Ethics in The Workplace

ETHICS IN THE WORKPLACE
DR GISMO V AGULAN
WORKPLACE ETHICS- THE BASICS
 ETHIC- "The body of
moral principles or
values governing or
distinctive of a
particular culture or
group" or "A complex of
moral precepts held or
rules of conduct
followed by an
individual".
 It has been said that
having ethics is doing
the right or moral
thing when no one is
looking.
 Ethics is a personal
choice and therefore,
how workplace ethics
are governed depends
upon the personal
ethics of those who
are in authority over
that workplace and
also those who work
in that environment.
WORKPLACE ETHICS- PERSONAL
STANDARDS
 Workplace ethics are
an extension of the
personal standards or
lack of them that is
inherent in the people
who make up the
workplace.
STANDARDS
 With all of the news and
attention upon those
who have proven that
they were devoid of
moral ethics in the way
that they conducted
their business, it
behooves us to look at
the basis for ethics that
will stand the test and
the trial of temptation
STANDARDS
 in a world that seems
to reward the "shady
deal." It seems that
the current worldview
deems that the only
wrong thing about
shady business
dealings and immoral
workplace ethics is in
getting "caught."
ETHICS
 “Ethics is the practical
science of the
morality of human
conduct. . . . man’s
actions,… According to
Plato, ethics is the
supreme science, the
highest in the history
of human values. …
WORKPLACE ETHICS-DOES THE
BIBLE GIVE ANY GUIDANCE?
 The Bible gives us
several principles
that can be applied to
workplace ethics. We
will look at two.
 The first is found in 1
Corinthians 4:2: "Now
it is required that
those who have been
given a trust must
prove faithful (NIV)."
The idea here is one of
a position of
responsibility and of
submission to
authority.
 Each person is given a
responsibility and we
are to be "faithful" in
that trust.
 The word "faithful" is
translated from the
Greek word "pistis"
and it means to be
steadfast to one’s
word or promises,
worthy to be believed,
trustworthy, and
having dependable
speech.
 It is very interesting
that we find this same
word used to depict
the faithfulness of
God.
 "Faithful is He that
calleth you, who also
will do it" (1
Thessalonians 5:24,
KJV). This same word
is used for the
character of God and
it therefore should be
seen in those who are
His children.
 The conclusion is that
the basis for
workplace ethics is
that those in the
workplace, both
employer and
employee, should see
their lives as being a
steward who is
responsible to govern
 their actions by the
viewpoint and the
model of God's
faithfulness.
 The other principle is
found in a passage in
Ephesians. "Slaves,
obey your earthly
masters with respect
and fear, and with
sincerity of heart, just
as you would obey
Christ.
 Obey them not only to
win their favor when
their eye is on you, but
like slaves of Christ,
doing the will of God
from your heart.
 Serve wholeheartedly,
as if you were serving
the Lord, not men,
because you know
that the Lord will
reward everyone for
whatever good he
does, whether he is
slave or free.
 And masters, treat
your slaves in the
same way. Do not
threaten them, since
you know that he who
is both their Master
and yours is in
heaven, and there is
no favoritism with
him" (Ephesians 6:5-9,
NIV).
 This is not a forum
about slavery but about
personal responsibility
in regard to workplace
ethics. We can use
principles found in this
passage to apply to the
relationship between
the employer and the
employee.
 An employee should
be obedient and
respectful of their
employers and
employers should
treat their employees
in view of the fact that
they are both servants
of the same Master.
 These instructions are
given to believers and
this is the minimum
requirement for
obedience to God.
 Both the employee
and the employer are
responsible to treat
each other in a
manner consistent
with the brotherhood
of one child of God to
another.
 We can then conclude
that good, moral
workplace ethics are
a result of a faithful
stewardship of
authority and faithful
obedience to the
divine principles
found in the Word of
God.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Workplace ethics are
codes of conduct that
influence the
development of an
ethical culture within
the workplace.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 workplace ethics
inspire communication
between employees,
allow for respect to be
extended to each
person within the
organization, and
promote customer
relationships that are
based on honesty and
integrity.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 While there are core
elements that tend to
define a work-based
code of ethics, the
specific expressions
of these central
values vary from one
corporate setting to
the next.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO AN
EFFECTIVE ETHICS PROGRAM
 Recruiting and
retaining top-quality
people;
 Fostering a more
satisfying and
productive working
environment;
 Building and
sustaining your
association’s
reputation within the
communities in which
you operate;
 Maintaining the trust

