Republic of the Philippines

Province of Cebu
City of Carcar
CARCAR CITY COLLEGE
Luan-luan, Poblacion I, Carcar City, Cebu
(032) 564-3052 | www.carcarcitycollege.edu.ph

ETHICS – is a philosophical study often called as (moral philosophy) of good or bad what is right and
wrong.
Ethics or moral philosophy is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. It
investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. It
is usually divided into three major fields: normative ethics, applied ethics, and metaethics.

Normative ethics tries to discover and justify universal principles that govern how people should act in
any situation. According to consequentialists, an act is right if it leads to the best
consequences. Deontologists hold that morality consists in fulfilling duties, like telling the truth and
keeping promises. Virtue theorists see the manifestation of virtues, like courage and compassion, as
the fundamental principle of morality. Applied ethics examines concrete ethical problems in real-life
situations, for example, by exploring the moral implications of the universal principles discovered in
normative ethics within a specific domain. Bioethics studies moral issues associated with living
organisms including humans, animals, and plants. Business ethics investigates how ethical principles
apply to corporations, while professional ethics focuses on what is morally required of members of
different professions. Metaethics is a metatheory that examines the underlying assumptions and
concepts of ethics. It asks whether moral facts have mind-independent existence, whether moral
statements can be true, how it is possible to acquire moral knowledge, and how moral judgments
motivate people.

Ethics is closely connected to value theory, which studies what value is and what types of value there
are. Two related empirical fields are moral psychology, which investigates psychological moral
processes, and descriptive ethics, which provides value-neutral descriptions of the dominant moral
codes and beliefs in different societies.

The history of ethics started in the ancient period with the development of ethical principles and
theories in ancient Egypt, India, China, and Greece. During the medieval period, ethical thought was
strongly influenced by religious teachings. In the modern period, this focus shifted to a more secular
approach concerned with moral experience, practical reason, and the consequences of actions. An
influential development in the 20th century was the emergence of metaethics.

Why is work ethic important?

Work ethic may seem like a subjective topic, but for human resources departments, knowing what it
is and how it works is important. A strong work ethic within the company serves as a behavioral
model for the right way of working. It supports and fosters a productive working culture.

Employees with a strong work ethic are highly driven and often far exceed their peers in terms of
achieving company goals. They lead by example and motivate others to work hard. Of course, it must
be part of the work culture, and everybody should support it. Otherwise, one employee with a strong
work ethic in a collective of people with poor work ethic will eventually exhibit the same attitude or
will leave the company. Bad work ethic, put another way, can lead to demotivation, loss of
effectiveness, sometimes even to high turnover rate and other damaging consequences. So, it is vital
for the HR department to track and adjust work ethic within the company, department, or even of
the particular employee. We won’t say that employees with a strong work ethic are better choices for
promotion within the company, but they are the first candidates for this, because of their drive and
commitment to their job.

What are the benefits of having a strong work ethic in an organization?

1. A balanced, respectful workplace and culture

Employees with a strong work ethic present themselves as professionals in every sense of the word.
They respect their fellow employees, their higher-ups, and those that they come into contact with.
Not only does this present a polished image for your organization, it also creates an environment that
other people are happy to work in.

2. Higher productivity

Employees with a strong ethic put their commitments to the company before other, frivolous
activities. While there’s no reason to work rather than attend to a family emergency, these
employees won’t slack off on a project because they’d rather do something they’re not obligated to
instead. A high drive for work ethic means that they take enough gratification in their job to complete
every task, and correctly prioritize their work/life balance.

People with a strong work ethic take pride in their jobs and see every task they do as
important.These are employees that rarely, if ever, arrive at the job late. Not only that, they
complete all assigned projects in a timely manner and avoid holding up the workflow of the rest of
the organization. This creates efficiency and a sense of expediency in the workplace.

