PROFESSIONAL CODE OF

CONDUCT/ETHICS OF A HOUSEHOLD
WORKER
The primary purpose of the household work profession is to enhance human well
being and help meet the basic human needs by performing a variety of household services for an
individual or a family. These household services may include cooking, doing laundry and
ironing, food shopping, gardening, taking care for children and/or elders, and other household
errands.

The purpose of the household work profession is rooted in a set of core values. These
core values, embraced by household workers throughout the profession’s history, are the
foundation of household work’s unique purpose and perspective:

 service
 dignity
 importance of human relationships
 integrity
 competence

Ethical Principles

The following broad ethical principles are based on household work’s core values of
service, dignity, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These principles
set forth ideals to which all household workers should aspire.

Value: Service

Household workers elevate service to others above self interest. They draw on their
knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need of doing household services for them.

Value: Dignity

Household workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of
individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. They seek to enhance customers’
capacity and opportunity to address their own needs.

Value: Importance of Human Relationships

Household workers understand that relationships between and among people are an
important vehicle for efficiency. They engage people as partners in the helping process.
Value: Integrity

Household workers are continually aware of the profession’s mission, values, ethical
principles, and ethical standards and practice in a manner consistent with them. They act
honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with
which they are affiliated.

Value: Competence

Household workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and

skills and to apply them in practice. They should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of
the profession.

Ethical Standards

The following ethical standards are relevant to the professional activities of all
household workers. These standards concern (1) household workers’ ethical responsibilities to
clients, (2) household workers’ ethical responsibilities to colleagues, and (3) household workers’
ethical responsibilities as professionals.

1. HOUSEHOLD WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO

CLIENTS

 Commitment to Clients. Household workers’ primary responsibility is to promote the

well being of clients through doing household tasks for them.
 Self Determination. Household workers respect and promote the right of clients through
assisting them in their efforts to accomplish their jobs at the most convenient time.
 Competence. Household workers should provide services and represent themselves as
competent within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification,
supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience.
 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity. Household workers should understand
culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that
exist in all cultures.
 Privacy and Confidentiality. Household workers should respect clients’ right to privacy.
They should not solicit private information from clients unless it is essential in the
conduct of services.
 Access to Records. Household workers should provide clients with reasonable access to
records concerning the household services rendered.
 Sexual Relationships. Household workers should under no circumstances engage in
sexual activities or sexual contact with clients, whether such contact is consensual or
forced.
  Sexual Harassment. Household workers should not sexually harass clients. Sexual
harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for sexual favors, and
other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
 Derogatory Language. Household workers should not use derogatory language in their
written or verbal communications to or about clients. They should use accurate and
respectful language in all communications to and about clients.
 Payment for Services. When setting fees, Household workers should receive fee that are
fair, reasonable, and commensurate with the services performed. Consideration should be
given to clients’ ability to pay
 Interruption of Services. Household workers should make reasonable efforts to ensure
continuity of services in the event that services are interrupted by factors such as
unavailability, relocation, illness, disability, or death.
 Termination of Services. Household workers should terminate services to clients and
professional relationships with them when such services and relationships are no longer
required or no longer serve the clients’ needs or interests. They should take reasonable
steps to avoid abandoning clients who are still in need of services.

2. HOUSEHOLD WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO

COLLEAGUES

 Respect. Household workers should treat colleagues with respect and should represent
accurately and fairly the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues. They should
cooperate with household work colleagues when such cooperation serves the well being
of clients.
 Confidentiality. Household workers should respect confidential information shared by
colleagues in the course of their relationships and work.
 Consultation. Household workers should seek the advice and counsel of colleagues
whenever such consultation is in the best interests of clients.
 Sexual Relationships. Household workers should avoid engaging in sexual relationships
with colleagues when there is potential for a conflict of interest.
 Sexual Harassment. Household workers should not sexually harass colleagues. Sexual
harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for sexual favors, and
other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
 Impairment of Colleagues. Household workers who have direct knowledge of a social
work colleague’s impairment that is due to personal problems, psychosocial distress,
substance abuse, or mental health difficulties and that interferes with practice
effectiveness should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in
taking remedial action.
 Incompetence of Colleagues. Household workers who have direct knowledge of a
Household work colleague’s incompetence should consult with that colleague when
feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.
 Unethical Conduct of Colleagues. Household workers should take adequate measures to
discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of colleagues.
 3. HOUSEHOLD WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS
PROFESSIONALS

 Competence. Household workers should accept responsibility or employment only on

the basis of existing competence or the intention to acquire the necessary competence.
 Discrimination. Household workers should not practice, facilitate, or collaborate with
any form of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex,
sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief,
religion, immigration status, or mental or physical disability.
 Private Conduct. Household workers should not permit their private conduct to interfere
with their ability to fulfill their responsibilities.
 Dishonesty, Fraud, and Deception. Household workers should not participate in, or be
associated with dishonesty, fraud, or deception.
 Impairment. Household workers should not allow their own personal problems,
psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to
interfere with their performance.
 Misrepresentation. Household workers should ensure that their representations to
clients, agencies, affiliations, services provided, or results to be achieved are accurate
 Solicitations. Household workers should not engage in solicitation of testimonial
endorsements (including solicitation of consent to use a client’s prior statement as a
testimonial endorsement) from current clients or from other people who are vulnerable to
undue influence.

