Work Ethics and Honesty

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Work Ethics and Honesty

I believe that success is guided by the level of work ethics that both an organization and individuals have. I define work ethics as the possession of an inherent ability in diligence and hard work that strengthens character and builds moral benefits. People may have high qualifications in their professions, but I believe working outside the confinement of work ethics is a high way to failure. Apparently, honesty is a strong quality of work ethics and it is defined as the quality of being truthful and sincere with others and oneself. One could relate work ethics to the expected code of behavior and discipline when working based on the rules and regulations of an organization. I strongly believe that ethics come along in any formal and informal setting as it helps one how to behave and treat others.

Work ethics are guided by moral principles and without these principles, employees would not be able to correlate, doing what is right would become a problem, and this would result in high employee turnover. I believe that life is a cycle that comprises of an unbroken stream of situations that demand decision making. Everyone is free to make a decision; however, the ability to make moral choices is what defines one as being ethical in their work. I would personally, as an employer, not employ someone who is unethical. Such virtues as diligence, honesty, trust, responsibility, kindness, and other interpersonal aspects are cognitively developed in ethical people.

I happened to work at a grocery store in my hometown, but there was this incidence that taught me that work ethics form a core foundation in how professionals relate to clients and customers. In life, there are situations that find us and put us in dilemma, giving us options to make the right or ethical decision or to jump on the other side of the fence. I happened to be the cashier at the grocery store and I noticed this old man who walked right up to me, he was bending a little due to his age and I could tell that he was not seeing clearly by the way he walked. He approached me on the counter and asked me where he could find the apples. I gave him simple and direct instructions on where to find them and he walked right there and took five apples.

He headed back to the counter and I was ready to serve the kind, old man. Jude was one of the new employees in the grocery. He was just a week old in the facility, I can attest that he was the unfriendly type and I had not understood the way he behaved. Frankly, he scared me because of the type of people that came to visit him in the store. He also talked to none, except the supervisor, who I believe had managed to secure the job for him. He happened to be nearby as the old man was coming to the counter to pay. As the old man reached deep into his pocket he dropped a $100 bill. I happened to see it fall, but before I could say anything, Jude gestured me to keep quiet and he took the bill.

I watched as the old man helplessly searched for the money. It was at this point that I was put between a crossroad on what I believed about work ethics and whether I was to earn the friendship of my colleague. The virtue of honesty and treating customers with diligence was being tested here. I realized that Jude was not an honest man, and according to me, honesty is a part of the work ethics that I believed in. Life entails situations that require decision making, but this one needed a moral decision. The old man was starting to get frustrated, he reached into his shirt’s pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill after telling me he guessed that he had left his money at home.

I called Jude and asked him to do the right thing, he hesitated. I retaliated that he needed to give the old man his money back. Jude was pissed off but he did it anyway, I did not let the old man know that it was one of our staff who had found the money and decided to keep it for themselves. Jude approached the man and told him that he had found his money. The man was so happy that he ended up giving him the ten-dollar bill as a sigh of appreciation. This time Jude did the right thing, he did not accept the token of appreciation, he knew deep inside him what he had done. He told the man that he was glad to assist and it was in good faith.

The grocery incident reminded me of my strong belief in work ethics. I believe I had helped Jude become a better man, an honest one to be precise. The fact that I did not give him away but gave him the chance to do the right thing made me earn his trust, but I warned him against such behavior and made him understand the importance of honesty as a virtue in work ethics. I believe that work ethics help us treat others better, propagate a better organizational culture, respect others, create cooperation, and create the room for autonomy to do what is right when everyone is not watching. Surprisingly, Jude and I are best of friends and we strongly believe in work ethics and honesty tops the list.

Work Cited

Anastasia. (2017, September 14). Work Ethic Definition & Elements of a Strong Work Ethic. Retrieved from https://www.cleverism.com/work-ethic-definition-elements-strong-work-ethic/