Quarter : 1 Week : 2 Day : 1 Activity : 1

No.
Competenc : Understanding work immersion by discussing:
y 1. Expected behavior
a. Work ethics
Objective : A. Define the “work ethic.”
B. Define “work ethics.”
C. Distinguish between ethical and unethical work behavior.
D. Evaluate your own commitment to the “work ethic.”
E. Prepare a list of ethical standards for the performance of your
job.
Topic : Work Ethics
Materials : Activity Sheets
: https://rmctcwbl.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/capstone-lesson_-
2.pdf
References
Copyrights : For Classroom Use Only
Name ________________________________ Section _____________________________
Address______________________________ Contact No.
_________________________

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region VII, Central Visayas
Division of Bohol
LEARNING MODULE FOR WORK IMMERSION
Concept Notes

What is ethics when used with or without an "S"?

Have you ever heard of “work ethics” before? If you look the term “ethic” up in
the dictionary, you will see that it has to do with what is good and bad; that is, it
has to do with moral issues. There are two ways the term “work ethic” is used
today: with and without an “s.” The singular form, “the work ethic,” means
something slightly different than the plural form, “work ethics.”

What is ethics without an “S”? “

The work ethic” is a phrase that describes actions and beliefs of certain people. If
a person works very hard and exhibits a great deal of pride in that work, that
person is said to have a good “work ethic.” These people tend to be loyal,
dependable, self-motivated, and satisfied workers. They believe that they have
an obligation to work hard in order to provide for their families, contribute to the
economic health of their community, and achieve a level of success for their own
self-esteem. The “work ethic” concept originated back in the early Protestant
church, as part of the Reformation movement in Europe. People believed that
God had given them each a talent, gift, or skill (or maybe several skills) that they
were expected to use to the best of their ability. To not use their God-given
abilities in service to their fellow citizens was a form of sin, and the
“Reformationalists” dedicated their entire lives to avoiding sin. They wanted to
serve God and their fellow citizens with all their heart, thus fulfilling their
purposes in life. As you may see, some aspects of this “work ethic” concept
remain in our society today. The moral obligation that many people feel to
engage in productive, demanding, and appropriate work comes from these
religious roots. In fact, our society sees this desire as a very good one.
Employers are pleased when their employees exhibit qualities of this “work
ethic.” The more of these qualities the worker exhibits, the better worker he or
she is considered to be. So the “work ethic” could be defined as the belief that
one should work diligently, beyond minimum expectations, striving for
excellence in every aspect of the labor. This belief, along with resulting similar
actions by a worker, makes for an employee that any supervisor would be
pleased to have.

What is ethics with an “S”?

With an “s” on the end, “work ethics” means something slightly different. With
roots in the same religious belief system, the “ethics of the workplace” are
usually thought of today as a set of moral standards for each trade, profession,
or job classification. For example, psychologists would never disclose information
about their clients outside of their professional duties. To do so would be a
violation of their workplace ethics (or their moral/professional standards). A good
mechanic would never repair one item in a car while sabotaging another part to
malfunction later. It would be unethical. In the same way, it is considered
unethical to advertise a certain product as having certain qualities if it really
doesn’t. At times, fine lines are drawn between the ethical and the unethical.
One salesperson might believe it is all right to say his/her product is the best,
while another might say there are none better (implying that this is as good as
they come, but no better than other fine models). The sales people may
disagree; the first maintaining there is nothing wrong with his statement, and the
second refusing to “lie” to the customer. These types of differences among
standards can confuse younger workers and many people argue and debate such
issues at length.

As confusing as it can become, each type of job has certain ethical standards
that most workers agree on for that occupation. Medical care workers agree that
they should do everything they can to save a patient in danger of dying. Most
workers agree that misrepresenting information to a customer or client is
unethical. There are many, many other standards that workers within each
occupation or profession try to live up to. These are workplace ethics (plural,
with an “s”). There are also many general ethical principles, applicable to any
occupational area. Honesty, loyalty, confidentiality, accuracy, and open-
mindedness are qualities that most employers hope their workers will possess.
You could probably think of many others as well. Every worker, including you,
practices workplace ethics. Some workers practice them more conscientiously
than others. Unfortunately, some workers are unethical in their performance of
duties. At times, they break laws and are prosecuted, but more often they simply
fail to live up to accepted standards of doing the job well. Perhaps they “juggle
figures” to make their books balance (fraud/embezzlement). Perhaps they copy
someone else’s work and call it their own (plagiarism). Maybe they hire a relative
or a friend for a job rather than the most qualified applicant (nepotism). Although
these practices could be challenged if discovered or uncovered, they often go
unnoticed to all but the guilty party.