3. A wider talent pool

The employees that show the highest work ethic are also those that continue their dedication as they
advance in their careers. Better managers make for better employees underneath them. When you
scout employees with a strong work ethic from the beginning, you can keep your strongest assets
within the company. When you scout employees with a strong work ethic from the beginning, you
can keep your strongest assets within the company.

Work ethic examples

Next, we’ll go into a practical examination of work ethic. We’ll review some common examples of
both strong and poor work ethic.

Strong work ethic examples

First example:

Barney is the employee that always follows through on his commitments. If he agrees to take over
another co-worker’s shift, he always shows up. If commits to a deadline, you can count on him to
meet that deadline.

Everyone knows him as the guy they can rely on. He gets satisfaction in being the person that never
shows up late, and always completes work of the caliber, no matter what the task is.

Second example:

Angela’s supervisor asked her to coordinate reports between patient in-services and insurance.
Unfortunately, Angela isn’t very familiar with processing certain insurance claims.
Rather than giving up, Angela decides to expand her skillset. She networks with her co-workers in the
insurance department and asks questions of her supervisor to ensure she completes her task to the
best of her ability.

In the process, she expands her skills to make sure she meets her goals.

Third example:

Barbara is known for her meticulous work. She never misses a deadline, and still doesn’t sacrifice the
quality of her work to do so. While it may take more focus, and time for certain tasks, she always
delivers high-quality, reliable work. Her supervisors know that they don’t need to double-check her
work. No matter what day, what time, or what the circumstances are Barbara never turns in work
that would be considered sub-par.

Bad work ethic examples

Individuals with bad work ethic aren’t very hard to point out. However, clear examples can help you
point out specific factors that are a problem. If these are corrected, the employee’s performance will
also improve.

First example:

Jim’s supervisor asked him to review the financial reports from last quarter to look for purchases from
one client. The supervisor gave him this task about a month ago and asked him to complete it within
a few weeks. Now, a month has passed, and Jim still hasn’t reviewed any of the reports. Rather than
starting early, he’s left it to the last minute and turns in an incomplete report. Jim is a standard
example of poor prioritization and a weak work ethic.

Second example:

Sheila is sometimes bothered by the tasks required of her. However, she never addresses this with
her superiors. Instead, she complains to co-workers, friends, and anyone that will listen about her
job. Ultimately it displays a very poor image of the company and creates a more hostile working
environment for her co-workers. Being resentful and complaining, rather than seeking solutions, is
another strong indicator of poor work ethic.

Third example:

Jeff is an employee that isn’t bothered by work schedules. Every weekday he’s supposed to show up
at 9 am. While other employees show up on time or even early, Jeff is rarely, if ever at the office on
time. He makes excuses about traffic or other problems but never bothers to get up earlier to correct
the issues. His constant tardiness shows a lack of respect for his job and fellow co-workers. His co-
workers know him as unreliable and irresponsible as a result. Repeated tardiness is another common
sign that an employee has a bad work ethic.

Strong and poor work ethic skills and traits

Next, we’ll go into a practical examination of work ethic. We’ll review some common examples of
both good and bad work ethic.
Strong work ethic skills you should develop

Hard work

Hard workers don’t give up when a task is difficult. These individuals show their work ethic in their
persistence.

Dedication

Dedication means that an employee always sees their commitments through. They keep their
deadlines and complete tasks to the fullest.

Discipline

Workers that show discipline aren’t swayed by what they want to do. Instead, they continue doing
what they should until it’s complete.

Productivity

Individuals with a strong work ethic often have high productivity and keep themselves busy
completing assignments and meeting their goals.

Teamwork

Team players are individuals that demonstrate work ethic through teamwork. They know their
company works when everyone does their part, and they’re always willing to help a co-worker.

Integrity

Integrity is a strong indicator of a good work ethic. It guides individuals to make choices that are
morally sound, and that are ethically balanced.

Responsibility

Individuals with a strong work ethic are known to be responsible. Being consistent and reliable shows
professionalism and respect for their work.

