.6 Security of employment:
Employees are
concerned about the stability of their jobs.
Whenever an employee's first job becomes
unavailable, they may accept another job to meet
their basic needs.
2.7 The steps to starting a business:
It is common
for employees to want to start their own businesses.
A business's initial stage requires investment, and
returns come later, so they stay on the job and treat
it as a shock absorber. Additionally, the job teaches
them the skills needed to start a successful
business. In this way, employees hone their skills on
the job and use them as a shock absorber should
their business venture fail.
3.THE SITUATION OF MOONLIGHTING IN INDIA
Recent research has shown, by this year, around
30% of India's work force will have to work remotely.
Figures may change, as telecommuting is on the
rise. Telecommuters, or those who quit their jobs to
work remotely, can now double their wages thanks
to a new trend. multiple tasks simultaneously.
Multitasking is highly recommended for
Moonlighters. Working as an IT professional has not
only doubled the salaries of employees but also
provided us with valuable experience. It is worth
noting that Moonlighters believed the employer's
words. They kept their end of the deal if it did not
conflict with their actions. It is not a secret! Many
professionals now have two corporate IDs, two email
addresses, and two bosses in WFH mode. Techies
know this, especially in the US. The concept has also
evolved into a community called Overwork, which
helps professionals lead a double life. But India is a
different story. This concept is old in America. To
earn more money in the US, they may choose to
work for two different employers on different shifts.
Suppose the waiter works in both restaurants in the
morning and in the evening. This allows a person to
make more money with two jobs and pay the bills.
Now we have entered the field of technology.
because everything works remotely, and results
come out. Today's employees have more free time
thanks to the telecommuting culture, so they can
work more. There are companies that are honest
about telecommuting and are open and
transparent about the concept. That is why it works.
However, this is not possible in the service sector.
Even though it is a new trend, there has been a
lateral shift in India. Examples include independent
project consultants and mentoring teachers outside
the school. A second example is people who have
different jobs and are part-time LIC agents. Many
successful startups were created when the founders
made extra money. Moonlighters are good
managers. It all depends on time management. Not
everyone is freelance or moonlighting. Only 20% of
professionals are smart enough to do this and can
do more. Even so, Moonlight manages multiple
projects simultaneously, offering professionals a
number of benefits, such as learning new skills or
retraining them. It affects them more. As a result,
they will be at par with their competitors around the
world. They also gain experience that helps them
find good jobs. They make more money.
4.THE MOTIVATIONS WHICH LEAD TO MOONLIGHTING
Several probable causes have been identified in the
research on secondary job motivations (SJ):
People may be confined by their primary job's hours
or earnings; for example, they may be willing to work
additional hours or take a higher-paying job but are
not given the option to do so. Total earnings in the
principal employment may be affected by laws
regarding working hours, short-term working
contracts during periods of low economic demand,
or the absence of a minimum wage. This condition
may worsen the individual's or his or her household's
financial constraints, including paid workers who do
not encounter time limits at work but whose wages
fall short of their target income. This is also known as
the financial motivation [1].

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• Employees who are worried about losing their
main job may take on a second job to protect
themselves against the risk of losing their main job
and to give themselves more options for staying in
the job market.
• People who have bad financial surprises may
choose to get a second job instead of saving money
as a safety net.
• IT workers may choose to take on another job in
order to learn new skills that will allow them to
transition to a different field of work. SJ can assist
people in making job changes or operate as an
effective incubator for entrepreneurial activity,
enhancing their prospects of changing careers. This
idea emphasizes the investment side of
moonlighting rather than the consuming side. It is
related to the job diversity reason, but it varies in
that it takes the money side of moonlighting into
account.
• Secondary job satisfaction may differ from
primary job satisfaction. Job heterogeneity may
therefore be another motive for moonlighting.
According to the hours restrictions theory, there
should be a negative link between employees'
primary job earnings and their likelihood of taking
on secondary occupations. The diverse job motive,
on the other hand, recognizes that people may pick
a side hustle for reasons unrelated to their first job's
hours or compensation. The early literature on
secondary job hours supported the hours-constraint
motive, as it was established that the number of
hours worked in second occupations was inversely
connected to the number of hours worked and
earnings in primary employment. Nonetheless, it
becomes clear that not just the primary job's
income level but also the extent of a wage boost is
crucial for lowering the take-up of second
occupations, particularly among the lower-paid. The
boost in income brought about by the higher
minimum wage may not have been sufficient to
persuade low-income people to give up their
second job [1].
