After Firing 300 "Moonlighters", Wipro Now Has This To Say On "Side Jobs"

Wipro CEO says "not talking aboutthings illegal... really talking about being in an obvious conflict of interest; our employees understand that"

Tech major Wipro has again defended its policies against "moonlighting" as it faces criticism, and theories float around, over its firing of 300 employees for working for other companies simultaneously. Chief executive Thierry Delaporte on Wednesday did say that some "side jobs" are fine, but working for a competitor is a "question of ethics".

Company boss Rishad Premji has already called it "cheating, plain and simple". 

"Our contracts stipulate not taking up a side job with a competitor. It is not a question of legal (propriety); it is a question of ethics," CEO Delaporte said, when asked if moonlighting, particularly in work-from-home settings, could be legal. He was speaking at a press conference about the quarterly earnings of Wipro, which saw a 9.3 per cent drop in net profit, in which rising staff expenses were a factor.

"So hear me, I am not talking about things illegal. I am not talking about side jobs. I am really talking about being in an obvious situation of conflict of interest. I think that our employees understand that," he added, as per a report by news agency PTI.