Ethics at Workplace [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

ETHICS AT WORKPLACE: A TOOL FOR BEHVAIOUR MODIFICATION Prof.Seema Rawat Bunts Sangha’s S.M.Shetty college of Science, Commerce & Management Studies, Powai [email protected]. , Mob.No. 9892515272 / 976906557 ABSTRACT Ethical behaviour forms the basis of human life. Without this very important virtue, our life wouldn't have been any different from that of animals. Ethics are a core value of our society. They greatly influence the outcome of our every action, be it in domestic life or at work. Workplace ethics training is largely becoming popular as most of the organizations have understood their importance. Encouraging ethical behaviour at workplace has resulted in greater productivity in many organizations. Moreover, it also helps the employees to evolve into better human beings. In this paper an attempt has been made to address some ethical issues at workplace and tips to manage them. Paper focuses on some workplace ethics for employees as well as employer, which would be fruitful to develop ethical behaviour and make workplace a happy place to work. Key Words: Workplace ethics, Ethical issues, Employee ethics, Employer ethics

INTRODUCTION: Workplace ethics are a set of unspoken rules which everyone should adhere to for maintaining a productive environment at work. A lot of factors affect the workplace environment, most important being the lack of workplace ethics. With the world becoming a global village, diversity in the workplace has become a common feature. So, it becomes more important now than ever to promote workplace ethics in the organization. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 1. To study the various ethical issues at workplace. 2. To study remedial measures to overcome ethical issues at workplace. 3. To emphasis on ethical behaviour modification of employee and employer in workplace.

METHODOLOGY OF STUDY The descriptive research methodology has been used to collect the data. The study is mainly based on secondary data taken from various journals and articles, websites on Internet, review of past researches and other reports.

ETHICAL ISSUES AT WORKPLACE: 1. WORKPLACE PERSONALITY CONFLICTS In the workplace, it has been often seen that you get along nicely with some of your colleagues and with some, you have never ending conflicts. We often attribute these conflicts to the difference in individual personalities in the workplace. In the workplace, it becomes important to resolve personality conflicts to improve teamwork in the workplace. The ability to manage workplace conflicts is a core area of competency for leaders at all levels. If a manager is able to improve someone's personality in the workplace, he surely can get things done from them. Most of the organizations nowadays conduct a workplace personality test to evaluate the traits of their employees. 2. ETHICAL DILEMMA Ethical dilemma is an unpleasant situation which almost all of us experience at different times in life. Workplaces usually have definite patterns of action which may contrast with the ideologies of an employee or vice versa. This may result in an internal conflict in the employee resulting in confusion on what should be done and what shouldn’t. How to resolve ethical dilemma? When faced with an ethical dilemma where you just can't be sure of what is right and what is wrong, slow down and analyze the consequences of all the possible decisions that you can take and find out answer for the below questions for both the long and short run. 

Who all will be benefitted?

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Who all will be hurt?

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What all are the benefits?

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What all are the harms?

After considering the consequences, try to consider the most beneficial or practical course of action. Find out which principles are you ready to breach and which are the ones you’d never let go off and why. Then make a decision with minimum harm to your moral principles. 3. NEGATIVITY AT WORKPLACE Workplace negativity, a common issue which reduces productivity, raises stress levels and creates a bunch of really unhappy people. The most common reasons for negativity in the workplace are insufficient recognition for work, excessive workload and a lack in faith in management. If this negativity in the workplace is allowed to grow, it can start spreading its network, sprawling from one department to another. This surely is a cause of serious concern, therefore, efforts must be made for overcoming negativity in the workplace. Resolve Negativity in the Workplace  Identifying the Problem identifies the problem and the people who are harbouring such negative emotions about the workplace environment.  Communicate One person's negative vibes will be passed on to another and so on. The managers should step into the picture before it's too late. The managers must communicate with these employees and give an opportunity to express their opinion about workplace policies and procedures.  Rewards and Recognition pay attention to incentives for employees, it is surely a very effective tool in managing and overcoming negativity in the workplace.  Overcoming Negativity Efforts must be made by the management to inculcate positive attitude in the employees. Once the employees feel good about the organization they are a part of, negativity in the workplace will surely get diminished. Be motivated and motivate others. 4. ABSENTEEISM IN THE WORKPLACE Dealing with absenteeism in the workplace is a pain in the neck for any organization. As absenteeism in the workplace is a fast emerging problem across the globe, it's a challenge to come up with solutions on how to reduce absenteeism in the workplace. It may be due to high

level of stress, monotonous and boring work routine, dissatisfaction from the job etc. Handling such situations require tact and proper understanding of the problem underlying absenteeism. Ways to deal with absenteeism When trying to curb absenteeism, the organisation should operate both at general and specific levels. Some of the reasons of absenteeism can be curbed by making the workplace more employee-friendly. 