Workers who take over a second job due to time
restrictions in their primary job should have shorter
moonlighting periods than those who take over a
second job for non-financial, intrinsically rewarding
reasons. Indeed, the standard theory based on
hourly limits fails to account for the reality that
workers can escape hurdles in their primary job by
looking for a new one over time. This calls the
temporal constraint argument as the sole
explanation for SJ into doubt. There is no evidence to
support the idea that workers may moonlight in
order to protect themselves against job instability in
their primary employment [2]. According to certain
research, SJ is more common among public sector
personnel and those with long-term contracts. This
implies indirect connection between job security
and moonlighting. People will consider adopting up
another job if their primary work gives some level of
stability. Thus, recent empirical study has concluded
that money is not the only relevant element.
Secondary employment motivations vary, but most
typically involve appreciation of the non-financial
components of the job. For many people, working
numerous jobs is a personal approach for achieving
or restoring job satisfaction through more difficult
sorts of work or skill development [1].
5.MOONLIGHTING AS A BUSINESS
People who want to start their own business are
often encouraged to keep up with their day job
while starting a new business. As a business,
Moonlighting minimizes the risks associated with
starting a business from scratch. Startup projects
usually don't pay off financially in the first few
months, so working full-time can give your business
a shot. Conflicts are common when an employee
and employer start a new business while continuing
to work for their current employer [7]. Employment
contracts often contain clauses and restrictions
that prohibit employees from performing additional
work or claiming ownership of what they have
created. These intensive projects can distract an
employee from their primary task, which can
jeopardize their loyalty and duty of care. That's why

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moonlighters need to be careful when working in
startups.
6.THE ETHICS OF MOONLIGHTING IN THE
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY
It is no secret that Indian workers face a double-
edged sword when it comes to moonlighting. This
can be a great way to earn extra income and gain
valuable experience while working full-time for an
organization, but if caught it can be considered a
breach of contract and lead to termination.
Moonlighting in the tech industry is a hot topic.
Simply put, it's a scam [3]. An unstable work
environment, fears of recession and job losses have
sent the IT industry into a panic. As a result,
moonlighting is clearly visible and becoming a
haven for remote workers who want to secure an
income channel in any way possible. Since January
2022, the startup has laid off more than 11,000
employees, and some tech companies are
maintaining variable pay to ease pressure on tight
margins. More remote workers managing two or
three jobs simultaneously during the pandemic has
sparked this trend in the IT industry. Although
moonlighting is an attractive option for employees
because it helps them achieve a career, growth
and additional income, employers are concerned
about company information and the risk that
employees may not be able to give their all. It can
be on the top and bottom of the pyramid. People at
the top of the hierarchy typically augment their
income through consultancy, while those at the
bottom can find a few jobs in the gig economy.
Moonlight receives an additional 10% of the
employee's base income [4]. Recently, the Indian
food ordering platform announced a non-
disclosure policy that allows its employees to
undertake external projects for free or at an
affordable cost. This can be considered an after-
hours or weekend activity that does not adversely
affect the productivity of full-time employees and
does not create a conflict of interest with the food
delivery company's business. Implementing this
requires carefully crafted rules and regulations by
the IT industry, considering both the specifics and
guidelines for which employees can perform
additional duties. Experts argue that if the
organization is unable to openly authorize these
projects, the contracts it operates could lead to
litigation against the company's personnel [4,5]. For
Moonlight, if the contract contains a single, non-
competitive employment contract, this could be
considered cheating, which is the case with most
traditional employment contracts. But the
employment contract is not fraudulent if it does not
have this clause or doesn't say how to get out of it
[5].
