Polls
Discussions
1. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW? Root causes told ONLY through stories.
Scene 1 — Bengaluru (Startup + Delivery Rider Side Gig)
A young UI designer Aarav quietly did Zomato deliveries after 7 pm.
Not because he was greedy — because his rent had shot up from ₹18,000 to ₹29,000.
When HR discovered it accidentally, they reacted like he had leaked source code.
At tea time, Aarav told a colleague:
“Bhai, cost of living is hybrid. Salary isn’t.”
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Scene 2 — Pune (Teacher + Content Writer)
A school teacher Neha wrote educational blog posts at night to pay EMI.
She hid it from her principal because:
“If they know I earn more from writing than teaching, they’ll think I’m not loyal.”
This is not rebellion.
This is survival.
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Scene 3 — Gurgaon (Analyst + Weekend Photographer)
An analyst Rishi shot wedding photos on weekends.
His boss found out and said:
“Are we not enough for you?”
Rishi said to his team later:
“If salary can’t cover dreams, dreams will find side doors.”
Hybrid Hushing exists because employers still pretend people only live for the company.
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2. HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE WORKFORCE? Human emotions & behaviors shown through scenes.
Scene 4 — Hyderabad (Software Engineer)
A woman engineer Shivani ran a small plant nursery from her balcony and sold via Instagram.
She hid it for a year.
One day her manager said casually,
“We should all have hobbies, na?”
She burst into tears.
Not because of fear, but relief.
Employees feel:
• Guilt — “Am I cheating?”
• Anxiety — “What if they find out?”
• Shame — “Why do I even need this side gig?”
• Exhaustion — living two hidden lives
When companies embrace Hybrid Honesty, something flips.
People stop hiding.
They stop fearing.
They stop burning out quietly.
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Scene 5 — Jaipur (Sales Executive)
A sales guy Harshit confessed in a skip-level meeting:
“Sir, weekend Uber driving gives me mental peace. I talk to strangers, I learn stories. It makes me better at sales.”
Imagine that.
A side hustle improved his main job.
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3. HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE ORGANISATION? Business impact shown through lived examples.
Scene 6 — Chennai (Call Centre + YouTuber)
A customer support agent started a Tamil YouTube tech channel on the side.
Management initially panicked.
Then they realised:
• His communication improved
• His confidence doubled
• Customer complaints dropped
• His channel brought free brand visibility
Side gig → brand asset.
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Scene 7 — Bengaluru (EdTech)
They found an employee secretly teaching weekend classes.
Instead of scolding, the CEO asked him to design internal training modules.
He became the most loved internal mentor.
Hybrid honesty → internal learning system.
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Scene 8 — Mumbai (Digital Agency)
A designer who freelanced at night became irritated, burnt out, and slow.
When the agency introduced “Approved Side Gigs”:
• She reduced freelance hours
• Kept only one passion client
• Became mentally lighter
• Returned to peak creativity
Hybrid honesty → psychological safety → productivity.
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4. WHAT SHOULD EMPLOYERS STOP DOING? Don’ts expressed as real missteps.
❌ Stop treating side jobs as betrayal
A Noida company fired an accountant for doing GST filings for small shops on Sundays.
The whole office stopped trusting HR after that incident.
❌ Stop public shaming
One Hyderabad manager announced in a meeting:
“Some people here are doing ‘double duty’.”
Everyone knew who he meant.
Morale died instantly.
❌ Stop assuming side gigs mean disloyalty
A Chennai boss said:
“If you have energy for other work, you’re not working hard enough here.”
Three employees resigned that month.
❌ Stop forcing employees to hide their realities
Salary freeze + inflation + family needs = hybrid necessity.
Not rebellion.
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5. WHAT SHOULD EMPLOYERS START DOING? Dos shown ONLY through positive real examples.
✅ Example — Pune Fintech: Side Gig Declaration Form
Simple rule:
“If it doesn’t clash with work hours or ethics, go ahead.”
Employees felt respected.
Attrition reduced.
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✅ Example — Bengaluru SaaS: “Passion Fridays”
Employees can showcase any side project:
• Music
• Coding
• Baking
• Gardening
• Freelance designs
Teams bonded.
Managers discovered hidden superstar skills.
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✅ Example — Jaipur Retail Chain: Contractual Clarity
They created “Variable Hour Contracts”:
Employees choose 4–6 hour shifts and pursue any second career.
Moms, students, creators loved it.
Hiring became effortless.
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✅ Example — Hyderabad Agency: Hybrid Talent Pool
They actively encourage:
• Writers to freelance
• Designers to teach
• Analysts to consult
• Musicians to gig
Leaders realised:
“Passion creates professionalism. Not the other way around.”
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✅ Example — Mumbai Corporate: Building the ‘Talent Cloud’
They allow employees to pick DUAL ROLES internally —
like Finance + Content, or HR + Events.
Skill diversity skyrocketed.
Hybrid Honesty → multi-skilled workforce → future-proof organisation.
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The Truth of Hybrid Honesty
Employees don’t hide because they’re disloyal.
They hide because the system is old.
When employers say:
“We trust you with your life outside work,”
employees say:
“Then we trust you with our best inside work.”
This is how Contractual Engagement begins — where freedom, fairness, and flexibility become the new pillars of work.