of members to ensure
continued self-
 Legitimizing open
discussion of ethical
issues;
 Providing ethical
guidance and
resources for
employees prior to
making difficult
decisions; and
 Aligning the work
efforts of staff with the
association’s broader
mission and vision.
THE FUNCTIONS OF AN ETHICS
PROGRAM
 Essentially, ethics
programs are meant
to affect how people
think about and
address ethical
issues that arise on
the job.
PROGRAM
 Gretchen Winter, vice
president of business
practices at Baxter
International, puts it
this way: By providing
employees with ethics
standards, training,
and resources to get
advice,
PROGRAM
 organizations seek to
create a work
environment where (1)
it’s okay for
employees to
acknowledge that
they have an ethical
dilemma,
PROGRAM
 (2) resources are
readily available to
guide employees in
working through such
dilemmas before
making decisions.
THE FUNCTIONS OF ETHICS
PROGRAM
 “It’s fine to have a
structure that tells
people they need to
report it when
someone does
something wrong,”
says Winter.
PROGRAM
 “But that’s not the main
reason to have an ethics
program.” Winter
believes that ethical
guidelines, in the form of
policies and practices,
“give employees the
basic tools they need to
take informed risks on
behalf of their
organizations.”
PROGRAM
 Her language is
intentional. At a time
when many
organizations are
embracing “risk-
taking,” she points out
that all executives
should view ethics as
more than a way to
simply reduce risks.
PROGRAM
 Rather, ethical
guidelines benefit
organizations by
steering employees
away from ethical
risk-taking (TAKE LIFE)
and into more
productive and
appropriate kinds of
risk-taking.
PROGRAM
 “Ethics programs
cannot prevent all
misconduct from
occurring,” says Ken
Johnson, an ethics
consultant and
colleague at the
Ethics Resource
Center.
PROGRAM
 “Even in the best-run
and most ethical
organizations, there
are always a few
employees who
willfully break the
rules.”
PROGRAM
 In such cases, there is
no substitute for clear
procedures and
sanctions. But the real
function of an ethics
program “is to allow
basically good people
to do the right thing
and succeed.”
PROGRAM
 According to Johnson,
this is the essence of
a healthy work
environment. People
need to be sensitive to
ethical issues on the
job, but they also must
trust their
organizations enough
to raise them.
ORGANIZATIONAL ETHICS
 Sets of formal and
informal standards of
conduct that people
use to guide their
behavior at work.
 These standards are
partly based on core
values such as
honesty, respect, and
trust, but they also can
be learned directly
from the actions of
others.
 For example, what
people see their
organizational
leaders, managers,
and coworkers do on
the job can influence
their own views of
what is acceptable or
unacceptable
behavior.
ETHICS PROGRAM
 The formal policies,
practices, and
processes that
organizations develop
to deal with their own
ethical issues.
TIPS ON ESTABLISHING ETHICS
PROGRAM
 Establishing an ethics
program is not an
exact science. As with
the development of
other organizational
programs, it involves
the input, interaction,
cooperation,
decision-making, and
ongoing commitment
of many people.
PROGRAM
 Proper planning is
important, but the
effectiveness of any
association’s
approach also
depends on
characteristics that
are unique to its
culture, the
leadership style of the
executive director
PROGRAM
 and executive team,
the association’s
relationship with its
board of directors,
and so on. In addition,
discussion of
workplace ethics can
raise sensitive issues.
PROGRAM
 Some people in your
organization may have
difficulty or be
uncomfortable
discussing these
issues.
PROGRAM
 Why might good
people in this
organization do
unethical things?
 What are our

organization’s values?
PROGRAM
 Why might good Have
we adequately
articulated these
values internally and
externally?
 Does our organization

have written ethics
policies, procedures,
or structures?
PROGRAM
 To whom is our
organization
accountable?
 What do we mean by
“success”?
 Does the leadership of
our organization
support the idea of an
ethical workplace?
WHAT IS ETHICS?
 In its simplest
definition, ethics is
knowing what is good
and bad, right or
wrong, and then
establishing a set of
principles which are
accepted to be
morally correct by a
particular group or
community.
WHAT IS ETHICS?
 However, when it
comes to workplace
ethic, it is not as
simple as stealing-is-
not-allowed thing.
WHAT IS ETHICS?
 Ethics in the
workplace typically
wrests on the
fundamental
foundations of a
business, e.g. goals,
products, services, yet
not limited to these.
WORKPLACE ETHICS BEGINNING
 Although workplace
ethics became a topic
brewing debates and
with increasing
popularity it is not a
20th century
phenomenon.
 In fact, it was Cicero
who first discussed
this topic some 2,000
years ago, in his book
"On Duties".
 Managers and
executives only
revolutionized ethics
in the workplace as
commerce became
more complex and
dynamic, and because
of the social
responsibility
movement that began
in the 1960's.
BENEFITS IN MANAGING
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Some organizations
are led to think
workplace ethics is
simply a moral, and
even religious, issue.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Thus, it's good to know
that efforts to
establish ethics in the
workplace prove to
have measurable and
indirect benefits to an
entire organization.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Attention to
workplace ethics has
improved society
significantly.
Decades ago, even
children up to the age
17 were forced to work
longer hours in a day;
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 workers worked till
they were physically
worn out, and the
incapacitated were
condemned to
starvation and
poverty.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Additionally, market
prices control was
rampant and held only
by a few, killing small
businesses and
crippled natural
economic forces.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 These and many more
unreasonable and
inhuman conditions
brought society to
react and demand for
fairness and equality.
Thus were born what
is now called ethics in
the workplace.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Ethics programs allow
morality to prevail
even in turbulent
times.
ethics program gives

