{"id":4602,"date":"2022-10-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/07-10-2022\/moonlighting-2\/"},"modified":"2022-10-07T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T00:00:00","slug":"moonlighting-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/07-10-2022\/moonlighting-2","title":{"rendered":"Moonlighting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Moonlighting has been a controversial topic in recent months after a few companies sacked their employees citing it as a reason.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>More about Moonlighting<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">What is Moonlighting?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Moonlighting \u2014 or <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>employees working for remuneration with entities other than their employers.<\/strong><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Moonlighting is <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>neither new nor unusual<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The practice has been around for a while with scores of professionals such as <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>doctors, teachers, and consultants<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">, routinely doing so for years.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Reasons for surge in Moonlighting in recent years:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Upcoming work structure:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">In the last few years, the prevalence of remote working, and hybrid work structures made it more mainstream in certain industries.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Pandemic changing the work dynamic:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">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.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">A private study said that at least 60% of 400 employees surveyed said they themselves had or knew someone who had engaged in moonlighting.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The superfluous employers:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The dispensable attitude that many employers demonstrated during COVID-19 has led to an erosion of job loyalty among employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Now more than ever, people are aware that organisations can give up on them, and that they must safeguard their own interests.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Skill enhancement:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">For a lot of professionals, moonlighting has also become a way to upskill, learn new things, and ensure they don&#8217;t become redundant in their careers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Indian companies reacting to moonlighting:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Wipro sacked 300 employees following the discovery that they were working for rival firms on the side, leading to a conflict of interest.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Infosys has warned staff against moonlighting, saying it could lead to termination.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">On the contrary, a few other companies like for example Swiggy announced a \u2018moonlighting policy\u2019 that allows employees \u201cto pursue their passion for economic interests alongside their full-time employment.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Issue:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Moonlighting in turn has raised larger questions about issues related to job loyalty, employee satisfaction, employer-employee dynamics, and the future of work in a post-pandemic world.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Legalities concerning Moonlighting<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Statute:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Moonlighting is not defined in any of the statutes in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">However, there are enactments that deal with double employment.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Factories Act on double employment:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Factories Act deals with restriction on double employment stating that \u201cNo adult worker shall be required or allowed to work in any factory <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>on any day on which he has already been working in any other factory<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">, save in such circumstances as may be prescribed\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">However, this enactment is applicable<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> only to employees working in factories.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Court judgments:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Moonlighting is subject to the law of the land.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The sphere of employment cannot be extended by the employer beyond working hours and outside his place of employment, which is the principle laid down in the Supreme Court judgment.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">In other words, the employee can choose to arrange his affairs as he pleases beyond the working hours of the employer.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Punitive action against moonlighting:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Unless an employer is able to prove that an employee acted against the interest of the company, Courts may not uphold severe punishment of termination of employment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The court jurisdiction:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The Courts of law in India dealing with employment are Writ Courts and Labour Courts.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">These Courts exercise jurisdiction based on equity or fairness.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The Courts may lean in favour of the employee unless the contravention of the employee has led to serious prejudice and loss to the employer.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">For employers:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Eventually, organisations need to understand that they don\u2019t own all of their employees\u2019 time, nor should they expect to.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">What they pay for are fixed work hours defined by targets, set out in contracts.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Call for side gig:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Delineating clearly between side gigs for gainful employment versus projects that require data confidentiality, <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>an ethical moonlighting policy<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> could be an effective way for both employees and employers to meet midway.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"border-collapse:collapse; border:none; width:636px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color:#fff2cc; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; border-left:1px solid #000000; border-right:1px solid #000000; border-top:1px solid #000000; vertical-align:top; width:636px\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Gig Economy<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">About:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The gig economy is about individual workers carrying out tasks for clients through the intermediation of a platform attributing those tasks and taking care of the transfer of payment on a<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> task-by-task basis<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Significance:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The gig economy is based on<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> temporary, or freelance jobs<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">, often involving <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>connecting with clients or customers through an online platform<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The gig economy can benefit workers, businesses, and consumers by making work more adaptable to the<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> needs of the moment<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> and the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>demand for flexible lifestyles<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Time flexibility:<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> Workers operating in the gig economy are allowed to work any of the hours they desire.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Income flexibility:<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> It is an increasingly attractive market due to the sheer flexibility that allows individuals to<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> earn extra income<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Platform Company<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">About:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">A platform company is a business that creates foundational technology upon which other companies are born and scaled.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Companies like <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Apple, Google, Amazon <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">and <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Alibaba<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> have used the model to grow exponentially and grab significant market share from established firms.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Platforms represent a big change in the way industries have traditionally been organized.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Significance:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Platform companies offer <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>flexibility and choice of labour <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">to all workers in general, and women in particular, empowering them to <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>monetise their idle assets<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> when and where they want\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It makes them an attractive opportunity for women and persons with disabilities.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Women are more likely to take up platform jobs after their education and marriage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>India&#8217;s Gig Sector:<\/strong><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">An estimated 56% of new employment in India is being generated by the gig economy companies across both the blue-collar and white-collar workforce.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The gig economy can serve up to 90 million jobs in the non-farm sectors in India with a potential to add 1.25% to the GDP over the &#8220;long term&#8221;.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">As India moves towards its stated goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025, the gig economy will be a major building block in bridging the income and unemployment gap.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\">Source: TH<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In News Moonlighting has been a controversial topic in recent months after a few companies sacked their employees citing it as a reason.\u00a0 More about Moonlighting What is Moonlighting? Moonlighting \u2014 or employees working for remuneration with entities other than their employers. Moonlighting is neither new nor unusual.\u00a0 The practice has been around for a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[31,30,26,68],"class_list":["post-4602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-government-policies-interventions","tag-gs-2","tag-gs-3","tag-inclusive-growth-related-issues"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2849633Screenshot_20221007-123332_Android System.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}