BUSINESS PROGRESS HOW ETHICAL IS YOUR WORKPLACE?
A clearly written code of conduct can help you communicate to your employees what you expect in terms of ethical behavior in the workplace.
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ACCORDING TO Work Institute, “ethics in the workplace is defined as the moral code that guides the behavior of employees with respect to what is right and wrong in regard to conduct and decision making.” As a waterpark manager, you want your business to be perceived as one that values on ethical behavior, makes guest and employee safety the top priority and delivers as much fun to visitors as possible. The last thing you want is for guests who visit your park to see behaviors that imply a lack of ethics within your facility. To help you determine whether or not your workplace is displaying ethical behavior, take the following brief quiz. For each question, choose whether the behavior discussed is something you: often see or do, sometimes see or do or never see or do. Circle whichever answer best fits your operation.
Now, give yourself 3 points for every time you circled Often, 2 points for every time you circled Sometimes and 0 points for every time you circled Never. If you scored less than 10 points, then you should feel confident that ethical work behaviors are already a part of your work culture. Of course, there’s always room to improve, so this is still a great opportunity to address any items that scored higher. If you scored between 10 and 20 points, then you might have some changes to make to ensure ethical behaviors are part of your work culture. Take a look at where you scored 3’s and really think about how often you see these behaviors displayed. Let’s say, for example, that you answered Often on question 4. Ok, so popularity could mean likeability and being liked is a reason to move someone up into a management position. However, if you are promoting only those people you like regardless of the skill or longevity of others on your team, then that is not the most ethical way to make decisions on who to promote. Next time you are ready to promote a current employee into a management position, make skills, longevity, recommendations by more than one current manager the key points of consideration. If you scored more than 20 points, then you 1. Employees check emails or read the news on have a work ethic problem that needs to be adtheir phone while on the clock. dressed with everyone on your team. For exOFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER ample, if employees are often stealing time and 2. Employees grab food or a soda without paying goods from your business and no one is challengfor it. OFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER ing this behavior the first time it’s suspected, then you have a problem with ethics within your man3. Managers discuss things they’ve seen on team agement team. Your first step could be to review members’ social media pages. your employee training manual to see how you OFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER have discussed ethical work behaviors in the past. 4. Decisions to promote are based on popularity. Have you clearly outlined what are considered acOFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER ceptable ethical work practices for your business? Do you have a code of conduct that holds em5. Employee complaints are addressed only ployees accountable for displaying ethical work when business is slow. behaviors? If ethics have not been a part of your OFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER training manuals before, now is the time to revise 6. Gossip is shared during staff meetings. and add to your manuals. Consider researching OFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER codes of conduct for other businesses and use the best of what you find to draft a new code of con7. Maintenance issues are put off until the end of duct for your facility. the season. OFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER Remember that problems with ethical work 8. Invoices are held until they have to be paid. behaviors don’t happen overnight and they canOFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER not be addressed in a few days. Changing your work culture will take time and patience. It will 9. Employees get friends and family in without be worth it though because if you let your ethics paying. OFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER slide to the point that guests notice it, you will 10. Employees bend the ride rules when the park be dealing with serious perception problems that is closed. OFTEN SOMETIMES NEVER drive down visitor numbers in a hurry. •
WORLD WATERPARK MAGAZINE APRIL 2022
