Professionalism and Ethics in the Workplace

Professionalism and Ethics in the Workplace Ethical Obligation In my opinion, I believe companies must ensure that the living wage is standardized in all states. This is an obligation that should be taken seriously by existing companies as well as businesses. A living wage is a standardized and fair income that is capable of motivating workers as they work on their day-to-day tasks. This also helps them to cater for their personal needs with ease, thereby living comfortably and in a decent standard (Shelburne, 1999). Professionalism and work ethics can be defined as basic elements in the business sector. These elements can be used to heighten professionalism in companies in an ethical manner. However, not all businesses utilize these elements as required. Professionalism is the aspect of devotion or loyalty especially in business environments. Employees are expected to work or relate in excellence surpassing the expected requirements. Positive work ethic entails completing tasks in timely manner and in the best quality (United States Department of Labor, 2012).

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People must come to their senses and realize that a living wage must at all times be linked to the working conditions, where there is usually a maximum of 48 hours of working in a week. I also think that the living wage must be defined by the standards of the country providing employment (in this case the US). This is simply because the country in question would be able to offer the wage in accordance to the resources available. As defined by the U.S. Department of Labor, the average living wage is $8.00, although this figure differs in various States. For example, in Washington, the minimum wage is $8.00 while that of Vermont is $8.15. These figures were defined on January 1, 2012 by the labor department (United States Department of Labor, 2012).

Ethical Aspect of Bribing It is clearly stated in ethical codes that bribery in an unacceptable act in any area. Bribes must never be mistaken for gifts. Bribery is an unethical act whereby someone gives out something of a given value in return of favor, benefit or influence. In this case, I would not recommend this act in any country or business. Some companies consider bribe to be the cost of engaging in business rather than an ethical issue. Though there are some countries that are known to take part in this practice, it is highly recommended that they abstain from this behavior for the benefit of all citizens. Decisions must be made on the outcome of the existing case, and not on the basis of favor; this is all about fairness (Silverthorne, 2008). One issue that triggers the act of bribery is low income. Some officials in the government or private sector receive inadequate salaries which then force them to engage in such unethical behaviors. Any amount that is paid in secrecy is confirmed to be illegal. Bribery is corruption and would be a serious problem especially in a developed country like the US (Unger, 1998). There is no ethical

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obligation when workers perform their duties outside the US. However, they are governed by the rules and regulations of the company, based on the labor laws of that specific country. This is simply because different countries have different culture, tradition and practices. Nevertheless, it would be important for a worker to adhere by the laws defined by the company he/she is providing services to.

Nepotism in the workplace Nepotism is a usual practice that most companies encounter, especially in small and medium enterprises. The act of nepotism would be a bad thing if the person in charge (employer) favors relatives. If the employer does not favor relatives and considers their qualifications before offering them a job, then I would say that nepotism is not a bad thing. Whoever qualifies or has the required merits for the job should absolutely be considered. It must be noted that “nepotism law” does not exist in any State apart from the public sector like the government (Nadler & Schulman, 2006). Sometimes the act of nepotism is actually unfair, especially when the employer fires an employee exclusively to hire a relative either on marital, gender, sex, or religious views. I recall an incidence when my colleague was given a job opportunity to work as an administrator. She actually did not have the merits but knew the job perfectly well. It is said that “experience is the mother of all battles”, but in this case this was truly unfair. The previous administrator had all the required qualifications but did not perform quite well. Though this is unacceptable, she did not deserve to be terminated in that manner. Little did we know that the administrator with no merits was actually the sister in-law to the manager. She did the job well for about a month and was promoted to the next rank. In ethics and best practice, this is truly unacceptable, especially where merit count (Nadler & Schulman, 2006).

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Ethical issues Negative – Favoritism or nepotism are practices that are truly unacceptable in the society.

These acts do not stand for fairness or the truth, as it should be. They are also the cause of provision of undue advantage to people who do not deserve it.

Negative – Bribery is also not an ethical act and must be avoided. Bribery interferes with fair judgment because the person receiving it overlooks the bad deeds.

Positive – Employees must reflect professionalism in their workplace because it is the only way to achieve better output. Professionalism can be in terms of performance, attendance, and cleanliness, just to mention a few.

Positive – Work place ethics is important because it helps to stabilize its position in the public’s mind. Examples of positive work ethics include honesty, commitment, and trustworthiness, among many others.

Positive – Good communication is also important because it helps portray the message clearly. For example, if you have a specific problem in the workplace, it is important to be frank to the managers when explaining your situation. The final verdict to be given will be determined by your communication skills.

Recommendations In order to deal with nepotism, employers must ensure that they employ the use of antinepotism policies. This will help employees to seek legal help in cases where they feel they have been illegally discriminated. Nepotism can impose serious problems in the workplace especially if the rest of the workers find out. Sometimes the workers may feel like all the promotions are offered to the boss’s relatives or friends. This is not good at all because it demoralizes the

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workers and forces them to work below the expected standards. This will in turn lead to low productivity followed by reduced turnover (Salpitikorala, 2007).

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References Nadler, J., & Schulman, M., (2006). Favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism. Retrieved 19 April 2012 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/government_ethics/ introduction/cronyism.html Shelburne, C. R, (1999). The history and theory of the living wage concept. Retrieved 19 April 2012 from http://works.bepress.com/robert_shelburne/40 Silverthorne, S. (2008). Business ethics: Pay the bribe? Retrieved 19 April 2012 from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-31540217/business-ethics-pay-the-bribe/ Unger, H. S. (1998). Ethical aspects of bribing people in other countries. Science and Engineering Ethics, 4(4), 287-290.

United States Department of Labor, (2012). Wage and hour division (WHD): Minimum wage laws in the States. Retrieved 19 April 2012 from http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm Salpitikorala, H. (2007, April 08). Business ethics and professionalism. The Sunday Times Online, 41(45).