The Moonlighting Employee Usually Has 3 Faces:
LinkedIn Bio: “Team Player. AI enthusiast. Always chasing efficiency.”
On Teams: “Yes, noted. Will take it forward.”
In reality: Updating a client pitch deck… for another company.
While you’re guarding the gate from outsiders, someone inside might already be picking the lock… with your own keys.
Because sometimes, it’s not the hoodie-wearing hacker you need to worry about…
It’s the multitasker with a glowing resume – and a second job on the side.
Why This Isn’t Just an HR Problem
Moonlighting isn’t about someone making a few extra bucks.
It’s about blurred lines, broken trust, and bad decisions that don’t feel bad – until they blow up.
And let’s be honest:
It’s not always done with malicious intent.
Sometimes it’s a casual, “Just this weekend project.”
Then it becomes, “Just this one file.”
Then suddenly, your intellectual property is living its best life in someone else’s proposal.
The real problem?
No breach alert. No red flags.
Just your work… moonwalking out the door.
Is Moonlighting Even Illegal?
Short answer: It depends.
Moonlighting isn’t criminal by default in India.
But most employment contracts (especially in IT, BFSI, and services sectors) have clauses that clearly prohibit:
- Dual employment
- Sharing of sensitive company information
- Conflict of interest of any kind
So yes, it’s legal grey on the surface – until your laptop starts multitasking across NDAs.
Not Everyone with a Life Has a Side Gig
Remote work isn’t the villain here.
Let’s not confuse work-life balance with side hustle culture.
There are employees:
- Who log off at 6 to spend time with their families
- Who ignore weekend pings to protect their sanity
- Who prioritize one job and give it their best
And yet, thanks to moonlighting mania, even the good ones end up under suspicion.
Because once trust erodes, everyone looks guilty.
Moonlighting: The Insider Threat Nobody Logs
Let’s break the myth.
Not every insider threat comes with bad intentions.
It’s someone who didn’t see the harm in reusing content.
Didn’t think forwarding a deck was a “security issue.”
Didn’t realize syncing calendars was syncing risk.
It’s not always the attack you expect.
It’s the employee you trust – who’s moonlighting as someone else’s MVP.
So, What Can You Actually Do?
You don’t fix this with more surveillance. You fix it with culture, clarity, and conversations.
✅ Spell It Out
If your company prohibits dual employment, say it. Don’t hide it on page 37 of the policy handbook.
✅ Don’t Guilt the Good Ones
Protect the ones who are committed, consistent, and clear. Let’s not make work-life balance look suspicious.
✅ Make Them Think
Not through checklists. But through stories. The kind that make people go, “Oh… I never thought of it like that.”
Final Thought
Moonlighting may not be completely avoidable.
But ignoring it? That’s like leaving your front door open and blaming the wind for what goes missing.
In a world of AI resumes, silent side gigs, and toggling between company secrets like browser tabs, the breach isn’t always brute force.
Sometimes, it’s just someone trying to do too much – for too many people – on the same device.
At GAME OF STORYTELLING we believe the best defense isn’t a tool – it’s a culture. Because the real threat isn’t just moonlighting. It’s not talking about it.
That’s why we crafted our Insider Threat Awareness Workshop – not to point fingers, but to spark real conversations. The kind that help teams reflect before they react.
Game of Storytelling 