Ensure sufficient number of employees to carry out specific work in order to curb work overload and stress.

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Motivate employees by acknowledging their efforts and educate them on their role in the organisation. Educate employees on the link between their presence and productivity and give them rough statistics of the work lost due to absenteeism.

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Lead by example and cut down your leaves.

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Never turn down leave requests unceremoniously. Your employees may have serious issues to attend to. Always look closely at the situation before taking a stand. Modify your leave policy if required. Try to know the reason behind an employee's leave of

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absence. Acknowledge regularity and punctuality, and reward appropriately.

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Make provisions for maternity and paternity leaves as per rules.

5. WORKPLACE GOSSIP Gossip at work place is an integral part of every work culture. Workplace gossip typically includes from things as petty as the in and out timings of the person, whether the person sleeps or eats at his/her desk, whether he/she takes too many breaks, if he/she is approachable or not, to things as personal as if an employee is romantically involved in anyone,etc. Gossip is that one thing which is considered as entertaining as long as the gossip is about someone else. But when you are targeted with gossip at work it can be hurtful and shattering. Gossips about you at your work place can be very disturbing, upsetting and depressing. When

you are being gossiped about, be sure that people are either jealous of you or curious about your life. Effects of Workplace Gossip The Good Gossip represents a mean to exchange information, to communicate and to bond. Gossip in this sense is healthy. It helps you bond with your colleagues, reduce or releases stress but what makes gossip bad is if this information that is being shared is biased, judgmental, simply intentionally incorrect. It affect your reputation, affects quality of work, Can affect mental health of the person who is being subject to gossip. It is waste of time and energy. How to stay away from gossip?  No comments' strategy Workplace gossip is something you cannot avoid; because there is already too many people out there who are doing it. However, you can control your involvement in gossip. If someone gossips about someone to you, simply hear them out, but refrain from making any comments. Remember why the company hired you. They saw in you something that they did not see in the rest of the interviewees. Respect that, appreciate that, and live up to it every single day.  Share personal details only with trusted friends There are times you are in distress and all you want to do is speak it out to someone and lighten yourself. But please never do it with your office colleagues. Because, they are not your friends, they don't know you and your history well and moreover they don't really care. Better call up your best friend or talk it out with anyone at home.  Work = Competition Always remember that at work people are fighting with each other to reach the top before anyone else does. So, people will not really leave a chance to drop you down. They are those people who will be pleased when they see you fall than watch you succeed. This is a rule of thumb.

 Ignore it when you hear a lot of gossip about you, the best way to deal with it is by ignoring it.

People are going to say a thousand things, without knowing and assuring the truth behind it; you can't really stop them from doing so. So be it! Don’t bother and keep improving your work and skills while others are busy talking about you.

 Confront the gossiper if it crosses a limit don't stop yourself .If you get to know that someone is spreading some really crappy rumours about you and which are not true, confront that person. Find the gossiper alone and ask him/her to stop doing so. You can also confront him/her in front of everyone so that even others hear will you out.

6. OFFICE POLITICS

Office politics is something that goes on at every work place. People involved in office politics may consider it harmless without realizing, that it could cause severe harm to others, either by increasing their stress levels or triggering them to resign from their jobs. Ways to avoid politics at work  Be yourself

many people tend to wear a false mask of goody behaviour at office, to make an impression on others. Avoid doing such things and be who you are. Show people your real self so that they do not get an opportunity to talk behind your back.  Identify "The" Co-workers It is easy to identify co-workers who are involved in politics. Note their behaviour and try not to befriend them. so that, they know little about you to gossip with others. Ignore them when they seem to be interested in you because it might just be a trick to bring out information from you.  Be observant Even though, you keep yourself out of such activities, it is important to know what kind of politics is going around in your office. By being observant you can learn what's going on and prepare yourself to face a difficult situation.  Do what is right Make sure you are not influenced and stand for what you feel is right. This will let

