By April Son
The success and development of a workplace do not depend solely on modern technologies, investments and resources. They also greatly depend on each employee’s proper sense of responsibility and accountability, discipline, work ethic, mutual respect and cooperation, as well as the proper assignment of duties to employees by those in positions of authority.
By faithfully fulfilling one’s duties, an employee can contribute not only to their own success but also to the overall development of the organization. Conversely, negligence of duties, shirking work, procrastination, taking unnecessary leave frequently, currying favour with superiors for personal gain, and unfairly oppressing subordinates can undermine discipline and trust in the workplace and may also amount to exploiting the labour and time of others.
Exploitation of Labour
The term “exploitation of labour” does not refer solely to an employer’s unfair use of a worker’s labour. In a broader sense, relying on and taking advantage of the labour of others without fulfilling one’s own duties in the workplace, obtaining more benefits than one is entitled to, and using one’s authority and responsibilities to infringe upon the rights of other employees are also forms of labour exploitation.
Shirking work is one of the most common problems that can be found in the workplace. A person who shirks their duties may avoid making an effort to work, expecting others to perform their responsibilities, shift assigned tasks to other people, or act as though there is no work to do even when they have duties to perform. Such behaviour not only reduces the individual’s work performance but also places an additional workload on colleagues and negatively affects other employees’ concentration, commitment and willingness to perform their duties conscientiously.
For example, if one member of a five-person team consistently shirks the duties, the other four employees may have to perform not only their own responsibilities but also that person’s work. Such a situation amounts to the unfair use of the time and labour of hardworking employees. Over time, it can lead to frustration, dissatisfaction and a loss of trust in the organization among those who work diligently, ultimately undermining unity and cohesion in the workplace.
Procrastinating at work
Similarly, procrastinating at work is another behaviour that can negatively affect workplace productivity. Deliberately delaying a task despite being able to complete it within the timeframe, unnecessarily dragging out work, prioritizing personal matters over assigned duties, and allowing emotions to influence the performance of one’s responsibilities instead of carrying them out properly and objectively, thereby creating avoidable situations, are not effective uses of working time. Moreover, delays in completing an assigned task can affect the schedule for subsequent work. Therefore, one person’s procrastination can become not merely an individual problem but a problem for the entire team.
The important role of working time
Working time is an important resource in the workplace. Like financial and material resources, time must also be used systematically and efficiently to avoid waste. Procrastinating during working hours without taking one’s responsibilities seriously is not merely a waste of one’s own time; it is also an irresponsible use of the working time and labour entrusted by the organization.
Regarding frequent leave in some forms, it should be understood that taking leave is not wrong. Employees may need to unavoidably take leave due to health issues, family matters or other genuinely necessary circumstances. In such cases, taking leave in accordance with established rules and regulations is natural and is also an employee’s right. However, deliberately taking frequent leave to avoid work responsibilities, taking leave whenever the workload is heavy, and repeatedly creating situations in which others have to perform one’s duties in one’s absence can create an unfair situation in the workplace.
Currying favour with superiors
Moreover, currying favour with superiors to gain personal benefits is another behaviour that can undermine fairness in the workplace. Instead of earning deserved opportunities based on one’s abilities, efforts and work performance, complying with the wishes of superiors or unnecessarily flattering them in an attempt to gain advantages undermines merit- and performance-based fairness within the organization.
The situation becomes even more serious when a person who enjoys favour with superior abuses that privileged position to oppress subordinates. Unnecessarily assigning excessive workloads to subordinates, humiliating or threatening them, forcing them to take on tasks that one does not want to do oneself, and shifting one’s own mistakes onto subordinates are not examples of good leadership. Holding a position of authority does not give anyone the right to unfairly exploit the labour or rights of others. Rather, it is a limited supervisory authority entrusted to a person for the purpose of ensuring that their assigned duties and responsibilities are properly carried out.
Fair management of superiors
A superior should also treat all subordinates fairly. Rather than basing decisions on who is close to them or who flatters them, they should make decisions based on who faithfully fulfils their responsibilities and who contributes to the organization. Favouritism, personal relationships and factionalism can place greater pressure on vulnerable employees within the organization and undermine unity and solidarity in the workplace.
Taking more than one’s fair share of benefits or privileges also undermines fairness in the workplace. While it is right to receive the benefits and opportunities one is entitled to based on one’s duties, position or authority, using one’s position, connections or favour from superiors to gain unfair advantages over others is an unjust practice.
Under such circumstances, hardworking and less diligent employees may end up receiving the same benefits, while those who do not perform their duties may receive greater privileges. Hardworking employees may also be required to take on heavier workloads without receiving due recognition. When this happens, employees may become demoralized and begin to think, “There is no point in working hard if it makes no difference.” In the long run, this can seriously undermine the performance and productivity of the workplace.
Moreover, an employee’s value should not be measured by their closeness to or ability to curry favour with superiors, but solely by their abilities, skills, integrity, sense of responsibility and contribution to the organization. Superiors should also evaluate employees based on actual work results and performance rather than placing their trust only in those who flatter them.
At the same time, it should not be hastily assumed that “everyone who does not work hard is exploiting labour.” There may be underlying reasons for failure to fulfil work responsibilities, such as health issues, family difficulties, unclear job responsibilities, inadequate training or poor management. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the root causes of a problem and address them appropriately. However, constantly accepting irresponsible behaviour under the guise of excuses can also result in unfairness to others.
Work is not something people do merely to earn an income; it is also a place where a person’s sense of responsibility, discipline, social ethics and individual human values are reflected. Therefore, employees should honestly contribute their labour and time in return for the salary and benefits they receive. Relying on the labour of others instead of doing one’s own work amounts to taking advantage of other people’s time, while unfairly exploiting the labour of subordinates by abusing one’s position also infringes upon their rights.
Therefore, to build a good workplace, it is necessary to strike a balance between “asserting one’s rights” and “faithfully fulfilling one’s responsibilities”. Just as superiors must demonstrate fair and responsible leadership, subordinates must also work with discipline, honesty and a strong sense of responsibility. Only by building a workplace culture in which no one unfairly exploits the labour of others, everyone takes responsibility for their own duties, and employees respect one another’s rights can the long-term development of the organization and the interests of its workers be protected and promoted simultaneously.
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