Perception and Preference of it Employees towards Moonlighting in the it Industry

Gig working or moonlighting has grown significantly over the years and Covid has intensified this trend. Moonlighting is a phenomenon where people work outside their working hours for another organization, either full-time, contract, or freelance. Working for more than one organization to combat various issues like boredom, additional finance, etc. is becoming common and the new generation of employees is more inclined towards it. Some people pursue hobbies in their free time, while others look for part-time jobs. Especially in the IT industry, employees work in two jobs at the same time due to the remote working model. The idea of working for two organizations is termed moonlighting. This article covers various aspects and impacts of moonlighting in the Indian IT industry including Pre- and Post-Covid situations to IT firms. A survey questionnaire was the main tool used by the researcher to collect the data. 100 respondents over the age of 20 years and above were chosen randomly from IT sectors. Questions on their perception and preference towards moonlighting such as interest, familiarity, engagement, challenges, and impacts were included in the questionnaire. While a significant percentage of respondents were aware of the term moonlighting and the advantages of taking second jobs. Moreover, the study found that there is a positive impact on the respondents who were involved in moonlighting.