GS Paper 1
Syllabus: Indian Society
Source: Times of India
Direction: This topic can come in Indian Society as well as ethics. Go through the ethical aspect of the debate.
What Is Moonlighting?
Moonlighting simply refers to the act of having a second job, or working for extra projects, gigs, or employers, that counts as a secondary source of income, outside one’s working hours.
Debate around Moonlighting:
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- While Swiggy launched a moonlighting policy allowing its employees to work on their passion projects outside of their work (calling it a step towards a “remote-first organization”).
- Rishad Premji, Wipro’s chairman, called the concept of moonlighting in the tech industry cheating.
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For Moonlighting:
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- Moonlighting allows workers to work for side projects once they finish their shift timings, without compromising on their primary employment.
- Gaining extra profits while also helping them hone their skills.
- Personal choice: After the company’s shift timings, a person is free to do whatever he/she wants to do as a passion project or side gig.
- Build’s a good profile: Many universities abroad consider such side projects as valuable for admission into professional courses.
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Against Moonlighting:
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- An employee is required and expected to give his entire working time, effort, and energy to the employer’s interest.
- Legal but may not be ethical: There is no overarching law which prohibits a person from doing multiple jobs. However, a person with a similar nature of jobs may spark breach of confidentiality issues.
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- Not legal in some states: There restriction is on double employment under the Factories Act, but not applicable to IT companies in some states.
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- Moonlighting turns to daylighting: Side jobs may take away the employee’s productivity.
- Fear of leakage of confidential information of the primary job.
- Moonlighting clause: Some companies have introduced a moonlighting clause that puts a restriction on the double employment of an employee.
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Conclusion:
Moonlighting should be a choice unless it affects the efficiency and integrity of employees’ primary work duty.
“Quite Quitting”: When an employee chooses not to take any additional work, beyond the scope of his job description or refuses to answer work-related stuff outside of his scheduled work hours. It is seen as quite quitting.
It should not necessarily be seen as inefficient working rather employees may be having a work-personal life balance.
Insta Links
Mains Link
In society (link it with changing nature of jobs, gig economy) and in ethics (link it with whether the practice is justified- think it from different perspectives). Answer this Question.
Q.Examine the role of the ‘Gig Economy’ in the process of empowerment of women in India. (Answer in 150 words) (UPSC 2021)
