Discipline is the very essence that holds each and every fragment of an organization together. Without it, a company would spell out pandemonium and eventually fall apart. Hence, no genuine company dares to ignore the obligation of stipulating “codes of conduct”. Codes of conduct are specifically intended to control employee behavior for the greater good of a company’s bottom-line. We are all born with a few flaws and bad habits. However, once we are aware of the negative responses it elicits, we quickly oblige to flush away our idiosyncrasies. Non-compliance with code of conducts in workplaces can have harmful repercussions to our professional lives. For instance, constantly stepping into office one hour late or provoking your colleagues into arguments and tussles will coax your boss to utter the two words an employee dreads the most- “you’re fired!” Unethical and dishonest employers plague almost every breathing workplace. Introducing and dictating reasonable rules is the conventional method used to ensure decorum in a workforce. These standards threaten the security of one’s position, thus coercing them to conform to the official codes of conduct. Keep reading this section to gain a clear insight into the unfavourable practices you could be held accountable for.
Workplace Behavior
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Whatever you do, make it a point to align your behaviors with the mission and values of your organization. Obviously, the standards within a law firm will differ from a construction unit. So don’t refute your company’s codes of conduct on that pretence. Respect its values and rules as you do for your own home.
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Avoid participating in banters and brawls which tend to include sexual or racial overtones. Discriminating colleagues with regards to gender, caste or religion reflects poorly on your personality. Keep your personal beliefs to yourself. Don’t let them interfere with your professional life.
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Do not engage in idle gossip which involuntarily triggers office politics and rivalry. Do not share opinions about your senior or fellow colleagues. If at all, the word spreads, one could get offended and consequently hold intense grudges against you.
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Never bad-mouth.
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Modesty is well appreciated. Blowing your own trumpet is bound to irk the rest. Think ahead and don’t be trapped in the bubble of your past achievements.
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Buttering up your boss or supervisors isn’t recommended and subtly implies that your skills aren’t good enough. Impress your superiors with your abilities and not with blatant flattery or gifts.
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Don’t come to office drunk or stoned. Alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited.
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Frequent utilization of your mobile phone during office disrupts the flow in the workplace and may break the code of conduct parameters. Of course, some professions demand one-on-one communication with outside parties. Nonetheless, employees are expected to be courteous to the extent of setting their phones on silent or vibrator mode so as to limit interruptions in office.
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Modulate your voice to an acceptable decibel level as you speak. A loud voice is likely to get on everybody else’s nerves and simultaneously lower their productivity as they struggle to concentrate on their work.
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Dress well and adopt the stipulated degree of formality once you have signed the contract and have been familiarized to the acceptable ‘code of conduct’. Look presentable!
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Reject any offers of bribery or inducement, and do not make any!
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Remember you’re being paid to work and not waste time chatting on your desktop or with your workmates. Although Facebook appears to be a great stress buster, the second you log in, you will lose track of the working hours it can gobble up. Resist the urge to update statuses and upload new pictures and focus on meeting your deadlines instead! And no, don’t settle for another social networking website. Go work!
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Similarly, freeze your fingers if or when confronted with a YouTube link. No doubt, some videos might be beneficial, but don’t drown yourself in the thousand and one videos. It kicks you out of the working mode, instantaneously breaking your flow of thought.