staff members and the
management with a
headlight on the right
things to do.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Ethics programs
promote teamwork
and productivity.
Ethics programs put
employees in tune
with the top priority
ethical values in your
organization, thereby
helping build
openness, integrity,
and community,
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 which are critical to
building strong bonds
within teams.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Ethics programs aim
to support employee
growth and self-worth
A study revealed that

emotionally healthier
executives perform
better in their posts.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Likewise, employees
who are given clear-
cut company ethical
guidelines are more
confident to do their
jobs and deal with any
challenges in the
workplace.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Ethics programs set
policies as legal.
There is an increasing
number of lawsuits
regarding personnel
matters that affect a
company's products
and services, and
many of these are
ironically avoidable.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Ethical principles are
legal entirely legal
matters which are
then applied to ethical
issues in the
workplace to become
legislations. Legal
policies are easier to
enforce with lesser or
no reactions coming
from employees.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 Workplace ethics set
the standard for right
and wrong, making
policies more
efficient and the
workplace more
orderly.
WORKPLACE ETHICS
 If ethics programs in
your workplace have
become dull and
toothless, it's
probably time you
remodel your program
for the good of your
organization.
HOW DOES TIME MANAGEMENT RELATE
TO ETHICS IN THE WORKPLACE
 Ethics in the
workplace are a set of
principles consisting
of “right conduct”
which involves the
basic moral
principles of honesty
and integrity.
 That means no lying,

cheating, or stealing.
Some companies may
have standards of
acceptable behavior
written out, but in
other companies the
employees follow
along with what they
see those above them
doing.
 Stealing and lying are

unacceptable ethics in
the work place, as they
are anyplace else. Even
though it may be
common practice to
take pencils, paper,
coffee, creamer
packets, and so on, this
is technically stealing
from the company
 Stealing from a
company on a larger
scale, like taking
company tools, or
embezzling of funds
will ultimately lead to
dismissal of an
employee and
prosecution as well.
 What does this have to

do with time
management? Before
that question can be
answered, we must
ask another one. To
whom does your time
belong while you are
at work?.
 The obvious answer is,

to the company. You
have contracted that
you will work for so
many hours a day, and
the company will pay
you an agreed upon
sum of money.
 So, if an employee
were to do his own
thing on company
time rather than
taking care of
company business,
would he not be
stealing?
 Since stealing is
considered to be an
improper ethic for the
workplace, why
should stealing of
time be considered as
anything other than
unacceptable
behavior?
 How can a person

steal time?
Consistently arriving
late for work a few
minutes every day and
quitting work a few
minutes early is
stealing time.
 Perhaps a person is at
his work station when
he is supposed to be,
but wastes time by not
starting right away,
and quits working to
just sit around waiting
for quitting time.
 Taking and making

personal phone calls
is another way of
stealing company
time. While some
companies have
written policies in
these matters, others
do not (TEXTING,
FACEBOOK, EMAIL).
 However if a person
takes ethics in the
workplace seriously,
he will give to the
company the hours
required, putting
himself whole-
heartedly into the job,
without the stealing of
time.
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
 The Bible says, “You
who are slaves must
accept the authority
of your masters. Do
whatever they tell
you--not only if they
are kind and
reasonable, but even
if they are harsh.
 For God is pleased
with you when, for the
sake of your
conscience, you
patiently endure
unfair treatment” (1
Peter 2:18-19).
 “You slaves must obey
your earthly masters
in everything you do.
Try to please them all
the time, not just when
they are watching you.
Obey them willingly
because of your
reverent fear of the
Lord.
 Work hard and
cheerfully at whatever
you do, as though you
were working for the
Lord rather than for
people. Remember that
the Lord will give you an
inheritance as your
reward, and the Master
you are serving is Christ”
(Colossians 3:22-24).
ETHICAL VALUES FOR BUSINESS
SUCCESS
 Ethics is based on a
set of moral and
ethical values. These
values must be
absolute - that is, you
must take them
seriously enough to
override any human
rationalization,
weakness, ego, or
personal faults.
SUCCESS
 Considering the rash
of corporate scandals
these days, the
thought of following
the corporation's
values might not be
too comforting.
Problem: Whose or
what values can you
trust? (HELICOPTER
DEAL)
SUCCESS
 Look behind successful,
honest businesses and
you will see a set of
values that have stood
the test of time. Think
about how these values
are communicated in
your organization and
what you can do to
support them.
SUCCESS
 HONESTY. The old
adage, "honesty is the
best policy" is true
today more than ever.
 It's not just lip service

