The story so far: Moonlighting — or employees working for remuneration with entities other than their employers — has been a hot topic in recent months. During the pandemic, those with desk jobs had more time on their hands and thus it was easier to take on a few projects outside of work. In July, Kotak Securities said in a study that at least 60% of 400 employees surveyed said they themselves had, or knew someone who had engaged in moonlighting.
How are companies reacting to moonlighting?
In August, Wipro chairman Rishad Premji tweeted: “There is a lot of chatter about people moonlighting in the tech industry. This is cheating — plain and simple.” The company sacked 300 employees following the discovery that they were working for rival firms on the side, leading to conflict of interest. Infosys has warned staff against moonlighting, saying it could lead to termination.
