Department of Accounting

Refreshment Course

Work Effectively in a Business Environment

ELEMENTS OF COMPETENCY:
 Work within organizational requirements
 Work in a team
 Develop effective work habits
UNDERSTANDING THE ORGANISATION’S REQUIREMENTS

Induction

All effective organisations start new workers with orientation guidelines, also known as an induction. The aim of
the session is to introduce the new employee to the organisation. Many organisations give the employee an
induction kit, which generally contains a policies and procedures manual, a plan of the office/factory, an
organisational chart (showing employees’ names, titles and the location of their offices), the new employee’s
position description and list of duties and material relating to the organisation, such as the annual report, sales
reports, promotional brochures, safety procedures, etc. This kit should be kept in a handy location so you can
refer to it as required.

Organisational goals and objectives

As an employee you need to understand the organisation’s goals and objectives. These will be contained in the
organisation’s documents, such as the business plan. Your supervisor will probably discuss these with you when your
duties and tasks are assigned, and describe how your tasks help the organisation to achieve its goals.

The organisation’s documents

All employees need to be familiar with documents outlining the requirements of the organisation. Documents
may include:

 Goals, objectives and plans, eg business plan, annual report

 Legal and organisational policies and procedures manual
 Access and equity principles and practice policies
 Anti-discrimination and related policies
 Ethical standards
 Quality and continuous improvement processes and standards
 Occupational health and safety (OHS) policies, procedures and programs.

When you commence a new job or a new role within your existing organisation you should know where these
documents are located and become familiar with them as quickly as possible. If there is anything you don’t
understand you should clarify it with your supervisor, colleagues or other appropriate people. It is far better to
ask someone if you are unsure about anything, than pretend you know.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYEES

Responsibilities of employees

As a new worker, you will need to know your rights and responsibilities. These are generally listed in the
organisation’s policies and procedures manual. When you agree to accept a position with an organisation,
whether by a signed or verbal agreement, you enter into a contract for employment. Employee responsibilities
should be outlined in your contract, workplace agreement, relevant award or letter of offer.

The following is a list of employee responsibilities.

 Attendance and punctuality
 Obeying lawful orders
 Confidentiality and privacy
 Safety and care
RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES

Terms and conditions

An employee has a right to the entitlements and conditions of employment that are outlined in the award or
contract of employment (Workplace Agreement). At the time you are employed, the terms and conditions of your
employment should be explained to you, eg salary, leave entitlements, overtime entitlements, etc.

Union representation

Unions are associations that seek to improve the working conditions for their members. All employees have a
right to belong to a union and be represented by a union should the need arise.

Protection from discrimination and sexual harassment

You have the right to a workplace that is free from discrimination and sexual harassment. Sexual harassment and
certain types of discrimination are criminal offences.

In general, under both federal and state laws, it is illegal to discriminate against another person in the workplace
on any of the following grounds: gender, race, ethnic origin, social status, marital status and parental status,
sexuality, pregnancy, physical characteristics, impairment, religious beliefs and political beliefs.

Sexual harassment is different from sex discrimination. Sexual harassment relates to direct violation of sexual
privacy by offensive behaviour. Sexual harassment can be physical, verbal or written and can consist of the
following:

 Unwelcome comments about a person’s sex life, physical behaviour or appearance

 Suggestive behaviour, such as leering or ogling
 Unnecessary familiarity, such as brushing against a person
 Offensive telephone calls, emails, photographs, reading materials and sexual jokes
 Sexual propositions or continual requests for dates
 Physical contact
 Indecent assault

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYERS

Employers have a right to expect that employees will be punctual, carry out the duties for which they were
employed and contribute to a safe working environment.

Responsibilities of employers

The following is a list of employer responsibilities. Write an explanation as to what the employer must do, in one
or two sentences, on each responsibility.

 Safe working environment

 Non-discriminatory practices
 Sexual harassment
 Affirmative action

COMPLYING WITH RELEVANT LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND ORGANISATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Understanding the goals and objectives of an organisation will help you perform your own job more effectively.
Sometimes the goals and objectives might be clearly written down in an information folder, or talked about at staff
meetings. At other times they might just be assumed, with employees knowing how things are done without
actually writing it down on paper.

The organisation’s policies and procedures manual ensures the business complies with all relevant legislation and
regulations. It is important to adhere to workplace policies and procedures.

Values define how people interact with each other and customers. The values of the organisation will depend
largely on what sort of organisation it is, and what it sees as being important, such as customer service, trust,
integrity, environmental awareness, ethical behaviour or fostering positive, harmonious work attitudes.

Legal responsibilities and organisational objectives

 Integrity
 Accountability
 Fairness
 Responsiveness

IDENTIFYING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF COLLEAGUES

If there are more than just a few people in an organisation there needs to be a formal structure, where job
positions exist to fulfil particular functions. The organisational structure shows who is responsible for what, and
who reports to whom.

