What is Work Ethics?

What is Work Ethics?

The work ethic is a cultural norm that advocates being personally accountable and responsible for the work that one does and is based on a belief that work has intrinsic value. The term is often applied to characteristics of people, both at work and at play.

In sports, for example, work ethic is frequently mentioned as a characteristic of good players. Regardless of the context, work ethic is usually associated with people who work hard and do a good job.

A standard of conduct and values for job performance

Steps Towards Better Work Ethics

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Attendance -

Attendance and punctuality often have a large impact on

individual and team success. Tardiness or absenteeism can also

profoundly impact job performance and retention.

How You Can Maintain Good Attendance:

Make work a high priority

Know your schedule

Make use of an ALARM clock

Get enough sleep

Arrange your transportation

Inform your supervisor of an absence

Steps Towards Better Work Ethics

2. Character- An employer expects employees to work together toward achieving the objectives of the company. The wise employee who is interested in having a good relationship with an employer will try to help the employer achieve success. Thus employer expects employees to develop certain desirable traits that will help them to perform their jobs well so that the company can succeed.

Some of these traits

include the following:

Loyalty

Honesty

Trustworthiness

Dependability

Reliability

Initiative

Self-discipline

Self-responsibility

3. Teamwork - It is vital that employees work as a team. It is important not only to their personal success and advancement, but also to that of their co-workers and to the company. Sometimes working as a team takes place in a classroom setting. Teamwork doesnt necessarily mean helping your classmate. Teamwork in the classroom might be working quietly as not to disturb your classmates. Teamwork involves the following aspects:

Respecting the rights of others

Being a team worker

Being cooperative

Being assertive

Displaying a customer service attitude

Seeking opportunities for continuous learning

Demonstrating mannerly behavior

Respecting confidentiality

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Steps Towards Better Work Ethics

4. Appearance- A person makes their first impression of someone in three seconds. If you appear unkempt and wrinkled, someone is going to think that you do sloppy work. If you dress as a professional, your first impression will be excellent.

5. Attitude- It is very important to demonstrate a positive attitude, appear self confident, and have realistic expectations for self. Developing and maintaining a positive attitude involves setting realistic expectations for ourselves at school and at work. These goals should be challenging, but obtainable.

6. Productivity - In order to be a productive student and employee, a person must follow safety procedures, conserve materials, keep the work area neat and clean and follow directions properly.

7. Organizational skills- Employers consider effective time management and organizational skills as good work habits. To begin managing wisely the time you spend at work, to prepare for assignments at home, and to manage your life at home and work simultaneously, you need to know and to put into practice some good time management techniques.

Some Simple Techniques:

Believe - As you enter into your new work place

believe that you are in control.

Ask For Help - help comes in many forms so ask for it.

Prioritize what's most important?

Set Timetables - list what you have achieved and what is still pending.

Spend Time Wisely

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Steps Towards Better Work Ethics

8. Communication- Is how we interact with each other.

Communication whether it is verbal or nonverbal must be clear, to the point, empathetic, and one must keep in mind that we must always treat others as we would like others to treat us.

9. Cooperation - involves developing good working relationships, following the chain of command, good at conflict management, and being a good problem solver.

10. Respect it cannot be emphasized enough that every working relationship from the top to the bottom of the chain of command is based on respect. Respect your subordinates as you do your superiors.

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WORK ETHICS

Understanding Ethics

The word Ethics derived from the Greek word Ethos, which means Character.

Webster's Dictionary defines Ethics as the science of moral duty or the science of ideal human character.

Moral Principles, Codes & Postulates are considered as Ethics.

Ethics is the adoption of the right methods and means toward the right ends. Deals more with good than evils.

It deals with the term of what is right and what is wrong.

Tracing The Roots

Ethics isnt a new concept.It has been with us for thousands of years, except that its importance is dawning on us only now.

Our ancient literature: Vedas, Puranas, Ramayanas, Gita, Bible, Guru Granth Sahib and the Koran all are full of moral values and ethical code of conduct

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What Sociologists Say.

Ethics is thinking in terms of the larger picture, not ignoring or neglecting ones own interest and well being but not over emphasizing ones own interests either

What Are Work Ethics

Attitudes and frame of mind one strives to use to complete any task.