What about you?

How good is your understanding of the “work ethic” and “workplace ethics”? Do
you exhibit qualities of a strong work ethic? Do you practice good workplace
ethics? Do you do your job in a way that would earn respect from your employer?
If every one of your actions and attitudes could be seen on videotape and played
back in front of your employer, would you be pleased or embarrassed? Would
your boss be proud or disappointed? Or worse yet, would you be fired for some
unethical act?

Activity 1: Defining the terms. In the space below, contrast the meanings of
the terms “the work ethic” and “work ethics.”
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Activity 2B: Using the terms. Identify whether the following are “ethical” or
“unethical,” indicating how each action should be viewed by workers. If there is
some doubt, or the item is unclear, write “depends,” Write a short explanation
for choosing the said answer.

1. A Dairy Queen worker weighs each cone before serving it to customers.

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2. The mechanic lets his brother use the garage bay for fixing his brakes after
the shop has closed.
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3. The carpentry co-op student enters 5:00 on the time card after his co-worker
urges him to do so, even though she is going home at 4:20 p.m.
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4. A nurse aide works past the end of the shift in order to finish assigned work.
The aide was asked to be certain to finish the work during the shift because
there would be no overtime paid.
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5. A machinist co-op student scraps forty pieces and decides not to tell anyone
because of the trouble it would cause.
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6. An assembler slows down the production rate at his station, even though he
could work faster because workers at other stations seem unable to keep up.
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Activity 2B. Check which of the following worker characteristics would reflect a
worker with a good “work ethic.”
______punctual ______sociable ______respectful
______independent ______critical ______conscientious
______loyal ______self-centered ______works when ill
______seeks improvement ______satisfied ______interdependent
______takes on no extras ______disinterested
______uncooperative

Activity 3: Evaluate your commitment to the work ethic. Rate yourself on

a scale of 1-5 on each of the following items using this scale:
5 - A leader; consistently act this way and encourage others to do so as well.
4 - A role model; usually act this way and try to be an example.
3 - A good worker; can be depended upon to act this way most of the time.
2 - Could improve; not always the best at this, and should try to do better.
1 - Negligent; never gave it much thought.

_____1. I attend every day, arrive on time, begin my tasks promptly, and work
continually except for scheduled breaks.
_____2. I realize my own errors quickly, admit when I have made a mistake,
try to solve error-caused problems, and avoid making the same
mistake again.
_____3. I wear clean, well-fitting clothing, keep my body clean, and dress
appropriately for my assigned duties.
_____4. I complete tasks in the expected time, combine tasks for greatest
efficiency, and refrain from nonproductive time wasting (unscheduled
breaks, etc.).
_____5. I conform to all safety rules and exhibit extra concern for the safety
of others.
_____6. I get enough rest, work enthusiastically, and avoid destructive health
habits.
_____7. I work 60 minutes every hour and seek alternative tasks when
assigned work is complete.
_____8. I avoid complaining and criticizing, maintain a productive pace, and
am committed to the company’s goals.
_____ 9.I make sure I achieve only the highest quality workmanship and I
refuse to be represented by second-rate work or products.
____10. I work cooperatively to achieve group goals, compliment others’
work, and participate in group efforts.

Add up your score and see where you could improve: My Score is:
40-50 - what a worker!
30-40 - not bad, most employers would be happy
20-30 - you could stand to improve your work ethic
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below 20 - you may soon be unemployed

Activity 4. List ethical standards for your job

Prepare a list of ethical standards for workers in your occupation. List at

least five GENERAL ethical standards (applicable to any job), and at
least five ethical standards that apply specifically to YOUR job.

General Standards:

Your (dream) ``job title: _________________________________________

Your occupational ethical standards: