Moonlighting is when an employee works a second job or takes on freelance work outside their primary job.
Moonlighting is a widespread phenomenon, especially among remote employees in the Philippines. Over 73% of Filipino remote workers engage in multiple jobs, a statistic driven by various motivations but posing significant challenges to employers, particularly offshore teams relying on remote efficiency and productivity.
Moonlighting often raises issues of conflict of interest, for example, employee burnout and reduced commitment to their primary employer.Employers seek offshore teams primarily for economic reasons. The problem is that the practice of moonlighting significantly undermines these anticipated benefits.
With remote workers having two or three roles simultaneously, employers experience diminished accessibility to their staff, slower response times to urgent tasks, and general lower performance levels.
Additionally, employees managing multiple roles are more likely to suffer increased stress, fatigue, and diminished job satisfaction, resulting in higher levels of turnover. All of which will have a direct impact on productivity, quality of work, and ultimately, business outcomes, undermining the value proposition of employing offshore teams.
Many important factors contribute to the high number of moonlighting among offshore remote workers:
Employees frequently perceive their skills and experiences as underestimated by their onshore employers, leading them to seek validation and fulfillment elsewhere.
The sense of being undervalued is accompanied by limited vertical growth opportunities within their current roles, pushing workers to develop additional skills horizontally through multiple job engagements.
Remote workers often report feelings of isolation and disconnection from the central team, causing them to pursue additional roles where they might feel a stronger sense of belonging.
Poor job design and inadequate measurement of capacity and performance leave employees with excess capacity, which they naturally fill with additional jobs.
Economic challenges, such as inflation and rising living costs, are reasons for employees to seek supplemental income through secondary employment, freelance opportunities or entrepreneurial activities. Additionally, employers frequently do not provide adequate compensation because instead of accepting a reasonable 50% savings by hiring offshore, they often aim to maximize cost savings up to 80%, exacerbating financial pressures on employees.
To abolish moonlighting, employers should proactively promote engagement and job satisfaction:
Acknowledge and reward employees’ contributions regularly to foster a sense of worth.
Implement communication and inclusive team-building activities to ensure remote workers feel integrated and important to the organization.
Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and expectations, ensuring that workload aligns with capacity and performance metrics.
Offer fair and competitive remuneration that adequately covers living costs, reducing the economic need of secondary employment.
Establish transparent pathways for professional growth, encouraging employees to invest fully in their current role by presenting achievable advancement opportunities.
By understanding and addressing these root causes, organizations can significantly reduce moonlighting behaviors, fostering a more committed, efficient, and productive offshore workforce.
It’s a win-win!
