Is Moonlighting Ethical
In the night of pandemic moonlighting started shining brighter than ever. Whether it be IT tech giants or multinational MNCs all are taking strict measures to stop moonlighting in their organization. It's estimated that in the span of 2 years in India alone more than 200000+ employees have lost their job because of moonlighting.
What is moonlighting
The practice of working a second job in addition to a normal 9 to 5 employment gave rise to the phrase "moonlighting." Employees have free time after work hours since the concept of working from home became popular during the pandemic. Some people began engaging in their passion in their spare time, while others began looking for part-time jobs. Employees frequently worked two jobs at once and took advantage of the remote working model, particularly in the IT sector. Moonlighting is the practice of working for two businesses or organizations at once.
Advantage of moonlighting
1. One of the main advantages of moonlighting is the potential to earn extra money. This can be especially beneficial if you are looking to supplement your regular income, pay off debt faster, or save for a big purchase. Many moonlighters use their earnings to pay down student loans or start new businesses. Whatever your goal is, earning extra money through moonlighting can help you meet it sooner.
2. Moonlighting is a great way to gain a range of skills and experience outside of your regular job. By taking on freelance roles you can develop many transferable skills such as problem-solving, multitasking, communication, self-management, responsibility and working as part of a team – all of which will be beneficial should you choose to take on further career opportunities in the future.
3. When moonlighting, you can pick and choose assignments that are flexible to your availability and interests. You don’t have to be restricted by the traditional nine-to-five work day of an office job, leaving you more time for other commitments or recreation activities. Furthermore, there is less pressure when working as a freelancer so you can put your creativity into each project to produce better results.
4. Moonlighting allows you to continually learn new skills and challenge yourself in a way that an office job may not. Instead of working on the same tasks day-in and day-out, you can pick up projects from different industries, allowing you to diversify your portfolio and acquire new knowledge. This can range from translating blog postings from one language to another or creating video content; no matter the industry, there is endless opportunity with freelancing!
5. With moonlighting, you’re able to create a steady passive stream of income in the future. Many freelancers accumulate projects that remain active for years afterward, providing them with consistent and dependable income without having to work on it regularly. This can be great for retirement planning or simply establishing a cushion of savings that can be drawn from if necessary.
Disadvantage of moonlighting
1. If you're moonlighting, you may find yourself with less time to devote to your primary job and loved ones. Working a second job can result in burnout from too much work and lead to fatigue, sleep deprivation, irritability, reduced physical and mental performance, decreased job satisfaction and even weakened immune system. So take time to consider the consequences of running two jobs at once before saying yes.
2. Since the quality of your work in both jobs is likely to be affected, diminished productivity in your primary job has the potential to cause problems with your employer. When you’re working a two-job schedule, it can be hard to find time and energy to devote to either one of them, putting you in danger of missing deadlines, enabling valuable skills and knowledge to become outdated, isolating yourself from your team and colleagues or churning out lackluster work — which can be detrimental for both employers.
3. Juggling both a primary job and a second job can be mentally and physically exhausting. When we attempt too many activities at once, our body sends out danger signals in the form of stress hormones that are meant to help us safeguard against further damage. Unfortunately, this leaves little room for adequate rest and recovery, making it difficult to be productive in either job, compromising your mental health along with your physical wellbeing.
4. When you divide your focus and energy between two different jobs, it can lead to delayed progress towards personal, educational and professional goals. You may find yourself unable to commit adequate time and resources to your hobbies, studies or building up your business. This could prevent you from taking full advantage of career opportunities and achieving desired goals within a timely manner.
5. It's important to be aware of potential conflicts between moonlighting and company policies that you may be unaware of. For example, some companies have clauses in their employee contracts prohibiting outside work without official consent. Companies may also restrict employees from taking up roles with competitors that could cause a conflict of interest in the future. Therefore it's important to read your contract thoroughly to check if moonlighting is allowed and to understand the associated regulations carefully.
Is Moonlighting Ethical or not
The ethic of moonlighting can depend on the circumstances and can vary from person to person. Some factors to consider when assessing moonlighting work ethics might include whether the extra work interferes with the primary job, whether it is a conflict of interest, and whether it is authorized by the employer.
In some cases, moonlighting may be ethical as long as it does not negatively affect an individual's primary job or violate any agreement with their employer. For example, if a person has the time and energy to do extra work and their main job does not suffer, moonlighting can be considered ethical. On the other hand, if the extra work makes an individual less productive or attentive in their primary job, or violates the terms of their employment, it can be considered unethical.
Ultimately, the ethic of moonlighting may depend on the specific circumstances and values of the individual involved. It is important to carefully consider potential impacts and act in accordance with one's ethical standards and obligations.