In an era where remote working is increasingly becoming the norm, maintaining and enforcing work ethics among employees poses new challenges. A recent podcast episode of “Hiring to Firing” sheds light on a prevalent issue commonly known as “moonlighting” in the corporate space. Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs hosted this insightful discussion along with the assistant general counsel of Exelon Business Services, Amy Bashore.
In the context of the workplace, moonlighting refers to situations where employees engage in non-related work activities during their official working hours. The conversation in the podcast was prompted by observable signs indicating possible moonlighting scenarios, such as regular long lunch breaks, constant absence from the virtual workspace, as well as turning cameras off during video conferences. As corporate lawyers are likely aware, these behaviours not only impact productivity but can also lead to potential legal issues.
The episode titled “Managing Moonlighting in the Workplace: Julie and Julia” thematically links the issue of moonlighting with the popular movie, Julie and Julia. In the movie, which is based on a true story, the protagonist starts a blog chronicling her journey of cooking all of Julia Child’s 524 recipes in a year, all while maintaining a full-time job.
Moonlighting, while seemingly harmless on the surface, can actually pose significant challenges and risks to an organization. Not only does it undermine the productivity of the employee in question, but it also breeds the potential for conflicts of interests, and in more extreme situations, jeopardizes proprietary information and intellectual property.
This podcast episode analysis was brought to you thanks to JD Supra’s report, with the podcast providing detailed discussions around ways through which employers can effectively monitor moonlighting within their organizations; and implications of the phenomenon on legal aspects. For more detailed information, listen in to the podcast.
Moonlighting is not an entirely new issue but the remote working culture has indeed exacerbated the perplexity of the situation. It remains crucial for businesses and their legal advisers to craft effective policies and monitoring systems to promote integrity in the workspace, protect corporate interests and ensure legal compliance.