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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

MOONLIGHTING

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1 Warm up
In pairs, read the definition and discuss the following questions.

moonlight (v) - secretly work at a second job without telling the employer in your first job

1. Is moonlighting common in your country?

2. What kind of jobs do people typically choose as a second job in your country?
3. Is moonlighting something you have done or would do? Why?/why not?

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MOONLIGHTING

2 Scanning for vocabulary

Scan through the article on page three to find words with the same meaning as the following definitions.

1. in a way that shows the you care about your work and put a lot of effort into
it (adv., para. A)
2. the use of ideas and imagination to create something new (n, para. A)

3. not excited about something because you have experienced it many times
before (adj., para. B)
4. a topic that people disagree about, often causing anger (n, para. B)

5. the act of watching the work or activities of others to maintain quality or

control (n, para. B)
6. add something extra to something to make it more complete, larger or better
(v, para. B)
7. the concept of working as much as possible in order to achieve goals or to
make more money (n, para. C)
8. make something less attractive or interesting, often by pointing out the
negative consequences of doing it (v, para. D)

3 Reading for gist

Match the following titles to paragraphs A - D. There are more titles than paragraphs.

1. Generation gap
2. Moonlighting and the media
3. The worker view
4. No commuting
5. The future of work?
6. The employer view

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MOONLIGHTING

Some work by night

Moonlighting strangers

A.

Huma, a 34-year old woman from Bangalore in India, works as a software engineer for an IT company that she
works for remotely. Each day, she logs on at around 8 am and works diligently at her job for eight hours, taking a
short break for lunch. Between 4 and 5 pm, she will log out, grab a quick bite to eat and then log in to her second
job where she works creating animation for a few hours. ‘I only spend around 20 hours per week at my second
job,’ she says, ‘but I make almost the same amount of money as I do at my first job. I really like it because it’s very
different and I can use my creativity in a way I don’t in my day job’. Huma doesn’t feel that she is doing anything
wrong, but neither of her employers know about the other. ‘There has been a lot of negativity in the press about
workers doing more than one job,’ she explains. ‘It’s just easier for me to keep quiet about it, even though I don’t
think either company will really have a problem with what I’m doing.’

B.

She’s not wrong about the negativity. Wipro, an IT consulting company, recently fired 300 of its staff for
moonlighting for other companies. The chairman of the company, Rishad Premji, is much less blasé about it than
Huma. He recently tweeted ‘This is cheating - plain and simple,’ on the subject. Although taking second jobs is
quite common in many parts of the world, it’s become a source of contention in India in the post-pandemic era
with the sharp rise in the number of workers working remotely. With more relaxed supervision and greater time
available due to the lack of need to commute, many employees have used their extra time to find additional work
to supplement their income. The corporate view, particularly in the IT sector, is that workers could be working for
the competition and sharing sensitive information.

C.

In a recent survey, 65% of Indians said they knew someone who had been moonlighting or taking on extra work
while working from home. The situation is an open secret and highlights a difference in views between different
generations. The older management still values loyalty and dedication to their companies, whereas the new
generations don’t feel the need to put all of their eggs in one basket and are fully on board with hustle culture in
order to get ahead. Not only does it allow them to make extra money, it helps them to pursue passion projects
and work which will help them to add to their CV in future.

D.

These dual reasons for taking a second job create a situation which is difficult to resolve. While it has been argued
that part of the reason for people taking extra work is because the salaries IT companies are paying are not
sufficient. However, if the second job also offers added experience in a field that the worker values, then simply
raising wages will not be enough to deter everyone from doing it. Huma says, ’Both of my jobs are in different
industries and there’s no conflict of interest. I work hard at both of them and there’s no harm done. I like this life
I have created for myself. But I’m not going to have it ruined by a manager who is following orders and doesn’t
understand, so I’m going to keep quiet.’ It’s clearly a debate that will not go away any time soon.

Sources: BBC Worklife, The Economic Times

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MOONLIGHTING

4 Reading comprehension

Part A: Decide if the following statements are true (T), false (F), or not given (NG).

1. Huma goes to the office early to begin her job.

2. Huma works two full-time jobs.

3. Huma makes less money at her second job than she does at her first.

4. Huma has a better relationship with her second employer than with her first.

5. Rishad Premji supports people having the freedom to work more than one job.

6. A greater percentage of Indians moonlight compared to any other countries.

Part B: Now answer the following questions in your own words.

1. What is the meaning of "open secret" in paragraph C?

2. What is the meaning of "put all their eggs in one basket" in paragraph C?

3. What is the meaning of "no harm done" in paragraph D?

5 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Complete the vocabulary with the missing vowels (a,e,i,o,u).

1. _ nst _ b _ l _ ty (n) - the state of being likely to have problems or fail soon

2. r _ d _ nd _ nt (adj.) - without work because your job is no longer required

3. _ ns _ c _ r _ ty (n) - a loss of confidence and feeling as though you are not capable of doing certain
tasks

4. _ v _ rt (v) - stop something dangerous or bad from happening

5. r _ _ p (v) - get money or benefits from something you have done

6. r _ ckl _ ss (adj.) - with caring about safety or the negative consequences of your actions

7. tr _ d _ s _ cr _ t (n) - information only known to select people at a company, often because it gives
them an advantage over the competition

8. l _ y _ lty (n) - the act of supporting someone through good times and bad

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MOONLIGHTING

Part B: Now complete the following sentences by putting vocabulary from Part A into the correct
gap. You may need to change the form of the word.

1. They say that the ingredients that go into Coca Cola is a real , known only to two
or three people in the company.

2. The corporation reported that it would be forced to make at least 2000 employees
due to the continuing crisis in the Middle East.

3. I’m really pleased for you. You’ve worked so hard for the past ten years and now you’re going to
the benefits.

4. Due to the conflict in the region, there has been a great deal of with thousands
of people leaving for safer countries.

5. He received a gold watch after 20 years with the company as a reward for his .

6. The building could have been destroyed by the fire, but disaster was when one
of the water pipes burst which put out the flames.

7. He may think he looks cool without a motorcycle helmet, but he’s being and could
end up seriously injured.

8. After losing his job, he suffered from a huge amount of and found it very difficult
to build up the confidence to find a new one.

6 Listening for gist

Which one of the following questions do you hear in the podcast interview? Tick all that you hear.

1. What problem do companies have with moonlighting?

2. Do you think the law will change?

3. What effect did that have on you and your family?

4. What has created this problem?

5. What benefits has it brought you?

6. Do you think the view of companies will change in the future?

7. What would happen if you lost your job?

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MOONLIGHTING

7 Listening comprehension

Part A: Complete the table by deciding if the statement is similar to one that Deepa said, Naseem
said, or neither. You can tick both if that is applicable.

Part B: When Deepa says, "We have to draw the line somewhere..." what does she mean? Answer in
your own words.

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MOONLIGHTING

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Which point of view do you most agree with: Deepa or Naseem? Why?
2. Do you think moonlighting will be something that continues in the future in India and the rest of
the world? Why/why not?
3. If someone is made redundant in your country, is there any compensation? What happens?
4. Do you think ‘hustle culture’ is a positive or negative concept? Why?
5. Do you think an employee owes the company they work for their loyalty? Why/why not?

9 Extended activity/Homework

Read the question.

Moonlighting as a practice should be outlawed. It reduces the amount of work available

and puts companies at risk of their trade secrets being shared. Banning moonlighting would
reduce unemployment and make companies more competitive.

To what extent do you agree with the above statement?

You should:
• Write at least 250 words.
• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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