Generally in a workplace there will be one person, sometimes called a line manager, who you need to report to on
a day-to-day basis. This person will probably be a supervisor or team leader. In turn, they might report to a more
senior manager, who is responsible for a whole department or division.

MAINTAINING THE STANDARDS AND VALUES OF THE ORGANISATION

Most organisations expect you to behave in a courteous and polite way and to treat colleagues, customers and
visitors with respect. There is also an expectation to follow organisational requirements.

For example, the business has a policy that says that the lights must be switched off each night to save on
electricity costs. Possible ways to deal with the issue of a staff member always leaving the lights on are:

 Confront the person directly and explain why they should turn the lights off at night.
 Complain to another work colleague about the issue.
 Talk to your supervisor and ask them to talk to the person.
 Make sure you are the last to leave so you can turn the lights off yourself.
 Bring the issue up at a staff meeting.
 Put a copy of the environmental policy on the person’s desk.
 Make a sign that says ‘Turn the lights off’ and put it next to the light switch.

WORKING EFFECTIVELY IN THE WORKPLACE

Workplace cooperation is about working in harmony with both your colleagues and your supervisors within the
requirements of the organisation. Cooperation is a two-way behaviour and applies equally to employers and
employees. You can begin to work cooperatively by:

 Working as a team member

 Discussing and negotiating problems and tasks with other employees
 Solving problems as a group
 Listening to the ideas and opinions of other employees
 Sharing your knowledge and skills.

Behaviour in the workplace

Most organisations expect you to behave in a courteous and polite way, and to treat colleagues, customers and
visitors with respect. This requires an understanding of the organisation’s requirements in relation to
interpersonal communication, workplace procedures, customer service and values and behaviours.

Goals and rules differ from organisation to organisation. What might be accepted in one company may not be in
another. It is your responsibility to be familiar with the requirements of the organisation, and if in doubt, to seek
assistance from an appropriate person. For example, what are the dress rules for your organisation? What are
the rules about personal phone calls and emails?

Communicating in the office

Addressing visitors and clients

It is always better to be over formal, eg Mr Surname, when you first deal with customers so that you do not offend
them by being too casual.

Dealing with management and senior staff

Follow your organisation’s policies for correctly addressing senior staff. You may need to make an appointment to
speak with them as they are very busy people.

Communicating with colleagues

Always be pleasant and polite.

Discriminatory language

Always refrain from using discriminatory language.

Personal behaviour

From time to time you may need to email someone or use the telephone to make personal calls. Make sure you
know your business’s policy for this. Be aware that your behaviour contributes to a safe environment.

WORK IN A TEAM

Being courteous and helpful

Courtesy can be defined as being respectful or considering others. Courtesy is treating other people in a way you
would like to be treated by them. There are many little things that you can do to make sure that you are being
courteous in your workplace. These include:

 Saying please and thank you

 Being helpful
 Being cooperative
 Keeping your work area clean – This makes it easier for other people to work.

Completing tasks

In every work environment you will find that specific tasks are allocated or given out by someone more senior than
you. Whatever your role is, if you want to be seen as a team player, be sure to perform in such a way that your co-
workers know they can rely on you.
When you fulfil your commitments, it shows that you respect others. Being on time for a meeting shows that you
don’t want to waste other people’s time. When you cannot complete a job as agreed, it is important to let your
supervisor or team know what is happening.

Seeking Assistance when Difficulties Arise

If difficulties arise when you are carrying out your work, it is important to get assistance before the situation gets
too bad. If you feel unable to ask for help about workplace problems, you may end up not completing work on
time and letting people down. If the problem persists you may worry more and stress may increase.

During your working life you will encounter many difficulties in the workplace. Regardless of the circumstances it
is important to recognise that there are people in your workplace who are willing to assist you. It takes courage
and honesty to communicate and ask for help. All difficulties can be overcome. Some problems which may occur
in the workplace include:

 Failing to deliver what has been promised, eg not meeting a deadline

 Not having the authority to do what is required
 Having too many tasks and responsibilities and not enough time to do them.

If these problems occur be sure to seek assistance from your manager or supervisor.

Clarifying Instructions or Responsibilities

Sometimes managers assign work to employees with little or no direction about what is expected or how to
complete the job. The results are frustration and incomplete or incorrectly completed jobs.
Check that your understanding of what is required is the same as that of the person giving instructions. This
means that you repeat and confirm any information that is being given to you. You can give the person a
summary of what you think they have told you so as to check you are both talking about the same thing.

To fully understand what has been communicated you will need to use good listening skills and ask questions.
Asking questions reduces the risk of assuming that you have all the information needed to proceed when in fact
you don’t. There are two types of questions you can use: open and closed questions.

An open question is likely to receive a long answer. Open questions provide an opportunity for discussion,
thinking and reflection with another person. Open questions may begin with the words what, why, how or decide.