(PROTECT AND TO
SERVE).
SUCCESS
 Employee manuals
from most
scandalized
corporations are
likely to contain
slogans touting its
commitment to
honesty. Claiming to
be honest in an
employee manual is
passé.
SUCCESS
 You're either honest
or not. Even if you
haven't got caught yet,
most people know
who is and who isn't.
SUCCESS
 INTEGRITY. Integrity
connotes strength
and stability.
 It means taking the

high road by
practicing the highest
ethical standards.
SUCCESS
 Demonstrating
integrity shows
completeness and
soundness in your
character and in your
organization.
SUCCESS
 RESPONSIBILITY.
Blaming others,
claiming victimhood,
or passing the buck
may solve short-term
crises, but refusal to
take responsibility
erodes respect and
cohesion in an
organization.
SUCCESS
 Ethical people take
responsibility for their
actions.
 Likewise, actions
show the ability to be
responsible both in
the little and big
things.
SUCCESS
 QUALITY. Quality
should be more than
making the best
product, but should
extend to every aspect
of your work.
SUCCESS
 A person who
recognizes quality
and strives for it daily
has a profound sense
of self-respect, pride
in accomplishment,
and attentiveness that
affects everything.
SUCCESS
 From your memos to
your presentations,
everything you touch
should communicate
professionalism and
quality.
SUCCESS
 TRUST. There's no free
ride. Trust is hard to
earn and even harder
to get back after
you've lost it. Everyone
who comes in contact
with you or your
company must have
trust and confidence
in how you do
business.
SUCCESS
 RESPECT. Respect is
more than a feeling,
but a demonstration
of honor, value, and
reverence for
something or
someone. We respect
the laws, the people
we work with, the
company and its
assets, and ourselves.
SUCCESS
 TEAMWORK. Two or
more employees
together make a team.
It is a business
necessity to work
openly and
supportively in teams
whether formal or
informal.
SUCCESS
 LEADERSHIP. How many
hardworking, honest
employees have been
tainted and led astray
by corporate
leadership failings?
SUCCESS
 Managers and
executives should
uphold the ethical
standards for the
entire organization.
 A leader is out front

providing an example
that others will follow.
SUCCESS
 CORPORATE
CITIZENSHIP. A
foundational principle
for every company
should be to provide a
safe workplace, to
protect the
environment, and to
become good citizens
in the community.
SUCCESS
 SHAREHOLDER VALUE.
Without profitability,
there is no company.
 Every employee
should understand
how he or she fits into
the profitability
picture.
SUCCESS
 Everyone's common
goal should be to
build a strong,
profitable company
that will last.
DEVELOPING ETHICS IN THE
WORKPLACE
 First, management
must lead by example.
 Good ethics should be
most noticeable at the
top.
 Every employee must
be accountable to the
same rules.
WORKPLACE
 Second, a corporate
values or ethics
initiative must be
"sold" and "marketed"
aggressively
throughout a
company.
WORKPLACE
 Every forum and
medium should be
used to spread the
good message.
 Of course, it will only