such people know that you are no puppet and can take correct decisions for yourself and the organization.  Focus on your job Organizations hire employees to fulfil their job responsibilities and duties and not to sit back and gossip. Focusing on work will not only help you in achieving your targets but, also help you in climbing up the ladder of success.  Do not Criticize Even if you are filled with anger and want to drain out your frustration, try not to criticize anybody in front of someone else. Stay calm and do not let your ego control you.  Be Positive positive yourself and create a positive environment around you. Remain happy and energetic. Smile a lot! You never know, your positive attitude might help your colleague to come out of office politics blues. 7. VICTIM MENTALITY IN THE WORKPLACE Victim mentality is a behaviour in which an individual blames everyone and everything for his failures creating a sympathetic picture of himself in his mind. As the name suggests, individuals with victim mentality think of themselves as ‘victims’, whom the whole society has conspired to exploit. Dealing with victim mentality at work Individuals with victim mentality can pose a serious threat to the overall atmosphere of the workplace, which in turn can affect productivity. So, it is important for the good of both, the organization and your own personal self that you take corrective steps in this direction. If you feel that your boss is not giving you due recognition, instead of being silent, you should have a discussion with him and make him aware that this is impacting you. If you have colleagues who are highly critical of you, instead of being self-critical and feeling remorseful, you should have a word with them and put it across that you are not going to tolerate this kind of behaviour. You may not have a control on how things shape up in office or in life, but what you can control is the way you react to challenges. Feeling victimized is definitely not going to help and instead of blaming the situation for all your troubles, one should try and strive towards developing a more positive approach towards life. Getting rid of a victim mentality is

not an overnight thing and it will surely take time, but the important thing is that you put in your best effort. 8. QUEEN BEE SYNDROME The term queen bee syndrome applies to a woman who feels threatened by the progress of her female subordinates. To stop their progress she indulges in pulling them down by criticizing their work and by monitoring their work through a microscopic view. The woman with the syndrome takes all the effort to pull down her female junior workers and makes their life hell. Such unwanted behaviour can step from insecurity and jealousy. The woman who has this syndrome usually holds a position of power at the workplace. But even if she has the power, she feels threatened by the progress of other female subordinates and tries to pull them down. Healthy competition at the workplace is a very good sign but indulging in pulling someone down to achieve what you want is worst! It is the duty of the one who is at a managerial position to motivate those under him to do better and set higher goals to reach pinnacle of success. There are actually many female bosses who exhibit this attitude. This is the reason many women dread having a female as boss or manager. Women are known to be emphatic and understanding and they should stick to it rather than indulging in a bad and cruel attitude. This ruthless and cunning attitude of women at the workplace is something that needs to be addressed through training.

WORKPLACE ETHICS FOR EMPLOYEES:

1. COMMITMENT This is the most important of all ethics in the workplace, because your work is your god, while at office. Speaking on what are work ethics, commitment to the organization, to the team goal, to individual goal, ability to see the tasks through, staying on the job till it is finally done, being persistent in one's effort and being patient till the results are achieved all these are the hallmarks of an ethical person. 2. DEDICATION An ethical employee is the one who gives his best to his work and tries to do it in the most perfect manner.

3. LOYALTY You should always consider the interest of your organization before personal interest. By not revealing business secrets to competitors, by not bad mouthing the organization in front of customers, other employees or public in general, by doing one's work with full commitment and by following the rules and procedures laid out in the office manual, an employee shows that he is loyal towards the organization. 4. COURTESY You do not have to be courteous just towards your superiors and co-workers but also towards those who are working at a lower level than you are. If you are haughty and rude towards those who are working at a lower level than yours, people will not respect you as well. Keep in mind; if you want to be respected by people, you have to respect them.

5. ACCOUNTABILITY If some work has not yielded the desired result, an ethical employee does not blame others for it, he takes equal responsibility for it and tries his level best to make things right.

6.POSITIVE ATTITUDE An ethical employee displays a positive attitude. Ability to maintain one's calm, even in highly stressful situations or when the work pressure is immense, and maintaining a positive attitude that everything can be worked out well, makes one employee easier to work with than the other.

