Bad news because the government says that employees cannot engage in work against the interests of the employer | Jobs Vox

People taking up side jobs outside of their regular jobs to supplement their income, aka Moonlighting, was one of the most discussed topics among the working population in 2022.

The rising cost of living and concerns about job security have led many, especially in the IT industry, to seek gig work to earn extra income.

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This, however, was not welcomed by many companies who even fired employees for working on the job.

Even as the command debate continues, the Indian government has clarified its position and it’s not good news for employees.

The laws do not allow an employment relationship

On Monday, the government announced in parliament that workers may not perform any work against the interests of the employer in addition to their work in accordance with the legal framework.

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“According to the Industrial Employment (Regular Orders) Act of 1946, a worker may not at any time (type) work against the interests of the industrial establishment in which he is employed and shall not be employed in addition to his work in the establishment, which may adversely affect the interests of his employer,” said Minister of State for Labor and Employment Rameshwar Teli in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Telly was responding to a question about whether the government considers the workforce to be an effective reason for firing employees.

There is no information about job layoffs

Regarding whether the government noticed that layoffs were occurring because of workplace labor, Telly stated, “Hiring and firing, including layoffs, are a regular occurrence in industrial enterprises. There is no concrete information available to indicate that the layoffs are occurring because of job performance.“

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When asked if the government had studied labor in the country, the minister replied: “No, sir.”

Dismissals are governed by the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

Regarding whether the government ordered companies not to fire employees due to labor actions, the minister stated that jurisdiction in matters concerning multinational and Indian companies in IT, social media, edtech firms and related sectors rests with individual state governments.

However, he told the House that matters relating to dismissal and dismissal in industrial establishments are governed by the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (ID Act), which regulates various aspects of dismissal and conditions precedent to the dismissal of workers.

Debate about work

In recent months, several top Indian tech companies, including Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, etc., have made their stances on work clear, making it nearly impossible for their employees to take a job without explicitly saying so.

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Employees support it, but companies don’t

A recent survey found that 43 percent of employees in the Indian IT sector find their work environment favorable.

The main reasons why employees work outside their jobs are to protect themselves from losing their jobs and to supplement their income.

However, employers have a different view of this tendency, as 31 percent believe that employees work at work because they are not adequately engaged in their work, and 23 percent believe that employees have enough time for other work, according to the results of the quarterly Employment Tracker by job platform Verdejno.

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