Ethics is about moral principles or values that guide the behaviour of individuals or people.
Every company has a culture; and thus specific ethics are required of employees in line with the company’s code of ethics. As an employee, you’re duty bound to know what ethical and unethical behaviours are allowed or not.
As an employer, you must employ based largely on values and ethics.
Negative work ethics
1.Lateness : In the longrun, being tardy retards your progress on the job. You should get to work on time. You have no excuse to be late; be it traffic or whatnot.
2.Absenteeism : People these days find false and ‘unreasonable’ reasons to absent themselves from work. When the time is up to lay off workers, rest assured your name will pop up.
3.Unnecessary surfing of the internet while in the office.A very big challenge in the corporate setting today is the surfing of the internet while it is time to work. You can’t expect to utilise your employer’s valuable time to surf social media or anything of your personal interest.
4. Leaking of company information.You have to learn to keep company information confidential. You have no business taking work issues outside the office. Whatever goes on in the office should remain there.
5. The use of employer’s asset for your personal business.Don’t use your employer’s materials; papers, pens, etc. for your PERSONAL BUSINESS. They are meant to be used for your employer’s job, not yours.
Positive work ethics
1.Punctuality.You are paid to work for specific hours. You don’t go to work late and be the first to leave. When you’re punctual, you position yourself well for carer advancement.
2. Hard work_work hard breaks no bones’, my headmistress used to say. Being a hard worker means achieving targets set for you. There are people who are busy and not productive. You should work productively hard.
3. Commitment and dedication : There are times you will be given tasks you’re not enthused about. But that is a test of your commitment. If you want to set yourself up for promotion, you need to be committed to your work, and employer.
4. Speed and efficiency : You have to learn to work within whichever time limit is given you. Delaying on the job is a lost in productivity, and that is a cost to your company. Being speedy doesn’t mean working haphazardly. You can be speedy and efficient as well.
5. Proactive Employers don’t fancy employees who seek to be told everything there is to be done. As much as is within your limit of authority, be initiative. Bring on board better and more efficient ways of working. Better still, you can ask for permission from your boss before embarking on any initiative.
6. Adaptability : The notion of ‘job for life’ is giving way to versatility and dynamism. If you can’t fit into various roles, you may be stifling your career progress. You should be able to do more than one job.
7. Willingness to learn : There are some employees who are unwilling to learn. They loathe being corrected. My pastor used to say, ‘If you don’t want to be corrected, you are not correct.’ If you don’t learn, you will hurt your career.
8. Professionalism : Do the job, right. Dress well and comport yourself in public.