7.THE IMPACTS OF MOONLIGHTING ON HUMAN
RESOURCES
The Moonlight Act is an act to cover the cost
accrued by doing two things at once. Moonlighting
occurs when a worker has a full-time 9-to-5 job as
their primary source of income and works at
another job for supplemental income. For example,
someone who teaches a school during [8] the day
and runs a tutoring center in the evening Some
organizations don't care about employees working
overtime, while others don't allow it because it can
affect performance. Many work part-time to earn
extra income, but some work part-time to improve
their skills in other areas. Some do it for fun. Fatigue
is caused by moonlight for several reasons.
Dissatisfaction with the salary appears in the
organization. Employees feel that the employer has
lost morale and that the company's profits are high.
Human resource management has a negative
impact on working with employees. In most cases,
moonlighting has a negative effect on hiring
managers [9,10].
7.1 Motives:
Moonlighting can be done for a variety of reasons,
including.
1. An extra source of income
2. Enhancing their capabilities for different job
profiles

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3. Employers do not appreciate their employees.
4. Taking advantage of extra time
Generally, moonlighting can be classified into four
categories:
7.2 Blue Moonlighting:
It is not uncommon for
management to respond positively to employees'
demands during performance appraisals and
increase wages and benefits. But some workers are
not satisfied with these benefits, and they wish to
work part-time for extra income, but their efforts
may not be fruitful because they lack skills. The
term "blue moonlighting" refers to this type of
disappointment [9].
7.3 Quarter Moonlighting:
Quarter moonlighting is
when a worker seeks a part-time job for extra
money after his primary job because he is unhappy
with his salary. Quarter moonlighting may only help
with meeting daily needs or increasing expenses
[9].
7.4 Half Moonlighting:
The majority of employees
spend more than they earn. Luxury is important to
them as well as saving money for the future. In
order to get a sufficiently large additional amount,
people spend 50 percent of their available time
earning extra income [8]. This is referred to as "half-
moonlighting."
7.5 Full Moonlighting:
A situation in which
employees in certain professions have extra time, or
when they believe, their income does not compare
to their expectations [8], or when buddies with
lesser qualifications enjoy a higher status than
them. As a result of hard times, these workers often
start up their own business or industrial unit and
continue to work their regular jobs. The second
occupation, however, determines their financial and
social standing. The term "full moonlighting" refers
to this scenario [9,10].
8.THE EXPLOITATION OF FRESHERS IN THE INDIAN IT
SECTORS WHICH LEADS TO MOONLIGHTING
IT was aware of this problem for years. It is widely
known that recent graduates are exploited, causing
problems such as turnover, undeclared
employment and reluctance to return to work. The
IT industry is making big profits in India amid a
weak Indian rupee. In the Information Technology
(IT) sector, sales increased by 13-14% due to rupee
depreciation. IT companies are making high profits
and senior employees are getting high salaries.
Don't young people have to pay too? Over the past
decade, the Information Technology (IT) industry
has been hiring young workers[6]. IT companies in
India pay huge salaries to their CEOs and other
senior executives. In addition, junior staff will
continue to receive the same salaries as in 2008-
2009 in the form of compensation. Several major IT
companies in India have recently cut salaries of
some employees, including lower-level employees,
due to higher margins. Sacrifice should be the duty
of the elders. If the younger generation does not
raise wages, how can the older generation get
them? Do not treat them like little people but
respect them equally. If these companies do not
change their policies, they become mercenary
organizations. In this industry, people come first,
and employees are well looked after[6]. Ten years
ago, the concept of seeing the bottom of a pyramid
was widespread. Now that is almost never heard. It
was the strength of the human spirit that made
these companies successful. Human values were
the basis of this field. Their deviance makes them a
mercenary organization.
9.HOW MOONLIGHTING BENEFITS SMALL COMPANIES
The impact of Moonlighters on businesses,
especially small ones, can be significant. This is an
advantage for those who are Moonlighting. Small
firms can greatly benefit from years of experience
as they expand their growth. Moreover, this doesn't
essentially mean sacrificing the productivity of busy
work or sacrificing the employee's time outside of
regular office hours. Due to budget constraints,
companies looking for experts to build sales

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processes were unable to hire people with many
years of experience. Employees who earn extra
income can offer hours of expertise that fit within
their budget. Onboard consultants with CXO status
and provide expertise under contract. Moonlighting
is considered ethical and beneficial for small
businesses. Today, these professionals are
experienced, well-paid, and successful. Their aim is
to share the knowledge with small companies and
startups that are not in direct competition with
them. The fact that these consultants may provide
these services or guidance in their spare time does
not interfere with their work. Thus, this concept is
analogous to knowledge sharing [15]. However,
according to experts, moonlighting should only be
viewed positively if it does not interfere with people's
main work and is very loyal to their current
employer. Employees who do not perform their
current duties properly cannot moonlight at the
same time. It is unethical for a moonlighter to take a
side job and undermine his craft.
