Career Activity File Work Ethics and Career Clusters

Ethics – Doing the right thing. Ethicsis the concept of what is good, bad, right and wrong such as do not steal, do not be dishonest (lie), be loyal, keep private information confidential (do not tell company trade secrets), do not use the business phone, computer or equipment for personal use.

Etiquette – Doing things the right way.Etiquette is a code of behavior in our society such as dress neatly, don’t gossip, be on time (punctual), be nice (courteous) for example smiling at others, calling people by their name instead of “hey you.”

Career Activity File — Work Ethics and Career Clusters

Assignment: AFTER READING the “Work ETHIC Guidelines” Draw (or create on the computer or find a picture) and LABEL the perfect worker (consider etiquette and ethics). Choose 2 of each of the ethic categories (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility and caring). Choose 1 “cell phone etiquette” behavior (list is at the end of package). Choose “dressing neatly” from the etiquette list. Choose the items that YOU think are most important for the Perfect Worker.

Work ETHIC Guidelines

A person of good character is trustworthy,respectful, responsible, fair, caring, and agood citizen.

Trustworthiness

• Work scheduled hours.

• Provide honest feedback on progressand problems.

• Work with little supervision.

• Give proper notice of anticipatedabsences.

• Keep confidences; never reveal privateinformation, and honor a person’s rightto privacy.

• Be honest, reliable, and ethical in allbusiness dealings.

• Refuse to steal, misuse, or abusecompany time, property, or equipment.

• Refuse to lie, cheat, deceive,manipulate, exploit, or take advantageof others.

Respect

• Treat supervisors, co-workers, vendors,and customers with courtesy, honor, andrespect.

• Be friendly and cooperative.

• Have an open mind and act justlyby listening to and acknowledging theopinions and differences of others.

• Work as a team member.

• Be open to and accept instruction or correction and modify behaviorwhen necessary.

• Submit to the authority of a supervisorand follow workplace rules especially safety rules.

• Use good manners; be courteous andpolite.

Responsibility

• Take pride in work — show initiative,recognize what needs to be done, payattention to detail, pursue excellence,and be prepared.

• Be loyal in attendance and alwayspunctual (on time).

• Follow instructions.

• Strive to improve abilities, learn newskills, and take on broaderresponsibilities. Pursue lifelong learning.

• Persevere and get the job done.

• Ensure compliance with regulations.

• Accurately report hours worked andexpenses incurred.

• Take care of equipment and resources

Caring

• Demonstrate a positive attitude.

• Show kindness and sensitivity to thefeelings of others.

• Express gratitude. (say “thank you”)

• Take time to help others.

• Do quality work and attend to details.

• Be a team player.

• Demonstrate confidence withoutarrogance.

Pick up your trash in the work place and surrounding environment.

Source:Workplace ethics / Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. — S.I.: Louisiana,2000.

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Everyone Is a Manager . . . You Manage Yourself

Working relationships are founded ontrust. Employers, co-workers, andcustomers are expected to be honest.

Deceiving the employer by abusing sickleave and altering work schedule hours isa form of dishonesty.
Ask yourself these questions before you“call in”:

• Do I really feel too sick to work?

• If I have an appointment, can I get itchanged to my day off?

• How do my co-workers feel about mycalling in?• Am I putting more work on myco-workers?

• Will my customer miss me?

• How many days have I called in thisyear?

• Do I have the right to take time off myjob whenever I feel like it?

• Does my employer have the right to fireme for always calling in? • Would I put up with this if I were the boss?

• When I took this job, did I say I wouldbe at work on a full-time schedule?

• How do I feel when my co-workers callin?

• Who really gets hurt when I’m absent?

• Will all of the days I am absent be onmy record?
• Will this hurt me when applying foranother job or promotion?

Source Unknown

Assignment: AFTER READING the questions above, explain why it is wrong to call in sick to work when you are not sick? Write in complete sentences. Give at least 5 reasons why it is wrong or unethical. ______
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Calculate how much it would cost a company if a worker is paid $5.15 an hour, works five days a week, and comes in 15 minutes late each day.

