Moonlighting: The Buzzword for the Corporate World

Moonlighting has become a hot topic in the business world and is considered a point of discussion and concern. Irrespective of the industry, moonlighting is emerging as a challenge for leaders, and thus, they are making consistent efforts to overcome it.

But what exactly is moonlighting, and why are organisations against it? What is the effect of moonlighting on business performance? To help you gain a better understanding, we have discussed things that managers must know about moonlighting.

Later, we will also mention how businesses can prevent the situation of moonlighting in their organisations by prioritising employee development, usingtalent management software, and much more. So continue reading!

What is moonlighting?

Moonlighting is defined as the act of pursuing a side job in addition to primary employment. Usually, employees take on part-time jobs, while continuing to work for their full-time employers. In simple terms, moonlighting is when one person works for more than one organisation.

There are plenty of reasons that might lead an employee to work for multiple companies. Some work with the motive of receiving additional income, whereas others might pursue part-time jobs due to boredom or to explore new roles and responsibilities.

Why are organisations against moonlighting?

The majority of companies consider moonlighting to be cheating, and they strictly oppose the idea of an employee doing two jobs. This is because it is assumed that the involvement of employees in two different jobs impacts their productivity.

Moreover, employees who work part-time apart from their full-time employment might suffer from mental pressure and fatigue due to long working hours. This can affect their mental well-being as well as their performance at work.

Not just this, moonlighting employees also pose other risks for businesses. This may include creating a conflict of interest among the workforce, causing confidentiality breaches, or misusing company resources.

Managing and preventing moonlighting

The following are certain ways in which employers can encourage their employees to work dedicatedly for their companies:

●     Enhancing employee engagement

Keeping employees engaged at the workplace helps organisations maintain a productive workforce. Business owners can take help from employee engagement software to promote a company culture that supports employee satisfaction and happiness.

●     Providing fair compensation

Generally, underpaid employees tend to get involved in the practice of moonlighting because they are unable to meet their financial demands. Thus, business leaders must ensure that their employees are fairly compensated for their hard work and efforts.

●     Offering growth opportunities

Employees these days value their growth and learning, and thus they accept part-time job options to support their development journey. However, if managers provide their employees with the opportunity to learn new skills and gain knowledge, they will be reducing the number of moonlighting employees in the company.

Wrapping up

The term "moonlighting" has gained popularity in recent years, especially as employees have the leverage to work from remote locations. It is because, while working from home, employees have more opportunities to indulge in extra work or employment despite their primary job.

For instance, business leaders who feel overwhelmed due to the increasing number of moonlighting employees in the company can choose to rely on talent management software like entomo.

Entomo is a people experience platform built for the digital world of work. Powering 30mn+ users across organizations world-wide, entomo unleashes digital experiences that transform engagement, performance and talent development using hyper personalized insights and nudges. Entomo’s clients include Global fortune 500 and large enterprises and Governments across Asia and MEA. entomo is also voted as a leader in G2 software marketplace across multiple categories. To know more, visit https://entomo.co/request-demo/