10.MOONLIGHTING- THE IMPACT ON WORK-LIFE
BALANCE
When deciding whether or not to let workers
moonlight, it's important for decision-makers to
think about how moonlighting affects employees'
health and safety as well as their ability to balance
work and life. Multiple occupations were linked to
increased work- and non-work-related injuries. It is
believed that this is the result of increased fatigue,
an inadequate amount of sleep, or irregular work
schedules and working conditions. Multiple
occupations combined to increase psychosocial
stress. In transition economies, moonlighting is
common in the informal economy. As a result, if
these activities are not carried out in the formal
sector, the state is unable to improve social security
systems and the quality of public services.
Additionally, informal settings provide opportunities
for individuals (especially health or education
professionals) to misuse public money. These
individuals frequently work within the public sector
as a secondary activity to private enterprise.
Digitalization has also led to more online ways to
make extra money, such as crowdsourcing and
other paid and unpaid activities. The exact labor
market conditions are not known such as waiting
times, for workers in these unconventional
organizations. Employers frequently violate
minimum wage and hourly wage regulations, and
employees who work for multiple companies
frequently lack insurance rights.
11.HOW MOONLIGHTING SHOULD BE DEALT WITH
An employee can secretly hold two jobs for a
number of reasons: moonlighting, overtime, and
layoffs. By deliberately overcharging others, this
employee tried to hedge his bet. However,
sometimes this can conflict with the interests of the
employer [12]. Many companies suffer because
moonlighting leads to high turnover rates. Now the
biggest challenge is to catch and identify the
moonlighters. Businesses also promote a work
culture based on distance and trust. Above all,
business owners must understand that in
unpredictable times, work ethics change, and the
work environment is out of control. Or they should
use new elements of this culture in the workplace. It
also includes moonlighting. On the other hand,
organizations need to improve their workplace
culture [13]. To this end, policies or strategies can be
introduced to create jobs that people want to work
for. Happy employees don't waste time. Many
companies also use tools to detect data breaches
and monitor employee activity. Another way to
overcome the dangers of moonlighting is to do this.
For example, in the employment contracts of some
companies there is a clause that prohibits an
employee from engaging in honorary or other work,
profession, occupation, or employment, either
directly or through his agent, under any
circumstances without prior approval. written
permission from management. And also plan to
conduct a series of assessments to identify red
flags related to employee productivity and

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engagement. Making sure that all employees are
motivated and interested by using different
evaluation forums and reward and recognition
programs [14].
Organizations, on the other hand, cannot always
manage their employees' behavior, let alone pass
legislation prohibiting moonlighting. Employees
frequently believe that if their employer does not
like their job, then be it! They'll do it elsewhere. There
is no method to keep them under control [11]. As a
result, human resources develops more policies to
bind their staff. Organizations can be selfish to
some level, which creates a minefield. Yes, HR rules
should establish rigorous guidelines for data
leakage and the disclosure of any trade secrets.
More importantly, because moonlighting is the new
norm, there should be no rule or policy that makes it
illegal. When there is such a scarcity of IT skills, it will
only enhance production. It will benefit two
companies rather than just one. Nonetheless, part-
time workers suffer risks as well. In some situations,
they may be sacked, and firms may launch legal
proceedings against them. Burnout is also very
likely to occur when an employee does two jobs at
the same time. It is not unusual for them to be
exhausted and stressed all of the time. As a result,
they may make costly mistakes and have
decreased productivity. Employers frequently don't
object when employees turn their passions into
well-paying side jobs or side hustles. If the situation
worsens, the employer and employee may have a
conflict of interest [13]. Because moonlighting or
side hustles are now the norm, it is essential that
employers be honest and forthright with employees
who participate in them.