be credible if the
company is practicing
what it preaches.
WORKPLACE
 Third, training must be
provided to get
everyone on the same
page.
 It's easy to ignore a
motivational speech
or pass by a poster,
but spending time
learning about the
issues will have a
lasting impact.
WORKPLACE
 Fourth, both you and
the company must be
in it for the long haul.
The ethics fervor
should extend to the
next generation of
employees. The
longer it lasts, the
more ingrained the
principles will
become.
WORK ETHIC
 Work ethic is a set of
values based on hard
work and diligence. It
is also a belief in the
moral benefit of work
and its ability to
enhance character. An
example would be the
Protestant work ethic.
WORK ETHIC
 A work ethic may
include being reliable,
having initiative, or
pursuing new skills.
WORK ETHIC
 ENERGY
 ENTHUSIASM
 WHOLE HEARTEDNESS
 GOING THE EXTRA MILE
WHAT IS YOUR QQS RATING?
 QUALITY
 QUANTITY
 SERVICE
DEVELOP THE RIGHT WORK
ATTITUDE
 Develop a personal
trademark
 Strive to make a
difference
 Become people-
oriented
DEVELOP THE RIGHT WORK
ATTITUDE
 Be positive oriented
 Develop a sense of
humor
 Be humble
 Develop self-respect
GOOD PERSONAL VALUES
 Workers exhibiting a
good work ethic in
theory should be
selected for better
positions, more
responsibility and
ultimately promotion.
GOOD PERSONAL VALUES
 Workers who fail to
exhibit a good work
ethic may be regarded
as failing to provide
fair value for the
wage the employer is
paying them and
should not be
promoted or placed in
positions of greater
responsibility.
GOOD PERSONAL VAULES
 Good personal values
are what makes the
foundation for a good
employee.
 Internships are an
excellent time to show
employers that you
have the personal
traits that they value
in their employees.
 Do not make the mistake
of missing the
opportunity to show
your supervisors at your
internship that you have
what it takes to be
successful on the job as
well as possessing the
personal
characteristics they
value.
 An internship is an
opportunity to learn
the skills and
behaviors along with
the work values that
are required for
success in the
workplace.
IMPORTANT VALUES FOR SUCCESS
 1. Strong Work Ethic
 Employers value
employees who
understand and
possess a willingness
to work hard. In
addition to working
hard it is also
important to work
smart.
 This means learning
the most efficient way
to complete tasks and
finding ways to save
time while completing
daily assignments. It’s
also important to care
about your job and
complete all projects
while maintaining a
positive attitude.
 Doing more than is
expected on the job is
a good way to show
management that you
utilize good time
management skills
and don’t waste
valuable company
time attending to
personal issues not
related to the job.
 Downsizing in today’s
job market is quite
common so it’s
important to
recognize the
personal values and
attributes employers
want to improve your
chances of job
security should a
layoff occur.
 2. Dependability and
Responsibility
 Employers value
employees who come
to work on time, are
there when they are
suppose to be, and are
responsible for their
actions and behavior.
 It’s important to keep
supervisors abreast of
changes in your
schedule or if you are
going to be late for
any reason. This also
means keeping your
supervisor informed
on where you are on
all projects you have
been assigned.
 Being dependable and
responsible as an
employee shows your
employer that you
value your job and that
you are responsible in
keeping up with
projects and keeping
them informed of the
things that they should
know about.
 3. Possessing a
Positive Attitude.
 Employers seek
employees who take
the initiative and have
the motivation to get
the job done in a
reasonable period of
time.
 A positive attitude
gets the work done
and motivates others
to do the same
without dwelling on
the challenges that
inevitably come up in
any job.
 It is the enthusiastic
employee who
creates an
environment of good
will and who provides
a positive role model
for others.
 A positive attitude is
something that is
most valued by
supervisors and co-
workers and that also
makes the job more
pleasant and fun to go
to each day.
 4. Adaptability
 Employers seek
employees who are
adaptable and
maintain flexibility in
completing tasks in
an ever changing
workplace.
 Being open to change
and improvements
provides an opportunity
to complete work
assignments in a more
efficient manner while
offering additional
benefits to the
corporation, the
customer, and even the
employee.
 While oftentimes
employees complain
that changes in the
workplace don’t make
sense or makes their
work harder,
oftentimes these
complaints are due to
a lack of flexibility.
 Adaptability also
means adapting to the
personality and work
habits of co-workers
and supervisors.
 Each person
possesses their own
set or strengths and
adapting personal
behaviors to
accommodate others
is part of what it takes
to work effectively as
a team.
 5. Honesty and
Integrity
 Employers value
employees who
maintain a sense of
honesty and integrity
above all else.
 Good relationships
are built on trust.
 When working for an

employer they want to
know that they can
trust what you say and
what you do.
 Successful
businesses work to
gain the trust of
customers and
maintain the attitude
that “the customer is
always right”.
 It is the responsibility
of each person to use
their own individual
sense of moral and
ethical behavior when
working with and
serving others within
the scope of their job.
 6. Self – Motivated
 Employers look for
employees who
require little
supervision and
direction to get the
work done in a timely
and professional
manner.
 Supervisors who hire
self-motivated
employees do
themselves an
immense favor. For
self-motivated
employees require
very little direction
from their
supervisors.
 Once a self-motivated
employee
understands his/her
responsibility on the
job, they will do it
without any prodding
from others.
 Employers can do
their part by offering a
safe, supportive, work
environment that
offers employees an
opportunity to learn
and grow.
 Working in a
supportive work
environment and
taking the initiative to
be self-directive will
provide employees
with a better sense of
accomplishment and
increased self-
esteem.
 7. Motivated to Grow &
Learn
 In an ever-changing
workplace, employers
seek employees who
are interested in
keeping up with new
developments and
knowledge in the field.
 It has been noted that
one of the top reasons
employees leave their
employers is the lack
of opportunity for
career development
within the
organization.
 Learning new skills,
techniques, methods,
and/or theories
through professional
development helps
keep the organization
at the top of its field
and makes the
employee's job more
interesting and
exciting.
 Keeping up with
current changes in
the field is vital for
success and
increased job
security.
 8. Strong Self –
Confidence
 Self-confidence has
been recognized as
the key ingredient
between someone
who is successful and
someone who is not.
 A self – confident
person is someone
who inspires others. A
self-confident person
is not afraid to ask
questions on topics
where they feel they
need more
knowledge.
 They feel little need to
have to impress
others with what they
know since they feel
comfortable with
themselves and don’t
feel they need to know
everything.
 The self-confident
person does what
he/she feels is right
and is willing to take
risks.
 Self- confident people

