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Written by: Jacqueline Serviss
1/12/2009 4:56 PM

Even if you don't think about Workplace Ethics, you can be pretty sure that someone in your organization does. According toWorldatwork.Org, 43% of human resource professionals in the US say their organization includes ethical conduct as a part of employees performance appraisals.


But even if they don't consciously evaluate based on ethics, you can bet that they will react if someone pushes beyond their ethical comfort zone.

But many of these people who simply react won't understand why or how a breach bothers them. That's why it pays to take a few minutes and think about your own ethical standards.

For me, I think back to my Grandmother - "Don't Lie, Cheat or Steal," she said. Not bad advice, and yet easy to remember. For me, that's also a key part of understanding your limits- keep it simple and you will remember it when the time comes that you need it.

So, do you have an ethical line that you don't want to cross? Or that you hope your employer doesn't cross?

Copyright ©2009 Jacqueline Serviss

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15 comments so far...

Re: Workplace Ethics

Another favorite - Don't do anything that you wouldn't want broadcast on national TV for your kids to see

By John Hayes on   8/26/2009 9:54 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

The sad thing about this is the persons that are paying attention and actually accuse you of breaching worth ethics are the ones that are generally breaching those ethics or have non what-so-ever. I have been a victim of this and had to fight to show that I did have ethics and that the one accusing me was the one that they should be watching.

By Attagirl on   8/26/2009 9:54 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

Ethical conduct should be there if you are looking for good appraisals. In US 43% HR professionals admit this, however in UK there are more than 65% HR professionals who believe that working ethics are important part of reviewing an employee.
Some people take it lightly and do mistakes which are very critical for an organization as a whole. There are lot of websites which will explain ethical conduct. However, my principle is that do the actions which even published are not alarming to you.

By ceprateek on   8/26/2009 9:53 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

Jaqueline:

Yes, there are very definite lines ethical lines that I will not cross. In at least on situation I the potenital crossing of the ethical line resulted in my eventual leaving a company.

Niel

By NielLeon on   8/26/2009 9:53 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

You know, we have steadily seen a decline in people having workplace ethics. It shows by people like the CEO's of Enron, Lehman Brothers, Worldcom just to name a few. These people have absolutely no ethics what-so-ever and have plundered others money.

I personally was raised to be honest and always tell the truth, unless it hurts someone then if you can avoid it. But none-the-less so many people are dishonest in business and this is where the ethics are non existent.

By Attagirl on   8/26/2009 9:54 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

I also go by not lying, cheating or stealing. Sometimes I do lie but it is usually when the truth would put me in trouble.
Another thing is that I try as much as I can not to use company resources for personal purposes. I could say, print my out of office work letters using my company's printer and paper, or even use the internet at the office to conduct my other business. Its easy to do and no one would probably find out, but I don't think its ethical and I try as much as I can not to.

By green on   8/26/2009 9:54 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

I'm the IT manager at a community mental health center and I have access to all electronic client charts. It would be easy enough for me to look up someone's information since it's just at my fingertips, but that would be wrong. Even if I personally know a client at the center, I will not look up their client records because it's not my place to know that information.

By tongyun on   8/26/2009 9:53 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

Doesn't it amaze you that people can justify certain types of behavior so they can steal from their company? If you ask a company representative what causes their greatest monetary loss, the number one answer would be employee theft. It can be theft of an actual product or theft of time but theft is theft and should not be tolerated.

By tongyun on   8/26/2009 9:53 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

Wow, what a post you put up. There is a lot wrong in today's society. Big Corporations like to portray themselves as honorable and trustworthy businesses. But we see the mess we have today in the USA and perhaps in other parts of the world as well and we wonder about it. I know someone that quit a six figure job as a Director of three very important medical laboratories in a brand new hospital. After all the hard work that he did to get the hospital up and running those C ranking Business people started pushing him to do things that would endanger patient care. The final result was that he would not be a part of it. Since there was nothing else he could do to stop them from taking these extreme chances with patient care he had to quit. Corporate America has had their way for too long and now things have to be straightened out with a massive amount of money and there are bound to be mistakes made. So when they talk about work place ethics this one plays on my own heart strings. It was my son that quit his job after trying his best to stop what was happening. Business decisions won out over medical decisions. We all know the news about Health Care here in the USA.

By Corporal Willy on   8/26/2009 9:52 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

I feel like there should be work ethics for every employee. Education must teach us what is ethics. And one cannot bring in the ethics all of a sudden. It should spring from one's heart. Act according to your conscious. Because one's inner feelings will always tell him what is correct and what is wrong. i have got my own ethics as i always respect my colleague and will not interfere in their privacy.

By cogbuddy on   8/26/2009 9:55 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

I draw a clear broad line between personal life, and the office life. Unless we're on first-name terms, I don't really pry into your personal issues unless I think that it can cause problems on the job.

Also, I don't discuss my finances, my private matters are on a strict need-to-know basis, and only the taxman needs to know what I make.

By Dartz on   8/26/2009 9:55 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

I've dealt with unethical people before. From people that don't respect peoples authority, skill, beliefs, methods, or anything along those lines.

An old boss of mine when I worked in a computer store, he expected everyone, whenever you were the janitor or the second-in-command, to show respect to everyone, especially to the janitor. Even if it was just a Please or Thank You. If you didn't, you would never hear the end of it.

By Dartz on   8/26/2009 9:55 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

I think this issue is more than needed when planning or joining a business. It helps to protect anyone in the workplace or when battling to get one. It is in human nature to take care only of themselves ant thus ethics lines are easily breached, sometimes unintentionally, but breach is still considered a breach. It is crucial, in my opinion, to incorporate good ethics into the workplace.

By Kejatz on   8/26/2009 9:56 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

For me, ethics are just a part of life and who I am. I have very strong ethics, in and out of the work place. This doesn't mean I'm a saint by any means, but I do have a strong sense of right and wrong that I respect and try never to abuse. I'm not my values in that regard are shared by others in this very modern age, that they're mine, and I stand by them.

By Orrymain on   8/26/2009 9:52 AM

Re: Workplace Ethics

I think part of the problem is that people don't see things as black and white that often. Ethics within business is more than making a deal in a fair manner. It's also as small as taking off with a company pen. How about making copies of personal material? Hey, it's just one sheet, right? We all rationalize, and that's why business ethics aren't easily discussed. Grandma's 'don't lie, cheat or steal' sounds simple, but is it really simple today?

By Orrymain on   8/26/2009 9:51 AM

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