Employees are Allowed Moonlighting Over the Weekends: Tech Mahindra

There is a high chance for Tech Mahindra to allow moonlighting over the weekends

Moonlighting is currently a hot topic in the market, and many tech companies are giving different reactions. Tech Mahindra is one such company that is in support of moonlighting. Its CEO, C P Gurnani, has confirmed to PTI that the company will support side hustles because Tech Mahindra is a "digital firm and not a legacy one." IT services major Tech Mahindra is in the final stages of framing its moonlighting policy, which may allow employees to take up side gigs if doing so would not hinder the work at the company, The Economic Times reported. It may roll out the policy this month. Tech Mahindra joins a list of several IT services majors which are now framing or have already put in place a policy to allow their employees to take up gigs that are not directly in conflict with the parent firm. Many employees, working from home during the pandemic, took up side jobs without the approval of their parent firm.

Wipro and Infosys previously said they had sacked employees for working for the competition, triggering a debate about whether employees could be allowed to take up side jobs. However, both Wipro and Infosys have said employees can take up gigs that are separate from their primary job. HCL Technologies, too, has said it does not approve of dual employment but added that it was not a significant issue within the company.

Tech Mahindra's global chief people officer, Harshvendra Soin, told ET that the company is looking to allow employees to take up a side hustle for a short duration, mainly over the weekend. But the work should not be with the competition and in line with the service agreement. Employees should also take written approval from the company before moonlighting. "One needs to be open about it. If you come and take written permission, it's allowed, but there is a process to be followed," Soin told the publication.

Swiggy just recently introduced moonlighting policy that allows full-time employees to take up other jobs or projects after their regular work hours. The workers at Swiggy who will take up projects that are "highly sensitive, leveraging professional know-how," will require approval from the company, which is something that a few tech companies are also doing. If the projects fall under the space of interests or hobbies and don't affect productivity or have a conflict of interest, then Swiggy won't have any issues.

Top companies like TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) have asserted that moonlighting is an ethical issue, and those opting for it are going against the company's core values and culture. So far, the company hasn't taken any action against any employee because it could ruin the careers of the workers. Still, its rivals have issued a stern warning against moonlighting to employees. Wipro's Chairman Rishad Premji has reportedly confirmed that the company sacked around 300 people who were found to be working for competitors.