can also admit their
mistakes.
 They recognize their
strengths as well as
their weaknesses and
are willing to work on
the latter. Self-
confident people have
faith in themselves
and their abilities
which is manifested in
their positive attitude
and outlook on life.
 9. Professionalism
 Employers value
employees who
exhibit professional
behavior at all times.
Professional behavior
includes learning
every aspect of a job
and doing it to the
best of one’s ability.
 Professionals look,
speak, and dress
accordingly to
maintain an image of
someone who takes
pride in their behavior
and appearance.
 Professionals
complete projects as
soon as possible and
avoid letting
uncompleted projects
pile up. Professionals
complete high quality
work and are detail
oriented.
 Professional behavior
includes all of the
behavior above in
addition to providing a
positive role model for
others. Professionals
are enthusiastic
about their work and
optimistic about the
organization and its
future.
 To become a
professional you must
feel like a
professional and
following these tips is
a great start to getting
to where you want to
go.
 10. Loyalty
 Employers value
employees they can
trust and who exhibit
their loyalty to the
company. Loyalty in
the workforce has
taken on a new
meaning.
 Gone are the days when
employees plan on starting
out and retiring with the
same company. It is said
that most people will hold
between 8 – 12 jobs
throughout their career.
What does this mean in
terms of loyalty in today’s
workforce?
 Companies offering
employee growth and
opportunity will
ultimately gain a
sense of loyalty from
their employees.
 Employees today want
to feel a sense of
satisfaction in their
jobs and will do a
good job when they
feel that the employer
is fair and wants to
see them succeed.
 Although this may
mean only staying for
five or ten years in a
position, employees
can offer loyalty and
make an important
contribution during
their time with the
company.
 More companies
today encourage
employee feedback
and offer employees
an opportunity to lead
in their area of
expertise. This gives
employees a greater
sense of satisfaction
and a sense of control
over their job.
 Empowerment
encourages
employees to do their
best work since
companies are
displaying a trust and
expectation that they
believe in their
employees to do a
good job.
 Offering jobs that
encourage learning
and the development
of new skills also
gives employees a
sense of
empowerment in the
workplace.
 Aligning an
employees values
with the goals of the
organization will
foster loyalty and a
bond between
employer and
employee.
 Fostering good
relationships within
an organization and
offering constructive
ways to handle
conflict provides a
win – win situation for
both employer and
employee.
ETHICS
 Ethics is defined as a
system of moral
principles that pertain
to a group, whether it
is cultural, religious
or a place of business.
WORKPLACE VALUES
 Workplace values can
be defined as a code
of conduct or
expectations about
the employee's
behavior or actions in
the organization.
VALUES
 Values are the
building blocks of any
organization.
Workplace ethics
include
characteristics such
as honesty, respect
for others, dealing
justly with individuals
inside and outside of
the company,
VALUES
 a caring and
considerate attitude, as
well as good citizenship
which includes a regard
for the rights of others
as well as a positive
and enthusiastic
attitude about work, and
personal responsibility
for one's actions,
ADVICE TO LEADERS/EMPLOYERS
 Employers must do
their part to make
ethical expectations
clear and trust the
employee to deliver.
They also recognize
the importance of
ethical behavior.
 The best leaders
exhibit both their
values and their
ethics in their
leadership style and
actions.
 True leadership
involves exhibiting
the company's ethics
and values in daily
actions, whether they
are in the workplace
or not.
COMPANY MANAGEMENT
 Company
management must
ensure the work place
ethics policy is
understood by the
employees.
COMPANY MANAGEMENT
 Exposure to multiple
training methods over
the course of a year
has a significantly
greater impact on
favorable outcomes
than does exposure to
a single method.
COMPANY MANAGEMENT
 A company must have
a written code of
conduct for all the
employees to know
what is acceptable
and what is
unacceptable
behavior.
COMPANY MANAGEMENT
 Regular discussions
or seminars on the
subject of business
ethics and business
etiquette should be
presented to all levels
of employees.
COMPANY MANAGEMENT
 Carry out role playing
exercises by using
real life situations to
make the ethics
training program
interesting and
encourage active
participation.
TEN COMMANDMENTS OF WORK
ETHICS
 The First
Commandment - Thou
shalt not criticize thy
boss.
The boss is always
