Work Ethics
“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goals: my strength lies solely in my tenacity.” Louis Pasteur
As I sit down to write this, I am reminded of the saying that there is no free lunch. Then again, I look at South Africa’s unemployment rate and I realise that people are desperate for work, but having a job is not always possible. But let’s say you have one, how do you go about keeping it and maximizing the experience for both your employer and for you? In other words, how do you become excellent at your job?
I say become because you have to grow into it. Rome was not built in a day, nor can you become perfect at your job overnight.
Work ethic is defined as “a personal set of standards for acceptable behaviours” (Personio, 2024) at work. Each individual and each company should have them. These include reliability, commitment, discipline, productivity, teamwork, integrity, responsibility, professionalism, dedication, and the taking of initiative.

Reliability means coming to work on time, completing tasks within the expected deadline and being someone your colleagues can depend on.
Commitment and dedication mean you are dedicated to your job, and you don’t get distracted.
A disciplined colleague is someone who does his/her best continuously to exceed expectations. This person also strives for continuous improvement.
The same can be said of a very productive co-worker.
Part of being at work is working in teams. Be considerate to your colleagues. They need to be able to work with you. No one enjoys working with someone who is domineering, rude, difficult etc. Being someone who is approachable and dependable makes teamwork a positive experience for your colleagues.

Integrity and accountability are crucial in the workplace, especially if you are working in teams. Integrity is being the same person, even if no-one is watching. Accountability means owning up for your oversights or mistakes.
Few things impress an employer as much as when you take initiative. If you see a need, take care of it without being asked. Prove to your employer that you are a self-starter. People who are self-starters are usually highly motivated and these people are a good fit for a company.
Finally, we get to professionalism. The way you dress, act, send emails and more are important in the workplace. When you meet people, greet them with a firm handshake, and smile. Dress appropriately to the type of job. Do not send emails that are all in capitals. This is known as flaming and gives the impression that you are shouting at your colleague. This is not professional.

Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash
Louis Pasteur said that his strength lies in his tenacity. May we too become tenacious, growing ever more into our work ethics, and display our brilliance at work.
Compiled by: Tanja Werle