As the debate around working second jobs in the IT industry heats up, the Indian software company Infosys has issued a warning to its employees in an email from the HR department.
The email concludes with the words “Remember – NO TWO-TIMING – NO MOONLIGHTING,” highlighting clauses in the employment contract that forbid employees from taking on second jobs.
Dual employment is not permitted at Infosys, per the employee handbook and code of conduct. As stated explicitly in your offer letter, you undertake not to accept employment, whether full-time or part-time, as a director, partner, member, or employee of any other organization or entity engaged in any form of business activity without Infosys’ consent. According to the email, consent “may be given subject to any terms and restrictions that the Company may deem appropriate and may be canceled at any time at the Company’s discretion.
Business Today examined the employee contract and discovered that employees may only take on additional work or side jobs with the company’s agreement. By the employment contract, you agree not to accept employment, whether full-time or part-time, as a director, partner member, or employee of any other organization or entity engaged in any form of business activity without Infosys’ consent. This is an essential requirement for work. The firm may impose whatever terms and restrictions it sees fit, and the consent may be revoked at any time, at the company’s discretion.
Other Indian IT businesses, besides Infosys, have also expressed objection to side work. Due to their employment contracts, other Indian IT behemoths like TCS, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, and HCL Technologies make it difficult for employees to take on side projects.
Even the executives of these IT-related companies have openly stated how they feel about moonlighting. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Executive Director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), N Ganapathy Subramaniam, told Business Today at the India@100 Summit last month that employees would suffer long-term consequences if they pursued short-term benefits through moonlighting. Last month, Rishad Premji, the executive chairman of Wipro, tweeted, “There is a lot of talk about people moonlighting in the tech business.