right.
ETHICS
 Okay, he or she might
be an insufferable
lout, but as long as
you are working with
them, they are always
right. The most
judicious employee
will remain good in
the books of the
employer.
ETHICS
 However, with
changing times,
bosses are becoming
more accessible to
their employees.
Some of them even
love taking inputs
from their workers
and improve their
businesses.
ETHICS
 But, it is advisable to
keep your mouth shut
till asked. Another
thing to avoid is
maligning your boss
and indulging in back-
speak in the office
cafeteria.
ETHICS
 The Second
Commandment - Thou
shalt not rub thy
colleagues the wrong
way.
Gone are the days
when people were not
even interested in
what was going on in
their next cubicle.
ETHICS
 Today, you cannot
avoid befriending
your colleagues at
your workplace. Just
be sure that you do
not indulge in
activities that create a
bad impression of
yourself on your
colleagues.
ETHICS
 Folks at work can
hamper your own
prospects nowadays.
Put in a genuine good
word when they
deserve it, and do not
criticize when they
err. That way you will
never go wrong.
ETHICS
 The Third
Commandment - Thou
shalt not comment on
thy colleagues'
personal affairs.
Respect your
colleagues' private
space and they will
respect yours.
ETHICS
 Do not read their
personal chats over
their shoulder and do
not be interested in
their mail that is
directed to the
workplace.
ETHICS
 Even if a colleague
breaks out about their
family affairs or
romantic
shenanigans with you,
try not to be over-
zealous in offering
advice.
ETHICS
 The Fourth
Commandment - Thou
shalt not compare
thyself with thy
colleagues.
This breach of ethics
in the workplace has
happened ever since
Cain and Abel started
farming for their
father Adam.
ETHICS
 That means, you
should not compare
yourself with how
others work. Don't
ever begin cribbing
with your employers
when someone gets a
promotion and you
don't. It will certainly
happen with you if you
deserve it.
ETHICS
 The Fifth
Commandment - Thou
shalt not be a nosey
parker.
In today's workplace
environment, one of
the biggest work
ethics is to keep your
nose stuck in your
own affairs.
ETHICS
 Do not involve
yourself in
assignments meant
for others, and never
show off that you can
do a particular job
better than them.
Instead, try excelling
in the work assigned
to you.
ETHICS
 If you show off your
superiority to others,
your colleagues will
think of you as too
pompous, and your
boss might even
reprimand you for not
sticking with your own
work.
ETHICS
 The Sixth
Commandment - Thy
attire shalt speak for
itself.
The workplace garb
has changed
drastically in recent
times, and the Friday
jeans have come into
the weekdays too.
ETHICS
 But that doesn't mean
you will dress up like
a pantaloon to work.
Keep your attire
matching your status,
and do not break the
dress code of work,
however flimsy it
might be.
ETHICS
 It helps when you are
dealing with outside
clients. Keeping semi-
formal attire at least
is the need of the day.
ETHICS
 The Seventh
Commandment - Thou
shalt not bring thy
family in thy
workplace.
It is ridiculous to
speak about your
family to your
colleagues.
ETHICS
 Everyone has a family,
and they are most
interested in what
happens with their
folks, but it is nothing
short of moronic to
discuss your family
woes at the
workplace.
ETHICS
 An unwritten rule of
workplace ethics is
that you will never
bring your family
visiting your
workplace, unless
they are invited.
ETHICS
 The Eighth Commandment -
Thou shalt invite thy
colleagues to thy
homestead.
You must keep your family
out of the workplace as
much as possible, but it is
good work ethics to invite
your colleagues over to
dinner sometime.
ETHICS
 The Ninth
Commandment - Thou
shalt take credit only
where it is due, and
shalt not be modest
about it.
When there's an
appraisal, make sure
your work gets
noticed.
ETHICS
 Inform the right
people that it is your
work in advance, so
that when the time
comes, you get the
nod. Do not be crass
about it, though. A
subtle approach is
required to make your
presence felt in the
workplace.
ETHICS
 At the same time, you
should always
acknowledge your
subordinates' good
work, especially if
they are creative
people working for
you. Creative minds
work better when fed
on praise. And that
works both ways.
ETHICS
 The Tenth
Commandment - Thou
shalt always keep
thyself informed.
The final rule of ethics
in the workplace is to
always be informed in
what is going on in
your business.
ETHICS
 It does not pay if you
are the one always
sitting mute below the
corner in the front
office, or if you are the
one dozing
shamelessly when a
business talk is going
on.
ETHICS
 People will think
funny about you if you
suddenly pop up and
ask them what's going
on. If you are informed
about your workplace
