ETHICS AT WORKPLACE: A TOOL FOR BEHVAIOUR MODIFICATION

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
2. ETHICAL DILEMMA
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 shouldnt.
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?

Who all will be hurt?

What all are the benefits?

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 youd 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.
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.

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.

Lead by example and cut down your leaves.

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

absence.
Acknowledge regularity and punctuality, and reward appropriately.

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! Dont 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. DONT 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 elses 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 doesnt 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 dont 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.