Who’s right? Or is it all relative?
Twitter, LinkedIn, and other socials erupted last week when a CEO of an Indian IT giant posted the above on their Social Media feed. People online had mixed reactions, with a considerable chunk wading into a debate on “cheating,” a major chunk disagreeing with the post and another strongly supporting. If you dive deeper into the points made by the spectrum of audience, it highlights the gaping point in play, of how this concerns much more than “moonlighting”- how the “generation gap” is in play, and what has changed in time of what their “jobs” mean to people.
But first things first, what is this moonlighting, and why are the upper-level management of tech industry so vary of it? Moonlighting is having a second job, most likely secretly, in addition to one’s regular employment.
And why is this in the limelight now? The last two years saw a number of job losses, unexpected terminations or temporary layoffs and the pay-cuts. Furthermore, professionals could work from anywhere and at any time, as long as they had a good internet connection. Hence a considerable proportion of people, understandably in the IT sector work multiple gigs, inevitably to ensure financial stability and fulfil responsibilities.
Why do IT Companies do not like this, and why is it considered not ethical? There are a number of reasons why IT Companies do not like this- The companies in the IT Sector have heaps of overlaps when it comes to business practices, clients, and shareholders. Employees working for multiple companies of the same industry could (unintentionally) jeopardize trade secrets, use first company’s resources for their second job and thirdly not produce efficient results, resulting from exhaustion. Even the Indian Labour Law frowns upon (but stops short of banning) moonlighting.
But why would someone want to work two jobs, for 14–15 hours a day? Now that is a good question. According to a survey by ResumeBuilder.com, the top four reasons, that people work multiple jobs are to pay off debts, earn more money for spending/investing, gain work experience and to pursue a career passion (working on their start-ups).
Now, can we really blame people to want more money, or to have dreams? To put things in context, inflation is an unprecedented level, and a number IT companies have not revised their salaries in the last fifteen years, with annual adjustments of mere 3–6%. Freshers in the IT industry earn between Rs. 3–4 Lakhs per annum, barely Rs. 35k a month. This means that in a city like Bengaluru, half of your monthly pay goes into rent and housing related expenses. Situation is no different for experienced professionals, who earn higher levels of salaries, but pay higher taxes, have higher housing related expenses and are responsible for not just themselves, but their families. All this and a poor work-life balance culture spearheaded by the IT companies also contribute to the situation we are witnessing now.
So, what do people feel about it? Whereas the thoughts seem mixed, there is a definite pattern. Through comments on social media and personal interaction with people on this topic, a stark difference of opinion can be observed on how people from different generations are reacting- the mid-late millennials/ early Gen-Z and the generation of their parents or senior level management (Baby boomers). Most Baby boomers straight agree that moonlighting is unethical, disloyal, and unacceptable. Whereas most Millennials/ Gen-Z think it is completely acceptable as long as there is no conflict of interest and that it is nobody’s business what an employee does in their own time. They furthermore point to the fault of the companies in treating/compensating their employees poorly and then crying cheating.
The difference in the two reactions seems to stem from the fundamental difference in how the two generations perceive the concept of their “job.” To Baby boomers, their job was the medium through which they realised their dreams- building a life, buying a house, making their and their loved ones’ lives better. Their mindset is often such that to this job, they owe everything, and their loyalty is unfettered of how their company treats. On the other hand, owing partially to the evolving private sector ecosystem (IT Boom) and partially to the foundation laid by their baby boomer parents, the late Millennials/Gen-Zs have a vastly different definition of their “job.” To them, their job is one part of their life, a medium to fulfil higher ambitions and a medium of personal & professional growth. To their job they owe nothing more than mutual growth and most of them do not lace their personal success and their company’s success. Finally, they expect a culture of mutual trust and respect, and have no hesitation in leaving companies which cannot ensure those.
Now the important question, who is right? Does your company deserve your loyalty even when you are treated unfairly or is loyalty a two-way street. Does defining loyalty as a two-way street negates the whole meaning of loyalty and reduces it to a mere transaction? If moonlighting is unethical, is creating an environment where moonlighting is inevitable, ethical? The difference in the trains of thoughts of different generations is becoming increasingly visible, be it concept of work ethics, politics, religion, or family. Maybe both are right in their own times, or maybe both have got it wrong. One thing is for sure- something in the system needs to be mended.
