Question

Direction: Read the following scenario and answer the TWO questions that follow.
Moonlighting is the practice of working for one organisation while also accepting additional responsibilities and jobs, typically without the employer's knowledge in another organization. It is named as such because it is typically performed at night or on the weekends. “Doing two remote jobs at once was already happening; it was the biggest open secret out there in tech," said a US techie.
Due to weaker margins, major Indian IT companies such as Infosys, TCS, and Wipro announced that they would delay, postpone, or reduce variable pay-outs to employees for the first quarter of fiscal year 2023. This drew attention to Moonlighting.
The Indian IT industry was divided on the issue of Moonlighting. Some considered it unethical, while others viewed it as an urgent necessity. Infozeta Chairman Patrick's stance on this matter was crystal clear. "There is a great deal of talk about people working part-time in the tech industry. This is cheating, pure and simple," he had tweeted.
However, McMillan, CEO of Betauniverse, does not consider Moonlighting as "cheating.". "Employment is a contract between an employer who pays me for working 'n' number of hours per day," he explained. “Now, what I do after that time is entirely up to me; I can do whatever I please."
Mr. Q is an IT professional who works for a small company in Bangalore. His office hours are from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; thus, he wants to utilize his morning time. He thought of taking up extra work; however, he is not sure about the righteousness of his decision. His company does not have any clear policy on Moonlighting. As he is confused, he seeks opinions of the people who work in his industry to understand the ethical dimension of Moonlighting. The following opinions are shared with Mr. Q:
Opinion 1: Moonlighting is unacceptable since the employer has a complete right over the employee.
Opinion 2: Moonlighting is a choice of the employee, and that the employer has no authority over the employee's conduct after office hours.
Opinion 3: Moonlighting leads to employees missing out on important organizational work.
Opinion 4: While Moonlighting, the employee might unknowingly leak critical information gained from one organization to the other.
Opinion 5: It is OK to Moonlight as employers are exploitative and underpay employees.
Given the abovementioned opinions, which of the following combinations will BEST help Mr. Q to realize that Moonlighting is unethical?

• A. Opinions 2 & 5
• B. Opinions 2 & 4
• C. Opinions 2 & 3
• D. Opinions 3 & 4
• E. Opinions 1 & 5

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

To determine whether Moonlighting is unethical, we need to analyze the provided opinions. Here's a breakdown of each:

• Opinion 1: Moonlighting is unacceptable since the employer has a complete right over the employee. 
  This opinion suggests that the employer's control extends beyond working hours. However, it does not directly address whether Moonlighting itself is unethical.
• Opinion 2: Moonlighting is a choice of the employee, and that the employer has no authority over the employee's conduct after office hours. 
  This presents a perspective that supports employee independence and does not view Moonlighting as unethical.
• Opinion 3: Moonlighting leads to employees missing out on important organizational work. 
  This directly raises a potential ethical issue, as it implies a conflict between primary job responsibilities and secondary work, pointing toward unethical behavior.
• Opinion 4: While Moonlighting, the employee might unknowingly leak critical information gained from one organization to the other. 
  This highlights a serious ethical concern, as it involves the risk of breaching confidentiality, making Moonlighting unethical.
• Opinion 5: It is OK to Moonlight as employers are exploitative and underpay employees. 
  While it rationalizes Moonlighting as a response to exploitation, it does not inherently address its ethical nature.

Combining these analyses, Opinions 3 & 4 suggest the unethical nature of Moonlighting due to potential neglect of core duties and the possibility of leaking sensitive information, which validates the correct answer.

Conclusion: The combination of Opinions 3 & 4 best helps Mr. Q understand that Moonlighting is unethical. These opinions focus on the ethical concerns related to Moonlighting, such as neglecting primary work and risking confidentiality breaches.

Answer 2

To determine the combination of opinions that best helps Mr. Q realize that Moonlighting is unethical, we need to analyze each opinion in terms of ethical concerns:

Opinion	Explanation
Opinion 1	This opinion emphasizes that employers have complete ownership over the employee, suggesting Moonlighting is unacceptable. However, this is more about authority than ethics.
Opinion 2	States that Moonlighting is a personal choice and that employers have no authority after work hours. This viewpoint supports ethical Moonlighting.
Opinion 3	Indicates that Moonlighting might cause employees to neglect their primary job responsibilities, impacting work quality. This opinion raises ethical concerns.
Opinion 4	Suggests that Moonlighting may lead to accidental dissemination of confidential information between companies, which is unethical.
Opinion 5	Claims that Moonlighting is permissible due to employer exploitation and underpayment, which suggests a justification rather than an ethical stance.

After analyzing these opinions, Opinions 3 & 4 provide explicit ethical issues: neglecting primary job duties (Opinion 3) and potential leakage of sensitive information (Opinion 4). Both highlight ethical vulnerabilities associated with Moonlighting, guiding Mr. Q to perceive it as unethical.

The correct combination is Opinions 3 & 4.