Workplace Ethics

Some basic points to remember that will help you maintain productivity and fit in with your establishment in your new job.

No matter how good you are at what you do, there are some simple ethics required to keep you well viewed and respected among your peers and superiors.

Respect the common clock.

If the workday starts at 9:00 am, this does not mean you pull into the parking lot at 9:00 am. This means you are at your workstation and ready to begin your day’s tasks at 9.

It means having already parked your car, greeted your coworkers, hung up your coat, gone to the bathroom, and grabbed your coffee. It means you have booted up your computer and taken your phone off night watch.

Constant tardiness is disrespectful to the establishment, and especially to your coworkers. It will promptly earn you more than a mild frown from the boss, and probably a fair bit of resentment from your peers, who seem capable of getting there on time.

Be a team player, get to work on time.

Limit personal correspondence.

Giving out your work telephone number or email address to friends and family is not a good idea, unless it comes with a clear caveat of emergency use only.

Even if your boss has never said anything and seems to have no issue with it, you should refrain from personal correspondence on company time. Given the choice, even the most laid back boss would certainly choose to have their employees avoid personal correspondence altogether.

Dress the part.

You should present yourself every day in a way that is appropriate for the job you do. You may even have to pass up “casual Friday” attire and stick with the standard instead of jeans if you happened to schedule a client meeting that day.

Mind your manners.

“Please” and “thank you” still go a long way. Even after years of delegating to the same secretary or assistant, you should maintain a level of politeness at all times. Even if they know they are appreciated, don’t forget to be courteous.

Keep it professional

After awhile, you may become extremely comfortable with your coworkers and possibly even develop close friendships, but you must still remember that there is a time and place for certain behaviors. No matter how wild things might have gotten at the staff summer kick-off bash last Friday night, Monday morning means a return to professional demeanor and ethical behavior.

Avoid tasteless jokes, teasing, or any behavior that might make a coworker uncomfortable… even if they were fine with it in a social environment.

Be a team player.

Do not single yourself out of the group by being the one who chooses to go home for lunch every day while the rest of the group frequently eat together in the lunchroom.

Make an effort to participate in group employee functions, like a company team entry in a fund-raising event of some kind. There are typically many such opportunities, and if there aren’t, you might suggest one. It’s not about earning brownie points, it’s about discovering compatibilities and common interests, and developing relationships.