Workplace Behaviors Worksheet

Employment and Career Readiness: Workplace Behaviors Activity Packet Are you… …that person who accidently downloads malware? …that person who gossips about co-workers? …that person who ignores the company dress code or wears inappropriate, shabby, or dirty clothes? Don’t be that person! At a beverage company’s internal corporate sports event, a referee ejected several kickball players for arguing and making threats. The workers had lost their tempers and displayed poor sportsmanship during what was supposed to be a fun, team-building event. Don’t be that person who loses your cool in front of co-workers and supervisors. Whether in an office, in a break room, or on an athletic field, your behavior matters. Be ethical, trustworthy, safe, respectful, and responsible. This includes obeying workplace rules, setting a good example, and being a team player. Follow all laws, company policies (including dress code, computer usage rules, and social media guidelines), employee handbooks, and employment agreements. You will face many challenging situations during your career. How you handle them demonstrates your professionalism. You may be tempted to ignore that fire drill to finish an urgent work assignment. A coworker may ask you cover for him if he is late from lunch. A supervisor may ask you to falsify the sales figures in a report. You may want to call in sick when you are not, borrow money from the cash register, or overlook a serious safety violation. These actions are not worth jeopardizing your career or life. Bending the rules, covering something up, or looking the other way ‘just this one time’ can be a very slippery slope. Be Honest and Ethical Honesty really is the best policy. Do not lie about the number of hours you worked or exaggerate your accomplishments. Do not try to cover up or blame someone else for your errors. Professionalism does not mean never making a mistake; it means properly addressing the mistake when it happens. Admit your mistake, apologize, correct it, and do not let it happen again. For example, when a postal carrier forgot to check the outgoing mail slot of an in- frequently used section of a community’s shared mailbox, she did not deny her mistake or provide a lame excuse. Instead, she sincerely apologized to each affected individual, delivered the accumulated mail, and marked the mail slot for future reference. Rather than being angry, the residents accepted the postal carrier’s heart-felt apology and appreciated her constructive efforts to prevent a repeat incident. Your job may require that you have access to sensitive information, including confidential personnel files, client health or financial records, topsecret recipes, or new product designs. Sharing such information with competitors, co-workers, customers, or even your friends and relatives can have serious consequences. Unless these people have the authority to access the information, do not reveal it. Likewise, use strong computer passwords and avoid sharing the passwords with others. Follow computer usage and cybersecurity rules to protect you and the company. Respect Others Speak calmly and respectfully to co-workers, supervisors, and customers. Never accuse, confront, or embarrass someone in front of others, even if they are clearly wrong. It is more professional to address the situation behind closed doors. Never yell, curse, or lose your temper. Do not gossip, snoop, or spread rumors. Rise above petty office politics. You cannot control how people act, but you can control how you react to them. Salespeople, customer service agents, health-care providers, and hospitality workers, in particular, must take this to heart. They often must deal with people who are not acting on their best behavior. Take the higher ground in all situations. Respect people by being on time to work, appointments, and calls. Do not exceed your lunch or break times. Do not multitask during a conversation or meeting. If you do, you send the message that the text you are reading or game you are playing is more important than the person who is speaking to you. Work Hard and Be a Team Player Have a strong work ethic and be true to your word. If you say you will replace a customer’s tires by noon, do it. Never overpromise what you cannot deliver or give excuses if you miss a deadline. Do not be afraid to ask questions, especially at the start of your career. It is better to ask now, rather than wait six months from now (at which time people may expect you to know the answer). Choose your sick days carefully. Do not infect co-workers or customers by coming to work while you are contagious. However, frequently calling in sick on a Friday, Monday, or the day after a holiday appears suspicious and selfish. No one wants to work a holiday, but imagine if everyone called in sick that day. It would create an excessive, additional burden on an already thinly stretched staff. Cooperatively coordinate schedules, vacations, and paid time off with your co-workers. If your business operates on Christmas Eve, do not demand to have it off each year. Be fair, flexible, and agreeable by remembering that your co-workers also want to spend time with their families. Being a team player also means being helpful, polite, and kind to co-workers. Be a positive, can-do team member. News travels fast within a company and industry. In today’s interconnected world, stories and images circulate at lightning speed. People will likely find out it was you who pulled the office fire alarm as a prank, crashed the company truck, or blogged about a bad boss. When you seek that next promotion or new job, people will definitely remember you, but for the wrong reasons. Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Always be cautious, wise, and safe when you find yourself in a sticky situation. You do not want to be taken advantage of or placed in a compromising position. Ask your supervisor, human resources professional, union representative, legal expert, or a respected and knowledgeable co-worker if you need advice regarding a workplace dilemma or predicament. Act like a mature professional. Do not ask a parent, friend, or relative to intervene on your behalf at work. Think before you act, write, or speak, especially in high-stress situations. Do not let your temper or anger get the best of you. It takes a long time to earn the trust and respect of others, but just one bad decision to instantly destroy credibility and respect. Act Professional Be sure to get enough rest each night. You want to look sharp and be alert at work. Don’t be that person the boss catches zoning out or napping. Workplace Behaviors Checklist Do → be honest, dependable, trustworthy, positive, and respectful → follow your personal values, employee handbook, company rules, employment agreements, dress codes, computer/social media rules, and all laws → demonstrate a strong work ethic → be an upbeat, helpful team player → seek learning and growth opportunities → think for yourself and trust your instincts → admit mistakes