Employee ethics and responsibilities

I have talked about the responsibilities that organisations have towards their shareholders and their employees. Today, in the world of hop on and hop off, it's time to remind employees about their ethical and fiduciary responsibilities towards their employers.

The first and most important is to learn to honour your commitments, whether at work or at home. You cannot have two different standards.

When you join a firm, you are not seeking part time employment. Companies hire full time employees so that they provide security and career opportunities in exchange for your committing to add value to them.

If an employee leaves within three years, the employee has not been fair to the organisation. The first year goes in learning the business. Only the next two years is where one is able to add value. By not staying through the two additional years, you have not given enough time to the employer to assess your progress and provide you growth and promotion opportunities. By not having patience, you have also done yourself a disservice.

Starts and stops

Your career will be full of starts and stops. The ones who stay the long haul are the ones that are the winners in the long run. Look at the successful CEOs and business leaders around the world - most have been with the organisation over 10 years and the organisation awards them for their commitment.

An employee who does not see the benefits of the organisation before one's own benefit can never be a business leader or CEO.

The second aspect is compensation. Many join a firm and at the end of the first year, start negotiating for 50 per cent increase. If somebody believes their value is up 50 per cent in one year, they have got to also believe that it's the firm that provided opportunity for significant value increase.

So isn't it fair to share the spoils and treat the career and compensation opportunity not like a 20-20 cricket match? Or treat yourself as if you are a stock? In that case, you should be also ready for downward movement - but no employee is ever willing to take a salary cut.

The third aspect is around utilisation of company resources. The padding of expense reports is the oldest trick in the book. People get paid well enough nowadays not to have to try to use these resources.

An employer definitely notices what is going on, but may not confront you. However, the employer does end up making a judgment call. If a person cannot be trusted on an expense report, how can the person be trusted with all the company's finances? For short term benefits, don't lose out on the significant long-term gains that can come your way.

And lastly, I want to remind everybody that the world is a very small place, and what goes around, comes around. I cannot tell you how many times I run into people who I met 20 years ago, and when I meet them, they are in a position to make a judgment call that can affect me personally and professional. Remember this when you try to shortchange your current employer. Don't burn your bridges, it will come back to haunt you sooner that you think.

The writer is managing director of Cedar Management Consulting International.