Good Honest Dollar $$

In last week’s post, I outlined what I felt to be a range of core fundamental rights to which every worker should be entitled, regardless of the country, industry or culture in which they are employed.

But with rights come responsibilities, and today, I would like to outline what I feel should be the key responsibilities of each and every employee.

 
Key responsibilities of employees
Listed below are what I feel should be the key responsibilities of every employee. This list is by no means exhaustive and readers are encouraged to add their own suggestions:

 
• Strive to maximize their contribution.

This point summarizes the overriding responsibility of an employee in a nutshell.

Employees must at all times strive to maximize the value of their contribution to their contribution, both to their employer and also the key stakeholders to whom their employer is accountable.

This must be the overriding focal point, and the foundation upon which staff base their whole approach toward the fulfillment of their responsibilities.

The bare minimum is not acceptable. Workers must go all-out for excellence.

 
• Adopt an attitude of service.

An employment relationship should be one of mutual respect. But it is not a relationship of equals – the employee is the servant and the employer is the master.

Let me stress, I am not talking about any form of slavery. Instead, what I am talking about is that workers must accept that they are in a position of service, and that this has two fundamental consequences in terms of the manner in which they should approach their responsibilities.

The first such consequence relates to an employee’s interaction with those to whom he or she is accountable. Staff must seek to adopt an attitude of personal humility, particularly in the presence of superiors, owners or shareholders, as well as other relevant stakeholders. In addition, workers should demonstrate an appropriate degree of courtesy and respect toward those to whom they are accountable.

The second consequence relates to the manner in which employees approach their responsibilities. Workers must seek to serve in a manner which is dutiful, loyal and trustworthy at all times – regardless of whether his or her superiors are watching.  

 
• Do whatever it takes.

Staff must always be willing and prepared to do whatever is necessary in order to complete their responsibilities in a satisfactory manner.

Whilst excessive amounts of overtime should not be encouraged, employees must be willing to put in time outside of standard office hours where necessary in order to get the job done. In addition, workers must be willing to assist with projects which are not normally within their job description where necessary.

 
• Be a team player.

The attitude of “not my department, not my responsibility,” has no place within the modern workplace environment.

Employees owe a position of service to the entire company and the key stakeholders that the company serves, not simply the department to which they are allocated, and staff must be willing to work in a cooperative manner with those outside of their department and contribute toward projects which fall outside the scope of their regular duties.

 
• Act with integrity.

Employees should seek to act in a manner of complete honesty and integrity at all times.

Prior to commencing employment, prospective employees must refrain from making any form of misrepresentation in terms of their qualifications or suitability for the position.

Whilst in employment, any form of theft, misappropriation or unauthorized of company money, property or data is unacceptable, as is any misuse of position for personal gain.

In addition, staff must refrain from participation in any form of conduct which is illegal, unethical, or in breach of any applicable industry or professional codes of conduct – regardless of any pressure applied by colleagues or superiors.

Finally, upon becoming aware of any form of improper conduct of others, employees must report such conduct to an appropriate authority – whether this be to an appropriate manager within the organization, or potentially to regulatory authorities or other parties outside the organization.

 
• Observe all health and safety procedures.

Whilst the employer has an obligation to provide a safe working environment, every employee within an organization has the responsibility to take a proactive approach toward ensuring not only their own personal safety, but also that of their colleagues.

This includes following all occupational health and safety procedures, wearing all required safety equipment, and either taking immediate preventative action or brining the matter to the attention of appropriate personnel in the event of identification of potential hazards.

 
• Refuse to engage in conduct which harmful to their employer.

At no stage should an employee engage in any form of conduct which could in any way cause harm to their employer, whether during or outside office hours.

Employees must refrain from participation in any form of employment or business activities outside the scope of their regular job which either represent any form of competition to their employer’s business or result in any form of conflict of interest which has the potential to in any way compromise their ability to serve their employer in a satisfactory manner.

In addition, staff must at all times refrain from any form of conduct which has the potential to bring the reputation of their employer into disrepute.

 
• Be a good ambassador for their employer.

The behavior of staff, both during and outside office hours, has an impact upon the reputation of their employer.

Accordingly, staff should seek to act in a manner which is honorable to their employer at all times.

During work hours, staff must adopt a thoroughly courteous and professional approach in their dealings with all relevant stakeholders.

Outside office hours, employers need not observe all of the rules of regular office etiquette, but should nevertheless refrain from any form of conduct which could in any way bring the reputation of their company into disrepute, as noted above. This particularly applies whilst participating in any form of out of office functions or activities which are related to their employment.