Appropriate workplace behaviors - you decide

As you enter into the world of work you will find that various situations begin to test your ethical inclination. What follows are some general reminders.

How to Identify Inappropriate Behavior in the Workplace
Some types of behavior are always inappropriate when in the workplace. However, you may be wondering how you can identify these types of behavior and know when you need to report them. Keeping inappropriate behaviors out of the workplace will boost employee moral and increase productivity.Companies have behavior requirements for those who work in office. Employees who go against the grain are considered to have inappropriate behavior, which can have a negative affect on the work atmosphere and the employee themselves.

Definition

• Inappropriate employee behavior is when an employee behaves in a way that is discouraged by the employer. Most companies outline acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in their employee handbook or code of conduct.

Types

• Inappropriate behaviors can be put into different classifications, such as those having to do with ethics, relationships, conflicts of interest and professionalism.

Features

• Employees who exhibit inappropriate behaviors may be guilty of breaching ethical codes, dressing unprofessionally in the workplace, having inappropriate relationships with coworkers and disrespecting authoritative figures, like their supervisors.

Significance

• Inappropriate workplace behavior needs to be corrected because they can be disruptive to the work environment. Co-workers may find it difficult or uncomfortable to work with inappropriate people.

Resolution

• According to the Worcester Polytech Institute, there are different kinds of warnings that can be given to inappropriate employees, such as oral and written warnings. Some inappropriate behaviors, such as harassment, may not be tolerated and can lead to immediate termination.
  General Examples:

• Know that jokes about someone's gender, race, cultural background, religion or other personal characteristics are very inappropriate. This is true even if it seems that the person is poking fun at himself, as it could also hurt the feelings of someone else. If this happens to you, try respectfully asking the person to stop making jokes about the particular subject. If the behavior doesn't stop, then you should bring it to your supervisor's attention.
• Remember that touching someone else's body or making comments that are sexual in any way are always inappropriate behaviors. This type of behavior, both in and out of the workplace, could result in a lawsuit. If you are on the receiving end of uninvited touching or sexual comments, report them to your supervisor immediately.
• Understand that dating among colleagues is usually inappropriate. However, this often depends on the company. In most cases though, relationships between a manager and an employee are inappropriate because they can cause problems in the workplace.
• Consider possible instances of discrimination. Discrimination based on age, gender, disability, national origin, race and religion is always inappropriate in the workplace. An example of this might be when a company only wants to hire men for manual labor jobs because they assume women can't do them because they are women.
• Realize that pushing religion in the workplace is inappropriate. For example, if a Christian manager is trying to share his religion with a new employee to make him feel welcome; this could make the employee uncomfortable. He might feel like he can't voice his feelings and discomfort to his manager for fear of losing respect. If you feel that a supervisor or coworker is pushing unwanted information about his religion, you should ask them to stop. If they don't, make a report of inappropriate workplace behavior.

Tips & Warnings

• Sometimes people just don't take inappropriate workplace behavior seriously, and the only way to get them to stop is to report them to a supervisor. If someone's behavior hurts your feelings or makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to put up with it in the workplace. There are laws regulating workplace behavior to protect workers.

Now let's look at some scenario's. I want each of you to respond to the scenario via email to me. In your response, tell me if the behavior is workplace appropriate or not and why. If you feel the behavior is okay in the workplace, state your reasons. If not appropriate, state why and what alternatives might be sought to make the situation more workplace appropriate.

1. All employee's are expected to be at the job and ready to go by a specific time. 95% of the workforce arrives at their job, ready to do what is expected of them. On the other hand, the same individuals seem to arrive late several times per week or month, often appearing unsteady, not ready for the tasks at hand. How do you view this situation? Appropriate or not? Why?

2. Timelines & deadlines need to be attended to. If one person lags behind it can endanger production deadlines for the entire crew. Unfailingly, 2 team members seem to miss the deadlines, pushing other members of the team toward disaster. When approached on this issue, the response is the same - we do get it done, it just takes us a little longer. How do you view this situation? Appropriate or not? Why?

3. The workplace is a sterile environment. Specific clothing, eye wear, shoes and more are required. Skinny Jim knows this but he is always hunger, bringing food into the work environment and eating while he is supposed to be completing his tasks. Others follow the company policy, he doesn't. How do you view this situation? Appropriate or not? Why?

4. You and the other members of your work place are all assigned tasks. Somewhat similar in nature but each person is supposed to be able to complete the task without overt assistance from other members of the crew. In order to complete their work, several crew members are continually asking for assistance or outright asking for your work, which they will reorder and make it appear as if the product is work of their own. How do you view this situation? Appropriate or not? Why?

5. You work in a casual environment. There are several situations where employee's have the opportunity to work closely together. You've noticed though that a supervisor is always meeting with the same employee, often finding them sitting close together, holding hands and snuggling as they work. They get their work done but it seems as if there are other concerns they are attending to. How do you view this situation? Appropriate or not? Why?