Strong Work Ethics in all facets of our lives, is nothing more than a positive mental attitude.

Strong positive work ethics is one of the rungs on the ladder to success.

Whatever our mental state and who we come across, good work and verbal expressions can determine the end product.

All these coupled with a pat on the back to encourage others are defined as Ethics

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Work Ethics (contd.)

The term Ethics, used in the context of the workplace becomes ethics that refer to the moral principle and rule of conduct applied to the workplace and the profession.

There should be business/work ethics, means business has to be conducted according to certain self-recognized standards.

Business being a social organ, shall not be conducted in a way detrimental to the society.

Ensuring Work Ethics means :

Working with love for Labour.

Working with all the energy one has.

Working with all our hearts not just half.

Pick oneself up if we stumble and fall, pick

yourself up and go around the barrier and

find a solution to circumvent the obstacle.

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Forces Influencing Ethics

Family Influences

Peer Influences

Personal Experiences

Ones own Values and Morals

Situational Factors

Variances in Defining Ethics

Variances arise because our value base may vary from individual to individual.

Ethical behaviour in the eyes of one person may be unethical in the eyes of another.

Societal situations also vary thus creating variances in defining ethical behaviour.

Experts believe that ethics are not absolute, but relative.

Ethical behaviour is in the eyes of the beholder, what is right or wrong is a personal individual matter, influenced by societal norms.

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Categories Of Ethics

WORK RELATED ETHICS

Duty Consciousness

Work Excellence

Punctuality

Frugality

SUPERIOR RELATED ETHICS

Obedience to superior

Cooperation with superior

Expert advice to superior

Accepting responsibility

Bringing credit to superior

SUBORDINATE RELATED ETHICS

Confidence in subordinates

Opportunity to subordinates for growth

Protection of subordinates legitimate interests

Supportive guidance to subordinates

Non-discrimination among subordinates

PEER RELATED ETHICS

Sense of cooperation among peers

Generosity among peers

Respect for other peers

Competitive spirit among peers

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ORGANISATION RELATED ETHICS

Commitment to the organisation

Fostering institutional image

Conflict resolution through negotiation

Accepting organisational changes

COMMUNITY REALTED ETHICS

Meaningful participation

Binding oneself to decision making

Social Involvement

Spirit of Nationalism

Ethics in Practice

HUGHES SOFTWARE SYSTEMS

An American company with Indian operations, organises a special program on Ethics for all new employees. There is a Chief Ethics Officer designated for handling ethical issues in the organisation.

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Unethical Practices in Practice

Sale of branded products through unauthorized dealers.

Electronic good piracy

Piracy in software, music & film industry.

Ordinary water being sold as mineral water under fake logos and seals.

Soaps and cosmetics being sold in the empty packs of reputed brands.

Inadequate or vague guarantees & warrantees.

Use of non-biodegradable packaging material.

Shoplifting

Changing price tags

Abusing products and returning them as damaged goods.

Reporting lost items as stolen to insurance companies.

Lying about a childs age to get a lower price.

Moving around casually out of the office during office hours.

Accessing private computer files without permission.

Listen to private cellular phone conversation.

Sabotage systems/data of other employees.

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Importance of Ethics

There are Tangible Benefits on following Ethical Behavior.

Businesses are built on relationships with suppliers, customers, employees and other groups.

The strength of these relationships is largely a function of the amount of trust the parties in each other.

Unethical behavior undermines trust and destroys relationships that ultimately affect the profitability of an organization.

Studies prove that the firms which maintain ethical standards perform better than others due to the good relationships they share with their suppliers, customers, employees and others.

In a nutshell, ETHICS ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF BUSINESS SUCCESS AND SUCCESS AT THE WORKPLACE.

Ethics With Children

DADDY SAYS DADDY IS NOT AT HOME.

Consequences that could follow.