Determination

Employees can show a strong work ethic by being determined to meet or exceed goals. Even if
they’re not familiar with the task, they will look for resources to help them successfully achieve their
goals.

Professionalism

It can be difficult to do the best work on the hardest days; however, individuals with a strong work
ethic persevere and create high-quality work nonetheless.

Negativity

Negativity affects others in the workplace and is a common trait of people with bad work ethic
because they don’t value professionalism.
 Toxicity

Toxicity is a high indication of poor work ethic. These individuals aren’t concerned with creating a
productive, welcoming work environment and seek to minimize their peers.

Inefficiency

Employees with poor work ethic may demonstrate inefficiency. While they may complete their tasks,
they do it in a way that ultimately takes more time, and costs the company more money.

Bad work ethic skills you should avoid

Procrastination

People with poor work ethic aren’t driven to complete tasks. As a result, they wait until the last
minute to complete work and often produce work of poor quality.

Irresponsibility

When you have an irresponsible employee, you can see a lack of work ethic in how seriously they
take their duties in the workplace. Irresponsible employees don’t place high importance on their
commitments and responsibilities.

Passiveness

Passiveness can be a general personality characteristic, but it can also apply to attitudes in the
workplace. This attitude means that individuals don’t care either way what happens with their job- in
other words, they also demonstrate apathy.

Untimeliness

People with a poor work ethic aren’t driven to go to work, nor are they driven to complete projects as
part of their job.

Unprofessional behavior

Unprofessional behavior is a strong indicator of a lack of work ethic, as those employees that take
pride in their jobs strive to maintain a professional demeanor.

How to develop a strong work ethic in an organization (tips)

Next, this list will give you the best tips available for developing a strong work ethic within your
company.

1. Lead by example

People look to their leaders for the behaviors they should emulate. Supervisors and the HR
department are perfect examples of this.

Show employees the value of a strong work ethic by embodying it yourself, and encouraging
supervisors in all departments to do the same.
2. Organize team workshops

Employees tend to be more motivated when they work as a team, and learning skills for their job is
no different.

Allowing everyone to work together in a team workshop breeds a more positive environment in the
office, and often gives individuals an extra reason to try and excel at learning a new skill.

3. Organize feedback sessions (discussions)

Getting feedback helps you know how employees feel about the company.

You can choose to do individual interviews, group discussions, or even anonymous surveys. The most
important part is to get honest, unfiltered feedback.

This feedback can tell you if there’s a general lack of work ethic in the company as a whole, in certain
departments, or if certain individuals diminish work ethic.

4. Team building activities

People work harder when they feel like part of a team, and they don’t want to let their teammates
down.

Use team-building activities to build rapport between employees, and grow their skills for teamwork.

Working as a team player is an important skill for developing an attitude of a strong work ethic.

5. 1-on-1 meetings to improve attitude

Address problems within your company as soon as possible- but keep it professional.

Don’t try to confront an employee in front of their peers, which can cause embarrassment, and lower
morale and motivation. Instead, if you find an individual with problematic attitudes or behaviors, pull
them aside for individual meetings.

Try to understand any issues they feel are causing the problem, and help coach them into better
work behavior.

6. Encourage mentoring

One way to help enhance work ethic is by giving employees time to learn from a more experienced
employee with a strong work ethic.

Mentors understand what less experienced employees deal with, and issues that might cause a
negative attitude. Set aside time and select mentors to be available to ‘coach’ other employees, and
ultimately e

nhance their performance.

Professionalism is a cornerstone of a strong work ethic.

Remember, a strong work ethic shows that you have great pride in the work you do, and a strong
drive to continually succeed.

That also means that you see yourself as part of the team, and want to represent yourself, your co-
workers, and your place of work to the very best. You never act in a way that creates a hostile or
uncomfortable environment for your peers- you’re too busy trying to achieve your next goal.

Likewise, you don’t create conflict, and address everyone else within the company with the same
respect you feel you deserve. You keep a clean-cut, professional appearance that shows you care
about how you represent yourself and the company.