12.SUMMARY AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Secondary job (SJ): Hour or income restrictions can
make additional income from a side job an
important source of financial security for people
with limited income or hours at their main job.
Important human capital spillover effects also
occur between primary and secondary
employment, resulting in a positive association
between SJ and later career options. SJ provides
individuals with a channel to learn new skills and
expertise, which may then be used as a
steppingstone to a new career path, including self-
employment. People who choose a different
occupation for their second job than for their main
job are more likely to change jobs completely and
have a different type of job in their subsequent
main job. Those who live in low-income homes or
who encounter unexpected economic shocks, on
the other hand, are more likely to work several jobs.
Even though SJ is likely a symptom of broader
struggles for low-income IT workers to maintain a
decent standard of living with a single job, having a
second job may be linked to more physical and
mental stress or exposure to unsafe or unofficial
working conditions, especially in less developed
economies. In general, policy intervention may not
be needed; but, in circumstances where market
failures may necessitate some action, policy
interventions must be carefully tailored to account
for the underlying motives and conditions of SJ. For
example, when SJ work is done on the edge of the IT
sector, the government should focus on stopping
unreported work, protecting lower-threshold
income levels, and making sure that health and
safety rules are followed. Moreover, researchers are
now acknowledging that people other than low-
income workers conduct SJ[1]. Acknowledging and
recognizing skills gained through part-time work
can be an effective strategy for increasing job
mobility, which is a key goal of employment and
skills policy agendas. Also, SJ could be added to the
policy tools that are used to encourage
entrepreneurs in the IT job markets of today.
13. CONCLUSIONS
It's hard to come up with one set of regulations for
disciplining employees who moonlight. The rules
that bosses and workers must follow when they are
working together can be different depending on the

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situation, and there are lots of different reasons why
someone might need to be disciplined at work. It
doesn't seem necessary to conclude that any
attempt to fit disloyalty cases into a unified
theoretical framework is doomed to failure.
Conceptual structure can be established for
moonlighting cases so long as it is understood that
specific provisions of a collective bargaining
agreement must always be considered in
evaluating the appropriateness of any discipline
imposed for moonlighting. There are certain criteria
to consider when deciding if moonlighting is
allowed. If an employee accepts a job outside of
their primary employer that interferes with their
ability to perform their duties, they may be
disciplined. The fact that there are times when the
issue is unimportant does not mean that an
employee cannot be fired if they are consistently
late, frequently absent, or simply underperforming
due to fatigue from their second job. Instead, an
arbitrator ought to determine if the allegation is in
fact accurate and whether the employer adhered
to the pertinent provisions of any collective
bargaining agreement when imposing discipline. It
is not appropriate to prohibit employees from
working for the competing business or restricting
their outside financial activities to an excessive
degree. A rule like this should protect an employer's
rightful goals. A disciplinary action may be upheld if
a reasonable rule was broken without showing that
the employer was hurt. It is only when there is the
appearance of impropriety that a public servant's
private financial activity should be limited.
Foreseeing all situations in which an employee may
be disciplined for the ramifications of having a
second job is difficult, if not impossible. In dealing
with such problems, employers can achieve
consistency by keeping in mind the basic principles
supporting the criteria previously set forth, namely
that they might protect themselves against
economic harm, reputational harm, and dishonesty
on the part of their employees. Also, any
punishment given to dual employees must take into
account whether or not the rule or provision is being
used to make the industry as a whole more uniform.
By adhering to these rules, the privacy of an
employee can be protected, as can the employer's
legitimate interests. Furthermore, by preventing
disengagement, acquiring new skills, and igniting
passion, moonlighting may aid employers in
maintaining competence and productivity.
Employees may also suffer from burnout as a result
of moonlighting. In addition, it may contradict the
purpose of holidays, vacations, and time off. Aside
from that, because of the pandemic, the workforce
is bound to seek alternative ways of securing their
livelihoods through paid microwork and mini gigs in
case of sudden layoffs, so moonlighting through
platform work during frequent lockdowns is seen by
tech-savvy IT professionals as an economic safety
cushion.
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