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Work has been defined as an activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something

work is defined as a labor, task or duty

A specific task

Work always means performing some activities that will satisfy needs and create service for certain individual , group or society, and it is therefore accepted and rewarded

Right to Work

1st specific rights recognized in International Covenant On Economic , Social And Cultural Rights

deals with access to work and it is the main concern

Work as Human Rights Standard

Common Human Rights (positive rights)

food

Education

Fair trial

Free speech

Just working conditions

Common Human Rights (negative implications)

degree of suffering

Strain of mental or physical effort

Distress

For many people, work is something that a man should to do in order to survive

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Article 6 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) states that.

The right to work includes the right of a man to the opportunity to gain his living by work.

What is the meaning of to earn ones living?

Article 11 of ICESCR states that .provides that there is a right to an adequate standard of living that is unconditional; it does not depend on work.

So work as a Human Rights standard is not to be seen as a means to have an adequate standard of living ( as this is guaranteed by another human right but to earn such standard of living.

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Human Right to Work

Human Right to Work recognizes work as a something to which each every individual is entitled

Right to participate in the producing and servicing of Human Society and the right to participate in the benefits accrued through these joint activities.

Government Obligation

Common Government Obligation under the right to work

Respect

protect

fulfill each persons access to work

Government must not destroy a persons opportunity to earn his her living (obligation to respect)

Government must prevent hid opportunity from being destroyed by third parties (obligation to protect)

Government must provide the opportunity to earn ones living to each person who currently does not have this opportunity (obligation to fulfill)

Wage

Presidential Decree No. 442 or the labor code of the Philippines defines Wage.

remuneration or earning , capable of of being expressed in terms of money

payable by employer or employee under a written or unwritten contract of employment.

Wage and Salaries

Wage is based on hours worked.

Salaries is an amount paid for a particular job.

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Factors to consider when settling on a salary for a position include:

availability of people capable of fulfilling the obligations and responsibilities of the job.

level of demand elsewhere in the community and/or industry for prospective employees

cost living in the area attractiveness of the community in which the company operates

compensation levels already in existence elsewhere in the company

Wage and Morality

Justice means giving what is right and what is due

unfair labor practice

practice of giving salaries below the minimum wage if not wage is observed:

factory workers

construction workers

sales ladies

Government should play its role in protecting the rights of workers by ensuring that minimum wage law is observed.

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Unionism

trade union or union labor

organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working condition

include the:

negotiation of wages

work rules

complaint procedures

rules governing

hiring and firing

promotion of workers

benefits

work place

safety and policies

Morality cannot be an issue unless a union is created in which its objectives are contrary to law, since most acts that are considered illegal are immortal also

Strike

are suspensions of work against an employer, factory, industry or firm performed by workers and maintained until the demands are met by the entity against from which they are striking

labor code of the Philippines states that strik as many temporary refusal or employer to furnish work as a result of an industrial or labor dispute.

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Rights of Workers

The Philippine Constitution enumerates the rights of workers, these are:

right to self-organization- involves the right of every employee to form, to join or to not join labor unions.

right to collective bargaining and negotiations- to negotiate additional salaries and benefits is involved in the right

right to strike- strike means stoppage of work by employees as result of industrial or labor dispute.

right to security and tenure-security of tenure mans the right to be protected in his employment and must be terminated only if there are justifiable, valid and lawful grounds.

right to humanae conditions of work- this covers the right to be given rest and meal periods including the right to work in a safe and healthy working environment

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right to living- living wage means income that is capable of purchasing the basic commodities needed in household.

right to participate in policy and decision-making processes- this covers the right to be involved in activities affecting employees interest and welfare.

Duties of Employees

These may be explained the contract of employment, but the law also says that there are certain obligations and duties owed by an employee to their employer, even if the contract does not mention them. These include:

1. To do what reasonable employee would do in any situation.

2. Duty to be honest

3. Disclose wrong doing, (does not include spent convictions). But, if this will incriminate them.

4. Carry out and follow

5. Not to disclose the employer.

6. Work with reasonable care and skill

7. Look after the employers property if using it

8. Not to compete in business against, the employer while still working for them as an employee

9. Not to take bribes

10. Be prepared to change when the job changes11. Give an inventions to employer if the employee develops these during their employment.

Duties of Employers to Employees

Duty to pay

Duty to provide work

Self working condition

Employment opportunities

Work securities

Physical welfare

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