If you are on work experience or you have been successful in getting a part time job then you want to keep it. To do this you need to understand that there are certain things you need to do. For your boss to run the business safely and successfully each employee, including you, must follow certain rules. There are also a lot of rules that are not written and these are harder to understand and learn, but you will learn them over time. Remember everyone makes mistakes and if we can learn from the mistakes then that is a good thing. So these things are referred to as workplace etiquette.
Let’s have a look at some of them so you have a better understanding of what you need to do:
- First rule is that you need to start your job on time, this means you need to be organised
- If you arrive late it is good manners and expected that you tell your boss why you are late
- If you are sick and cannot go to work you must phone your boss and let him know that you are sick and will not be able to come to work
- Many workplaces need people to work as a team, so you need to be able to get along with other people and communicate well
- You may need to work by yourself and finish set work tasks within a certain time frame which will require you to manage your workload
- You need to be aware of body language, this communicates some of the unwritten rules eg. you are standing too close to me
- You may need to interact with the public so you need to be polite, listen and respond appropriately
- All aspects of personal hygiene need to be undertaken- make sure you are well groomed, your clothes are clean and your shoes are clean.
So the workplace is not simple and workplace etiquette can make it tricky. Discuss these things with your family and teachers so they can help you understand them better. Some of your friends may already have a job so talk to them as well because they can also help. You will begin to understand these things over time and all of us need to learn these skills.