What is moonlighting? Do you have any idea about it?
If not, then keep reading.
In simple terms, when a people work on the second job after the office hours is called moonlighting. Moonlighting is a part of freelancing. Today, many people have started the practice of moonlighting. According to Bureau Of Labor Statistics, an average of 4.9% of workers has multiple jobs.
There are many reasons because of which people switch to moonlighting. Some of the common reasons include to earn extra money and start your own business. Today, we live in a free environment. Everybody has a constitutional right to earn extra money. We all know how difficult it is to survive in 2017. Salary from one job is not enough to manage your family.
If I think from the perspective of workers, then obviously moonlighting is a game changer in their lives but if I think from the perspective of companies, then moonlighting can be harmful to their businesses.
First, let’s discuss how moonlighting can help people succeed in their lives.
Advantages of moonlighting
What advantages can you think the practice of moonlighting brings in an employee’s life? The first thing that comes to my mind is money. Accept it guys, money plays a crucial part in our day to day life. Many people start moonlighting with the main objective of earning more and more money. For example, my brother is a web designer. After his office hours, he has a second job which he only started to earn more money.
Moonlighting helps a person to adopt new skills. For example, a girl who works as a nurse in a hospital during her office hours can use the new skills during her second job while working in a clinic. In simple terms, that nurse is using her new additional skills to improve her performance in her second job.
These are the few advantages that people can benefit from working as a moonlighter. Now without wasting anymore time, let’s discuss why moonlighting can be harmful to companies.Disadvantages of moonlighting for companies
Business secrets
Many people don’t value confidentiality. If an employee of a particular company is doing a second job in the similar industry, then it is highly possible that he/she can share confidential information with his/her second company. If this happens, it can be harmful to the first company.
Exhaustion
What happens when you work for 12-14 hours a day? You get exhausted, isn’t it? This happens in moonlighting as well. Working in the second job easily tires an employee which makes him/her unproductive for the first job. Don’t be surprised if you find him/her sleeping on the first job. This at the end affects the productivity of that employee which at the end affects the productivity of the company.
Company resources
Today people are very selfish. I have come across many cases where people use company’s private resources for their second job. For example, a nurse taking injections from a hospital and using them for her second job in a clinic. This will count as a loss for the hospital.
Poor health
Working for 14-16 hours a day can easily affect your health that too in a bad way. Poor health will have an adverse effect on both of your jobs. None of the company will benefit from you if you are not healthy.
We have discussed both the sides to freelancing. So, now what? Companies can’t keep quiet knowing that their employees are working in the second job which can easily harm their businesses. They have to do something about it.
How can companies manage moonlighters?
To be honest, a company can’t force an employee to stop working after the office hours. Even if the company tries to, the employee will get frustrated and will leave the company. So, in order to create a win a win situation, the company and an employer can make a deal. The company is ok with the employee doing his/her second job only if the employee promises to complete his/her job responsibilities and not share any confidential information with the second company. If this happens, then both the parties can benefit from this deal.
Moonlighting is not wrong only if the employee promises to stay loyal to the first company. The company should know about different kinds of freelancers in order to deal with them effectively. I hope you like our guide to moonlighting. Let’s us know in the comments section on how you manage your moonlighters.