Moonlighting by employees-Is it an organizational problem or is it economic slowdown?

Abstract

Every organization provides wages to their employees. Besides dearness allowances and housing allowance keeps getting enhanced periodically to help them beat high prices of essential commodities and manage the cost of living. Many organizations also give bonus and many other fringe benefits (transportation housing water and electricity at subsidized rates and also bonus in order to keep their employees happy to let them maintain a decent standard of living. But some of the employees feel that additional expenses such as higher education for their children marriage, and other family expenses mount up unexpectedly and so hence they had to earn extra income to make both ends meet. Thus they engage in side jobs, part time jobs other small businesses or start any small shops etc: simultaneously besides their original jobs which is known as “moonlighting or double jobbing”. In view of the current problem of moonlighting by company employees which has posed a big problem in their productivity in the organization. This issue has been taken seriously by all managements. The place of study is Bangalore urban and rural areas in its surroundings. The research problem has shown that post pandemic in the later part of 2021 rising prices of common goods has irked many people no end. This has made many employees take up side jobs to supplement their income. Mainly this pinch was felt by lower income groups who struggled to make both ends meet and educate their children. But the point is was this risk worth taking? With much management trying to lay off employees on some pretext or the other this part time jobbing was totally under a cloud as there was a shortage of employees to work overtime thereby lynching the main goals of the organization. Moonlighting thus resulted in not making the employees be available for extra work or too tired to work for the parent company. Sample size was 200 and taken from group D employees. Research methodology followed was to use both primary as well as secondary data working in government offices who did part time jobs working as domestic maids job typing in the evenings selling stamp papers outside municipal offices, and running small eatries selling snacks etc. Primary data was collected by mean of questionnaire and interview method. Sampling design was simple random and descriptive analysis was followed. Data was analyzed using simple percentage method. The findings showed that moonlighting was a common phenomena and all managements never tolerated it. Employees found moonlighting were either fired or suspended. Due to high inflation and rising prices taking up part time jobs became almost a necessity today though moonlighting technically was not right.