What Is Moonlighting? | HR Glossary | BambooHR
Holding a second job or side business alongside one's main employment.
Moonlighting is the practice of taking on additional paid work — a second job, freelance assignments or a side business — outside one's primary employment. It has grown with remote working and the wider gig economy.
For employers the concerns are practical and legal: potential conflicts of interest, misuse of confidential information, and the impact of fatigue on performance. Total working time across jobs may also engage working-time limits and rest requirements.
Rather than banning secondary work outright, many employers manage it through clear policies requiring disclosure and prohibiting activities that compete or conflict. In Ireland, contractual terms and the Organisation of Working Time Act are the main reference points when setting expectations.
