IT services group Wipro fires 300 employees for moonlighting • TechCrunch

IT services giant Wipro has laid off 300 employees in recent months who were found to be working part-time for rivals, an executive said on Wednesday, in a move that has gained momentum around the world as the company incorporates work-from-home norms. trade off.

Wipro’s chairman Rishad Premji, which employs more than 250,000 people in more than 50 countries, told a conference on Wednesday that the company considered it a “violation of integrity” to work part-time for a competitor.

“As part of the transparency, individuals can have candid and open conversations around playing in a band or working on projects over the weekend. It’s an open conversation where organizations and individuals can make a consistent choice about whether this is right for them,” he said. .

But, “No one can work for Wipro and competitor XYZ, if they find the same, they will feel exactly the same. That’s what I mean…so I stand by what I say…I do think that if It’s a breach of integrity that you work part-time in that shape and form.”

A growing number of white-collar workers, from tech to banking, have quietly taken on second jobs — and in some cases, third jobs — as they hedge against layoff fears or benefit from working from home less responsibility.

Some startups are accepting part-time jobs as a perk. Swiggy, India’s most valuable food delivery startup, told employees last month that they could take on second jobs for public benefit or financial reasons after obtaining internal approval.

Last year, Bengaluru-based fintech startup Slice offered new employees a three-day workweek at 80 percent of the prevailing market rate. The startup says employment agreements allow individuals to have a second job.