Infosys will fire anyone caught moonlighting. But looks like there are exceptions

The HR department of Infosys sent out a mail warning employees of termination if they were engaged in employment with another while being employed at Infosys.  But looks like some people did not receive the mail from the management.

Moonlighting is the new buzzword in the workspace, especially IT, and it means taking up a job apart from one's primary job.

But why do employees moonlight? While some do it for the extra bucks, others do it for experience. Then there are also those who do it to pursue their interests.

So, what is Infosys's problem with moonlighting? Now if you are part of the pro-moonlighting camp, Infosys's stance on moonlighting might have already annoyed you. Some weeks ago, Wipro Chief Rishad Premji's tweet on the topic also added fire to the debate: Is moonlighting right or not? Who owns your time? 

The mail from Infosys: Infosys's HR department sent out a mail recently, which reminded a set of its employees of the consequences of dual employment, and how ''Infosys strictly discourages moonlighting''. As per the mail, Infosys highlighted that any violation of employment clauses could lead to the termination of employment. Along with this, it stated that:

• All its employees must read their employment contracts before taking up an alternative job. The offer letter/employment contract clearly mentions that the “employee cannot take full-time or part-time employment in any business activity without the consent of Infosys”.
• The employees would be terminated if they took up a second job during or post working hours.
• The email also stated that the shift to remote work has increased cases of moonlighting which as per Infosys, impacts productivity. "This can pose serious challenges to our business such as impact on productivity, job performance, risk of data and confidential information leakage, etc." 
• In what seems to be a good conclusion in the mail to drive home the point, the mail says: "Remember - NO TWO-TIMING - NO MOONLIGHTING."

But wait, some people were not sent the mail, it seems. As per Economic Times, employees at managerial and senior consultant levels did not receive the mail. So, understandably, their contract is perhaps not the same as the rest of Infosys who got the mail. 

Also, who owns your time? If you sign a contract that prohibits you from working outside of the company, then you might be legally bound by it. But if you sign an employment contract that states that you have to work for 8 hours; what you do post those work timings ideally isn't anyone's business. If you fulfil your duties and responsibilities and deliver on your commitments, moonlighting - in the ideal world - shouldn't be a problem.

Bottom line: Before you take up a second job (and especially if you're employed with Infosys), read the fine print of your employment contract.