1. How many minutes per week are wasted? 15 minutes x 5 days = ______minutes wasted per week.

2. How many minutes per month are wasted?______minutes per week x 4 weeks =______minutes wasted per month.

3. How many hours are wasted in one month?_____ minutes per month – 60 minutes = _____ hours wasted per month.

4. How much money does the company lose each month in wasted time with that oneworker?

______hours wasted per month x $5.15 per hour = $______lost per month.

5. How much money does the company lose in a year in wasted time with one worker?

$______wasted per month x 12 months = $______lost per year.

Note: 60 minutes = 1 hour4 weeks = 1 month12 months = 1 year

Wasted Time

Read the scenarios below and answer the questions about them.

Drew works as a school concession workerfor all home games. All workers are allowedto have one free drink, the second drink forhalf price, and the third for full price. Allfood items are full price, including the gum.Even with the fans blowing, it is always hotand stuffy in the concession stand. Drewalways has three to four drinks when he

works, but he never pays. He says no onewill know, so why pay.

What unethical behavior did Drew do? ______
If you worked with Drew, what would you tell him? ______
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What do you think will happen to Drew when his supervisor finds out? ______

Cathy works as cashier at a large store.She is required to scan all merchandise forthe customer. The best part of her job isvisiting with customers and friends. Everymonth, like clockwork, two friends stop byto persuade Cathy not to scan in themagazines they want because they do nothave the money to pay for them. WhenCathy says she can’t do this, their answeris, “I thought you wanted to be my bestfriend.” Cathy really wants to be acceptedby these friends, so she agrees to letthem have the magazines without chargingthem.

What unethical behavior did Cathy do? ______
If you worked with Cathy, what would you tell her? ______
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What do you think will happen to Cathy when her supervisor finds out? ______

Answer the 2 multiple choice questions

1.Part of workplace etiquette is to avoid:

Dressing neatly
Gossiping
Smiling at others
Calling people by name

2.Most ethic problems in the workplace involve:

Loyalty (be true to your friends)
Dishonesty (not telling the truth)
Punctuality (on time)
Confidentiality (not telling secret information)

Cell Phone etiquette

Be all there.When you’re in a meeting, performance, courtroom or other busy area, let calls go to voicemail to avoid a disruption. In some instances, turning your phone off may be the best solution.
Keep it private. Be aware of your surroundings and avoid discussing private or confidential information in public. You never know who may be in hearing range.
Keep your cool. Don’tdisplay anger during a public call. Conversations that are likely to be emotional should be held where they will not embarrass or intrude on others.
Learn to vibe. Use your wireless phone's silent or vibration settings in public places such as business meetings, religious services, schools, restaurants, theaters or sporting events so that you do not disrupt your surroundings.
Avoid yelling. Remember to use your regular conversational tone when speaking on your wireless phone. People tend to speak more loudly than normal and often don't recognize how distracting they can be to others.
Follow the rules. Some places, such as hospitals or airplanes, restrict or prohibit the use of mobile phones, so adhere to posted signs and instructions. Some jurisdictions may also restrict mobile phone use in public places.
Excuse yourself.If you are expecting a call that can’t be postponed, alert your companions ahead of time and excuse yourself when the call comes in; the people you are with should take precedence over calls you want to make or receive.
Send a message. Use Text Messaging to send and receive messages without saying a single word.
Watch and listen discreetly. New multimedia applications such as streaming video and music are great ways to stay informed and access the latest entertainment. However, adjust the volume based on your surroundings in much the same way that you would adjust your ringer volume. Earphones are a great way to avoid distracting others in public areas.
Alert silently. When using your phone as a walkie-talkie feature, send the person you're trying to reach a Call Alert before starting to speak. If you're around other people, turn off your phone's external speaker and use the vibration setting to minimize any disturbance and to respect your contact's privacy.
Be a good Samaritan. Use your cell phone to help others. According to CTIA, The Wireless Association, more than 224,000 calls a day are made to 911 and other emergency numbers by mobile phone users who report crimes and potentially life-threatening emergencies.
Focus on driving. Practice wireless responsibility while driving. Don’t make or answer calls while in heavy traffic or in hazardous driving conditions. Place calls when your vehicle is not moving, and use a hands-free device to help focus attention on safety. Always make safety your most important call.
Spread the word. Discuss cell phone manners with friends and family members. Tell them that you are practicing new wireless phone etiquette rules and offer to share them (

Which 3 cell phone etiquette rules would be hard for you to follow? ______
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What could happen if you don’t follow the 3 cell phone etiquette rules? ______
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