and take responsibility → ask questions and make safe choices → think before acting, speaking, or responding → be on time for work, meetings, and appointments → be polite and maintain self-control → focus on work-related responsibilities → meet deadlines and fulfill commitments → use sick days carefully → arrive healthy, properly dressed, and well-rested → secure and protect computer passwords and confidential information x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x lie, gossip, cheat, or steal Don’t take shortcuts, bend the rules, or let others put you in a compromising or dangerous situation do the bare minimum to get by be uncooperative, overly competitive, or rude to co-workers or supervisors let your skills become outdated let other people persuade you to do something that is unethical, unsafe, or illegal cover up mistakes or blame others endanger your life or the lives of others react in haste or out of fear waste other people’s time curse, yell, embarrass, or insult other people let your personal life interfere with work overpromise or fail to deliver call in sick if you are not sick spread your illness to co-workers or customers violate computer usage and cybersecurity rules or share passwords or confidential data Employment and Career Readiness: Workplace Behaviors Review Multiple Choice Questions 1. Dave is an air conditioning repair technician. A previous appointment took longer than expected. Dave will now be late to his appointment at Mrs. Alvarez’s house. What should Dave do? a. Call Mrs. Alvarez, apologize, and provide an updated arrival time. b. Explain to Mrs. Alvarez that the late arrival was not his fault. The previous customer had not explained the extent of the issue. c. While driving to her house, Dave should text Mrs. Alvarez the updated arrival time. d. All of the above. 2. Emma thinks it would be fun to wear a costume to work on Halloween. What should Emma do? a. Ask her customers if they feel it is a good idea. b. Check the employee handbook and ask her supervisor about the policy on costumes. c. Ask co-workers to also wear costumes that day. d. Complain on social media if her company does not allow employees to wear costumes. 3. A storm broke windows and damaged a store’s backroom. Which statement demonstrates that Lisa, a cashier, is both a safe employee and a team player? a. “I would like to help, but cleaning is not one of my job responsibilities.” b. “I will use a broom and wear gloves to clean up the glass.” c. “I will pick up the glass with my bare hands.” d. “If Ron had unpacked those boxes yesterday, the rain would not have damaged the contents.” 4. Carlos works for an electronics company. He would like his company to promote him to manager. Carlos should do all the following EXCEPTa. Express his interest in taking on increased responsibilities and challenges at work. b. Learn more about the industry, his company, and the roles and responsibilities of managers. c. Demonstrate his knowledge, strong work ethic, dependability, and positive attitude every day. d. Demand a promotion if he does not receive one within six months. True or False 1. To appear loyal and dependable, an employee should never call in sick. ______ 2. Even if a customer is rude, you must remain calm, poised, and professional. ______ 3. Do exactly as your supervisor tells you, even if the request is illegal or unsafe. ______ 4. If you have an issue with your work schedule, have your parent call your boss. ______ 5. It is important to be on time for work each and every day. ______ 6. Dress codes are just guidelines. They do not need to be followed exactly. ______ 7. Texting while talking to a co-worker or customer is acceptable if you do it quickly. ______ Short Answers 1. What should you do when you make a work-related mistake? ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ 2. Who can you ask for advice if you encounter a workplace dilemma? ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Employment and Career Readiness: Workplace Behaviors Crossword Puzzle 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 20 21 17 18 19 22 23 Across 1. Protect passwords and _____ company information. 6. Never _____ about your work hours or accomplishments. 7. Employee handbooks are references that describe what companies _____ workers to do or not do. 9. Take the _____ ground when co-workers or customers are rude, ill-tempered, or mean. 10. _____ is the best policy as far as admitting workrelated mistakes. 13. Never yell _____ co-workers or customers. 15. Ask_____ if you are unsure about something. 18. Being dependable means always completing your assigned _____ correctly and on time. 20. Be a _____ player by helping co-workers, contributing ideas, and supporting others. 22. Follow the company dress_____. 23. Do not _____ money, office supplies, or products from your company. Down 1. A professional speaks _____ and respectfully. 2. _____ dress codes, company policies, employee agreements, workplace rules, and laws. 3. Do not endanger your life or _____ lives of others. 4. _____ your mistake, apologize, correct it, and do not let it happen again. 5. Be on _____ for work, meetings, and calls. 8. Just _____ bad decision can instantly destroy credibility and respect. 11. Demonstrate a _____ work ethic by delivering results consistently and having a positive attitude. 12. Do not _____ others for your mistakes. 13. _____ a supervisor, human resources professional, union representative, or well-respected co-worker if you need advice regarding a workplace dilemma. 14. Do not bend the _____ or take shortcuts. 16. If _____thing feels wrong or unethical, it likely is. 17. Do not come to work if you are _____ and contagious. 19. Be a _____ worker by participating in fire drills, wearing required protective clothing, using equipment properly, and not texting while driving. 21. Do not react to or get mad _____ angry customers. Employment and Career Readiness: Workplace Behaviors Brainstorming Activity Answer the following workplace-related questions in complete sentences. 1. Identify three specific actions you can take to ensure you will be on time for work each day. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Identify three specific actions you can take if you are unsure how to complete an assigned job task. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Identify three specific ways you should respond if a customer yells at you for something that is not your fault. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Identify and explain what you think will be the biggest challenge for you in the workplace. What can you do about it? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. You realize you overcharged a customer. What actions should you take to correct this mistake and prevent it from happening in the future? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. A co-worker asks for your company computer password to check her e-mail. How would you politely respond to her? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________