Why social media is agog with the word #moonlighting?

Have you ever wondered why one single, completely unimportant, the out-of-context word suddenly gains so much popularity? Now that we have social media to hype it up further, some mentions get highlighted as #hashtags and trends!  

Yes, we are talking about "moonlighting"! And Wipro takes the award for bringing it very much into the focus-or, should we say, limelight?  

To go back a little in history, the word "moonlighting" was used in the UK and the US for occasions when people worked at night. Since jobs usually meant working during the day in the pre-internet era, the nighttime was for second jobs. Hence the term "moonlighting." There were also other illegal occasions when the word "moonlighting" was used.   

Now, coming back to recent times, the issue began with the food delivery operator, Swiggy, issuing a notice permitting them to work after hours. Although it was quite a private matter for Swiggy to decide within their organization, it created a domino effect.  

While several people welcomed the conditions as an on-set of 'future of work' traditions, it did not bode well with IT giants in India, especially Wipro and Infosys.  

The question is when we evolved so much during the pandemic, are we going back to our yesteryears of working only in the daytime? Or should we put it down to the unwillingness of companies like Wipro and Infosys not to move with the flow of the new generation of workers?  

Maulik Sailor, the co-founder of CodeMonk, is not entirely happy with using the term "moonlighting," which has very severe connotations. Calling it 'Flexi working,' he says it is significant in the present dynamics of working and is not as bad.  

He addresses a few concerns for workers who moonlight or plan on taking an extra job. Accordingly: 

• Employees should be ethical about it; if you are getting paid to do a job, then it is your responsibility to do your utmost. It becomes unethical and cheating if you are doing a second job at the cost of the primary one for which you are getting paid. Segregate and work within the time limits prescribed.  
• However, if your job is based on the outcomes and deliveries, then it does not matter. If you are smart enough to achieve the required results faster and utilize your time for something else, then it's good for both the employer and the employee.  
• The problem is that most organizations are used to old school models of time-based employment models and payments, e.g., day rates, and annual salary. There are not many who do outcomes-based employment models.  
• With Web3, this could change as you can define the outcomes required and pay based on these outcomes, regardless of time spent. Hopefully, CodeMonk is on a path to describe this future of work.  
• Not everyone is comfortable working on outcomes-based models. Also, employees must be careful about how they are positioned to do both jobs simultaneously. In that case, be loyal to the employer paying you for your time.  
• Security and confidentiality are significant issues. Employees should be extra careful about this and not unintentionally or otherwise destroy it.  

It is a big shout-out to organizations living in the past to revamp their working styles and go with the flow. Changes cannot happen overnight.  

However, let us clarify: while warnings can help, removing employees based on moonlighting alone is a very drastic and unwelcome act!