Workplace Ethics

The very word ethics encompasses a whole lot of meanings and has as many different
explanations as one can think of. Like as they say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder
such is the diversity that one can attach to ethics. As human beings started to live
together, the need to tolerate, cooperate and control actions of their fellow beings became
necessary to maintain balance in their lives. This is where the reasoning and objective
thinking of human mind provided the foundation for ethics in every day life and some
behavioral and practical actions become essential to keep the existing society integrated.

The workplace ethics covers all possible stakeholders in any area of business activity.
From workers to supervisors, senior managers and directors, vendors, and public or
clients all are beneficiaries if workplace ethics are in place and practiced. The general
points of these ethics can differ from company to company and country to country as
each entity formulates their policies and procedures according to their own legal, cultural,
and sociological setup.

The basics of workplace ethics include responsibility, mutual respect, caring attitude,
honesty and justice. The governing law of the country forms the applicable clauses of
workplace ethics in zones where the businesses operate. These do explain the allowed
and not allowed practices and behavior during the work duration of an employee and
reasons for their implementation. In corporate environment workplace ethics do help
employees to work within the framework of law and helps the business to practice what
they preach which is positive contribution towards an economically prosperous and
morally guided workforce.

Most of the businesses do have written workplace ethics, which all-new employees
receive at the time of their hiring and in case of amendments; Inter-Office Memos
become the source of information for the general staff. In the absence of a written code of
ethics employees do apply their own understanding of work ethics as perceived good by
the general workforce and more specifically include being helpful, courteous,
cooperative, polite and honest with their colleagues, clients and their employer.

The main objective of workplace ethics is to be the guiding force for the employees as
well as employers and their clients. What a company promises in its mission statement
can be taken as the guiding principal of work ethics which brings together all good
practices of conducting their business benefiting their employees, vendors, and clients.
As for employees their behavior, conduct and attitude is paramount for the success of any
business and by having workplace ethics in order they can contribute towards the
company goals as they are sure of their rights and are aware of their obligations.

The phenomenal expansion and latest probing techniques applied by media has
contributed to implementation of workplace ethics in its true spirit. The media becomes
well aware of even small violations and reports immediately. Later through internet, a
bigger audience awaits such misdeeds. It is obvious that businesses who practice what
they preach are safe and the ones who do not loose creditability in the market.

Zaka – Ullah - Khan