Moonlighting: Mixed emotions across industries
Ramesh Dasary
CHRO & Organizational Development Specialist | Expert in HR Transformation, M&A Integration, and Leadership Development | Driving Performance in Mid-Sized and Family Businesses
What is all the rage on 'moonlighting'? Why is HR concerned about their employees taking up second jobs? In this article, we will take a close look.
?Introduction
Moonlighting is the practice of working a second job alongside a primary full-time job. Also known as a side hustle, it is the job people undertake typically in the evening or night, hence the name.
?While some business and HR leaders strongly condemn the practice, it is estimated that almost 30% of India's workforce will take to moonlighting by the end of 2022.
?How does moonlighting work
Some common reasons for employees to moonlight are the growing need to improve their lifestyle, the pressure to earn more than their peers, and increased financial outlay. Extra income from a few work hours has lured most people towards moonlighting.
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The remote working setup has given more scope for moonlighting as people are spared the time and exhaustion of commuting. Take an individual who works in the IT industry. She starts her day by logging into her work laptop and keeps working while also juggling home responsibilities. She finds a couple of hours she can use at night without compromising her sleep. This is when she takes up a job, mostly online, to leverage her spare time.
?Sometimes, people are loaded with work on one or both ends. In that situation, they tend to concentrate on making ends meet with their side hustle and compromise on their full-time job. This is where the concern starts for all business and HR leaders.
?Influence of the gig economy
The gig economy is growing daily, especially with the growing' work anywhere, anytime model. Studies show that 1/3rd of the world's working population is becoming a part of the gig economy, where only work quality and skills are important.
?How do industries view moonlighting
Employees must refrain from engaging in other jobs in the manufacturing industry where cell phones are not allowed. Customer data confidentiality is paramount and cannot be sacrificed at any cost. Harsh Goenka, the chairman of RPG enterprises, said it right in his tweet. The same goes for industries dealing with sensitive data: banks, NBFI, and the telecom industry. In retail, handling customers in person is key; hence, one cannot afford to have their mind anywhere else.
?In the IT industry, where remote working is possible, things tend to get a little hazy. Employees try to make the most of the situation by working for both jobs during the prime working hours and later, as well. Data secrecy is tested, as no one is directly supervising the employee's activities.
?Impact of moonlighting on employees
Like all things, moonlighting has its perks and quirks. Adam Grant, a renowned organization psychologist, vouched in his tweet that side hustles give employees empowerment and energy to perform well at their main job the next day.
?However, there still seems to be a downside to all the glamour behind moonlighting. It is estimated that moonlighters, who usually work for 11 hours or more, are 2.5 times more likely to develop depression, volatile mood swings, and attract adverse health problems.
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?Do you know why HR should be worried?
Moonlighters tend to start quiet quitting by merely doing the minimum and focusing more on their secondary jobs.
?1 in 100 employees moonlight and can be actively disengaged at work. In a study conducted by Frontiers of Psychology, it is clear that moonlighting reduces employee connection with their mainstream job, thus impacting work quality and morale.
?What can HR leaders do?
Moonlighters are of two kinds: those who search elsewhere for elements they wish they had in their mainstream job and those who have a different aspiration altogether. HR leaders need to take time to understand both categories.
?For the first category, the following steps will help remedy the situation:
Conclusion
As leaders, it is in our hands to inspire our people. By truly understanding their motives and tending to them as best as possible, we can reignite the affinity we possibly lost. By bringing people back to the office, genuinely caring for their well-being, and implementing programs for their best, we can earn the dedication of our employees, thus drastically improving employee morale.
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