Information Sheet 1.2

UNIFORM, EQUIPMENT AND

PARAPHERNALIA OF A HOUSEHOLD
WORKER
Employers may require their domestic workers to wear a uniform, livery or other
"domestic workers' clothes" when in their employers' residence. The uniform is usually simple.
Female servants wore long, plain, dark-coloured dresses or black skirts with white belts and
white blouses, and black shoes, and male servants and butlers would wear something from a
simple suit, or a white dress shirt, often with tie, and knickers.
 An Apron is an outer pro
the body. It may be worn
protect clothes from wear

A Housekeeping shirt an
covers the body. (for fem

The word Protective paraphernalia most commonly refers to tools and materials
used in or necessary for a particular activity. Below are examples of worker’s protective
paraphernalia.
Hand towels – used for wip

Long sleeves – used for cov

and insect bite.

Protective mask – used for

dust and chemicals while wo

Protective gown – used for

Protective shoes – used for

Hairnet – used to prevent th

Long pants – used for prote

Gloves – used for protecting

incident.
Information Sheet 1.3

PERSONAL HYGIENE AND GOOD

GROOMING
A. Personal hygiene refers to practices that lead to cleanliness and health
preservation. Examples of personal hygiene practices include hair cutting, shaving, brushing
teeth, bathing daily, nail clipping, etc. It also refers to good personal appearance. Hygiene
encourages personal health. Personal Hygiene is the first step to good grooming and good health.
It is an ongoing task.
  Bathe or shower daily
 Brush & floss daily
 Regular exercise
 Wear little perfume

B. Good grooming is knowing what to do and putting it into practice on a daily basis.
It starts before you put on your clothing. It means taking care of your hair, skin, face, hands and
your total body. Good grooming can lift your morale and help increase your self-esteem.
Good Grooming is structured to:

 understand the importance of creating a positive impression;

 behave appropriately at social and business functions;
 enhancing the Corporate and Social Image through dressing;
 understanding that basic grooming is all about cleanliness, tidiness and hygiene;
 how to manage personal hygiene;
 understanding the importance of nonverbal communication through facial expressions,
posture and behavior; and
 understanding the uniqueness of cultures around the world and how to apply the skills of
cultural understanding to become more successful in the global business environment

Grooming Do’s & Don’ts

 Wear your hair clean & styled neatly.

 Use deodorant.
 Shave your facial hair.
 Trim your beard (if you are sporting one).
 Do not use a lot of perfume/cologne.
 Do not smoke, chew gum or spit tobacco.
 Do not have dirty fingernails. Trim & scrub hands if necessary.

Clothing Do’s & Don’ts

 Wear clean, ironed clothes.

 Empty pockets-beware of bulging keys & coins.
 Don’t wear loud, bright colors. These colors can be used sparingly as accents or
accessories.
 C. Etiquette constitutes "the forms, manners, and ceremonies established by
convention as acceptable or required by society, in a profession or in official life." It is also
considered as the ability to reason and do the right thing at the right time. Etiquette is the
foundation of having social grace.

 Look the person you are speaking to straight in the eye. This gives the person the
impression that you are interested and very attentive.
 Avoid distraction which might result if you stare other things other than the person you
are speaking to
 Think before, during and after you speak.
 Do not speak with your mouth full.
 Speak in a gentle and pleasing tone.
 Avoid the use of slang, swearing, or any other "bad" language
 Do not interrupt people while they are talking.
 Refrain from sarcasm or double meanings in your conversation.
 Try to keep the main topic of the conversation away from yourself.
 Refrain from discussing people's private affairs or secrets.
 Try not to speak ill of others.
 Reserve a cheerful topic for conversation.
 Speak only about things you know.
 Make introductions to make new friends.
 Remember to respect others.
 Maintain a behavior that does not offend others.
 Look your best at all times according to the time place and occasion.
 Do not eat or drink in places not designated for such.
 Do not groom yourself in public.
 Maintain a proper decorum.
 Be courteous.
 Consider others.
 Be sure not to make noises that may bother others