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

1. 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
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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

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,

7. Organizational skillsEmployers 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.
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Spend Time Wisely

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.

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.

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

It deals with the term of

what is right and what is
wrong.
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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

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 selfrecognized 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.

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

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.

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.

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Wage
Government Obligation
Presidential Decree No. 442 or the
Common Government
labor code of the Philippines
Obligation under the right to
defines Wage.
remuneration or earning , capable
work
of of being expressed in terms of
Respect
money
protect
payable by employer or employee
fulfill each persons access to under a written or unwritten
contract of employment.
work
Wage and Salaries
Government must not destroy a
persons opportunity to earn his Wage is based on hours worked.
her living (obligation to respect)
Government must prevent hid Salaries is an amount paid for a
particular job.
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
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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

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-organizationinvolves 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 tenuresecurity of tenure mans the
right to be protected in his
employment and must be

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.

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 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.

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 changes
11. 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
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Physical welfare