Closed questions are answered with a single word or short phrase. These types of questions give facts, are quick
and easy to answer and keep you in control of a conversation.

Identify and display a non-discriminatory attitude

Discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably than another in a comparable situation because of
some particular characteristic of the person. If people discriminate against others, then it will be impossible to
have good relationships within teams, so not only will some people feel hurt, but the organisation will not be as
effective as it should be.

If you observe discrimination or harassment in action, you may be tempted to avoid dealing with the situation.
You may feel uncomfortable in confronting such issues, because you believe that, if left alone, the problem will go
away, or perhaps you don’t feel it is important. The truth is that discrimination is wrong and against the law.
Managers have a duty to take action, even when the person being affected does not complain.

DEVELOP EFFECTIVE WORK HABITS

In order to stay healthy and happy, it is essential to find out the best balance for you between your working life
and your personal life. The right balance will change as your career progresses. It will be different if you are single
to if you are raising children or nearing retirement.

Work-life balance initiatives may take many forms including:

 Creating flexible working arrangements

 Job sharing
 Working from home
 Providing health-related programs in the workplace

Benefits of work-life balance programs for the organisation include:

 Improved staff retention and turnover

 Less sick leave
 Less stress-related illnesses
 Better work cooperation
 Increased motivation and productivity
 Greater ability to meet customer demands through flexible working arrangements.

Benefits of work-life balance programs for the employee include:

 More time to pursue personal activities such as creating a healthy lifestyle

 Improved personal and work relationships
 Less stress and improved health
 More opportunities to participate in activities with family and friends
 More time to pursue areas of interest such as studying, travelling and hobbies.

Personal work goals must be identified and prioritised in accordance with organisational requirements and future
personal career plans. Personal goals will differ with different people – reflecting a worker’s background,
attitudes, capability, skills, interests, strengths and previous work experience.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Time management is organising the time you have available in a way that allows you to get the most done.
Effective time management involves:

 Setting priorities
 Taking charge of situations
 Experimenting with different ideas to find the best way to make maximum use of time
 Changing habits or activities that waste time
 Being disciplined in following your time management strategies.

OBSERVING APPROPRIATE DRESS AND BEHAVIOUR

How an employee behaves and dresses reflects on the image that an organisation is trying to project. A code of
conduct is a set of rules explaining the responsibilities of an individual for the way they deal with other people and
organisations. Employees must become aware of the standards required for their workplace. Some codes of
conduct provide details about dress code and acceptable and unacceptable types of behaviour.

Dress Standards

A work dress code is a set of standards that provide guidance about what is appropriate to wear to work. The
main objective in establishing a dress code is to make a good impression and allow employees to work
comfortably while projecting a professional image to customers, other employees and visitors.
Dress codes set by your employer should:

 Be applied equally to men and women

 Relate to the job and be a reasonable requirement
 Allow workers to follow their cultural or religious beliefs
 Be fair to people with disabilities.

You will always need to use a certain amount of judgement in your choice of clothing to wear to work as dress
codes cannot cover every possibility. If you are unclear about what is acceptable, ask your supervisor. Workplace
dress must be near, clean and appropriate for the work being performed and for the setting in which the work is
performed. Torn, dirty or frayed clothing is unacceptable in any workplace. Any clothing that has words or
pictures that may be offensive to other employees is also unacceptable.

Acceptable Behaviour

Having a positive work environment for its employees can mean the difference between success and failure for an
organisation. There are many ways in which employees can help to create a positive workplace. One way is to
demonstrate behaviours that are professional and acceptable for the workplace.

Every organisation expects that all of its employees will perform their job by applying the highest standard of
behaviour. We call this professionalism. To achieve this standard it is essential that employees work in an
environment that does not tolerate unacceptable behaviour at any time.

Acceptable behaviours include:

 Respect for others and yourself

 Acceptance of others regardless of age, physical appearance, disability, race, nationality and position
 Open and honest communication
 Trustworthiness, reliability and professionalism in everything that you do
 An understanding of how good and bad behaviours can affect others
 The ability to give honest feedback based on real evidence, not on innuendo and accusations
 An understanding that people are usually working to the best of their ability

Unacceptable Behaviour

Unacceptable behaviour in the workplace often involves bullying, harassment or discrimination. It may also be
things like being rude, not respecting the privacy of others, not respecting confidentiality and gossiping. These
behaviours upset people and lead to good, productive people leaving an organisation.

Following are some examples of unacceptable behaviour:

 Making jokes or comments about a person’s race or nationality.

 Criticising people in their absence.
 Making unwanted sexual advances.
 Threatening a person that they may lose their job or fail to be promoted.
 Using foul and offensive language or gestures.
 Making deliberate unwanted physical contact, ranging from touching to assault.
 The use of pin-ups or posters that are sexual or violent in nature.
 Getting other people to bully and harass someone.
 Making comments about or excluding another person because they are younger, older, a different
colour or race, disabled or gay.