affairs, it will also help
you to behave better
and put up a generally
good impression at
the workplace.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS IN THE
WORKPLACE
 Protects Fundamental
Rights
 When companies and
workers think of
workplace ethics, they
typically think about
protection against
immoral behavior and
illegal activity on the
job.
WORKPLACE
 But workplace ethics
also provide
protection of basic
human rights in the
office worldwide.
WORKPLACE
 According to Go Pinoy,
employers in the
Philippines forced
children as young as
17 to work until they
were exhausted, and
those who were
disabled once had no
choice but to live in
poverty.
WORKPLACE
 Protects Company
Assets
 Workplace ethical
standards protect the
company from
employees stealing
property and
falsifying documents,
such as expense
reports,
WORKPLACE
 Ethics also protect an
organization from
employees taking sick
leave for vacation
days, taking extended
breaks or using office
equipment for
personal projects.
WORKPLACE
 The key to protecting
company assets is to
value employee
contributions and
treat workers fairly,
decently and with
dignity and respect.
WORKPLACE
 Employees who are
proud of what they do
for the company and
feel their jobs are
important to
accomplishing the
organization's
mission are less likely
to steal from their
employers.
WORKPLACE
 Provides Emotional
Security
 Workplace ethics
provide emotional
security because
employees can go to
work knowing other
workers won't harass
them, their
supervisors will
respect both them
WORKPLACE
 and their work and
their co-workers will
reap disciplinary
measures if they steal
supplies or equipment
or falsify company
records, according to
the Global Ethics
University.
WORKPLACE
 Ultimately, either
disciplined
employees will learn
from their mistakes
and upgrade their
ethical standards or
the company will
dismiss them.
WORKPLACE
 Promotes Teamwork
 Organizations
typically find a "gap"
between the values
they want their
employees to emulate
and the behaviors
they actually reflect,
says the Free
Management Library.
WORKPLACE
 Consequently,
workplace ethics
programs align
behaviors of workers
with the values of
their employers. This
"meeting of the
minds" fosters an
atmosphere of
openness, trust
WORKPLACE
 and partnership, all of
which are critical for
team building. And
when employees
understand their
supervisors'
expectations, they
feel strongly
motivated to excel at
their jobs.
WORKPLACE
 Fosters a Positive
Public Image
 Work ethics radiate in
the public eye.
WORKPLACE
 Values and Ethics in
the Workplace
 Many times a person
find their personal,
cultural and/or
organizational ethics
conflicting and must
reconcile a course of
action that will
mitigate cognitive
dissonance.
WORKPLACE
 In order to be a
productive member of
society, in small
groups and globally,
one must reconcile
these conflicts on a
daily basis and
continually move
forward while
maintaining personal
integrity and balance.
WORKPLACE
 Values and ethics are
a part of our everyday
lives. We wake up to
these values and
beliefs each day as
they are the "rules"
that govern
us. Instilled since
childhood by our own
parents and society,
WORKPLACE
 once these values and
beliefs take hold, it is
not easy to change
them.
WORKPLACE
 Morals also relate to
values and beliefs in
that they help us
determine what is
right or wrong and
how we as individuals
should behave.
WORKPLACE
 We say that our
conscience
delineates between
right and wrong
regardless of what the
law/regulation
indicates ought to be
done.
WORKPLACE
 These are the main
beliefs that we try to
instill in our children
and expect from one
another. For example,
in our culture we
teach the "Golden
Rule", which states
that one should treat
others as one wants to
be treated.
WORKPLACE
 Some cultures may
not agree with this
sentiment and that is
when you must use
your moral judgment
to avoid falling into
the "When in Rome, do
as the Romans" trap.
WORKPLACE
 Using your moral

judgment, you may not
want to do as the
Romans in Rome,
whatever they may be
up to. Thus we come
to our first conflict of
personal moral
ethics.

Ethics in The Workplace

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Ethics in The Workplace

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ETHICS IN THE WORKPLACE

 Maintaining the trust

 What are our

 Does our organization

ethics program gives

A study revealed that

 That means no lying,

 Stealing and lying are

 What does this have to

 The obvious answer is,

 How can a person

 Taking and making

 It's not just lip service

 It means taking the

 A leader is out front

 Of course, it will only

 When working for an

 Self- confident people

 Using your moral

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