7. PUNTUALITY Punctuality is one of the most essential traits that the employers look for in an employee The way a person manages his time, tells a lot upon his character. By being punctual, a person shows that he values time and wants to make good use of it by working hard. 8. RESPECT PRIVACY

Peeking into co-workers cubicles from time to time and stealing glances at their computer screens is absolutely unacceptable. Moreover listening to their conversations and looking into their files is something that can make the co-worker furious. 9.WELCOME TO NEWCOMERS Being rude to the newcomers, creating problems for them, mocking them and giving them a hard time are some things you should never even dream of. You have to bear in mind that you are not in school anymore. Be courteous to the newcomers and help them whenever needed. 10. DON’T STEAL OTHERS CREDIT You can never truly succeed in your life if you steal other's credit or follow unethical practices to accomplish your task. When you are credited for some work, make sure that you do not take credit for someone else’s efforts. If you are being given undue credit, you must rectify it immediately by giving the credit where it is due. This will not affect you negatively rather your co-workers and superiors will appreciate the fact that you had the strength of character to give the credit where it is due. WORKPLACE ETHICS FOR EMPLOYER: There probably is no greater joy then realizing the fact that you control the fate of a few individuals and everything that they have chalked out in life depends on the monetary benefits you are providing them. However, it is also important to note that your role as an employer doesn’t end at paying them and extracting work from them. As your employees, they expect you to treat them with a certain degree of respect and dignity. The main strength of an organization does not lie in you or your idea but lies in the people who work for you. A happy workforce is a productive workforce. If you are an employer, who wants to inculcate ethical practices at his/her work place here are some of the things that are expected of you. 1. SERVANT LEADERSHIP Robert Greenleaf first defined and coined the term ‘servant leadership’. In simple words, it means the leader puts others before him, with an aim to achieve results for their organization by keeping in mind the needs of the people. An individual with traits like empathy, good listening skills, stewardship and a commitment to growth of others is a true servant leader. He

must put people first. He should be caring, have a genuine desire to serve and always remain mentor-minded. 2. TRANSPARENCY WHILE HIRING Oftentimes, it is seen that management hires unproductive and incompetent people due to personal interest of one or the other top management personnel. Since, employees are an asset for any organization, unfair hiring practices inflict a lasting damage to the organization in the long run. 3. EQUALITY TOWARDS ALL EMPLOYEE The organization should not discriminate employees based on any ground. All employees should be treated as equal irrespective of their age, gender, religion, colour, nationality, etc. The management should not have its favourite 'handpicked' employees in the organization. Similarly, they should also not hold grudges against some employees due to personal conflicts. Employee's performance and productivity should be considered as the only parameters for an appraisal or promotion. 4. HUMANE BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS EMPLOYEE Oftentimes, the top executives of an organization adopt inhuman practices to promote productivity or multiply the profits of the organizations. Unreasonably long working hours, undue workload, etc. all adversely affect the morale of the employees. Though, this may result in short term profit for the organization, it hampers the growth of the organization in the long run. Due to such practices, the organization may even lose some of its valuable employees. 5. ABIDE BY ALL ALBOUR LAWS AND RULES OF THE CONTRACT Abide by labour laws, for instance in India no employer can make you work for more than 8 hours without providing remuneration for the extra work you have provided. Decide on the period for temporary employees and after the probationary period based on their performance either make them permanent employees or fire them if they are unsatisfactory. Some organizations continue keeping people as temporary employees so that they don’t have to give them benefits like provident fund and medical insurance.

6. WRITTEN CODES OF ETHICS Have a written code of ethics and follow it to the last point. Employers should set an example of ethical behaviour for the employees to follow. CONCLUSION: Office ethics are very important in making a workplace comfortable and conducive to high productivity. The role of ethics in the workplace is to ensure maximum productivity of the organization, without following an immoral, illegal, or unprofessional course of action, by the management as well as the employees. By carrying out suitable workplace ethics training, these ethics can be imbibed in every person that comprises an organization, to achieve a common goal that has been laid out by this organization. Bibliography :  http://www.workplaceanswers.com/ethics-in-the-workplace/  workplace ethics by Joshua Joseph , Ethics Resource Centre, Published: October 2000  http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-11/the-different-ways-people-handleethical-issues-in-the-workplace  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_ethic  Journal of Business Ethics:ISSN: 0167-4544 (print version),Journal no. 10551  Times of India newspaper-Ascent dated 8th Jan 2014

 Himalaya Publishing House: Business ethics and corporate social responsibilitiesTYBMS