The ten work ethic traits: appearance, attendance, attitude, character, communication, cooperation, organisational skills, productivity, respect, and teamwork are defined as essential for ethical work success and are listed below.
The definition of each of these traits must be integrated into the workplace to ensure ethical working environments and appropriate conduct within the workplace.
Appearance: Display proper dress, grooming, hygiene, and manners. (In South Africa, this may include adherence to cultural dress codes or traditional attire where appropriate.)
Attendance: Attend work, arrive and leave on time, inform the employer in advance of planned absences, and catch up on tasks promptly. (This is particularly important in South African workplaces where attendance is often linked to performance and conduct assessments and appraisals.
Attitude: Show a positive attitude, appear confident, and have true hopes for oneself. (In the South African context, this might include resilience in the face of challenges such as load shedding or transport issues.)
Character: Display loyalty, honesty, dependability, reliability, initiative, and self-control. (These traits are highly valued in South African workplaces, where Ubuntu - the philosophy of interconnectedness - is often emphasised.)
Communication: Display proper verbal and non-verbal skills and listen. (In multilingual South Africa, this may include efforts to communicate across language barriers.)
Cooperation: Display leadership skills; properly handle criticism, conflicts, and stress; maintain proper relationships with peers and follow chain of command. (In South Africa, this might involve navigating diverse cultural backgrounds and communication styles.)
Organisational Skill: Show skills in management, prioritising, and dealing with change. (Adaptability is particularly important in the South African job market, which often faces economic fluctuations.)
Productivity: Follow safety practices, conserve resources, and follow instructions. (Resource conservation is crucial in South Africa, where water and electricity shortages are common challenges.)
Respect: Deal properly with diversity, and show understanding and tolerance. (This is particularly important in South Africa's multicultural society, where respect for different races, cultures, and beliefs is essential.)
Teamwork: Respect the rights of others, is a team worker, is helpful, is confident, displays a customer service attitude, and seeks continuous learning. (In South Africa, teamwork often involves collaborating with people from diverse backgrounds.)
We should perhaps differentiate between a work ethic and workplace ethics. By work ethic, we usually imply that someone works hard, is value for money as an employee, or someone whom we have hired for a service.
Workplace ethics have a wider meaning, encompassing the honest behaviour of employers, employees, contractors, consultants, practitioners of various kinds, beneficiaries, the general public, clients, patients, learners and parents, and anyone involved in the work being done.
Some people have only to satisfy their employer or a client that they will diligently and honestly carry out the work they have contracted to do. Others have an employer on one side and a client on the other or even the general public. In South Africa, this is particularly relevant in sectors such as government service, healthcare, and education, where professionals often have to balance the interests of their employers, clients, and the broader public.
It's worth noting that in South Africa, workplace ethics also encompass adherence to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policies, which aim to redress historical economic imbalances. Additionally, given the country's history, there's a strong emphasis on fair labour practices and workers' rights, as enshrined in the Labour Relations Act and other relevant legislation.
