Ethics and personal responsibility are an important part of the workplace. Most careers require men and women to follow set policies or standards within the business or job setting. These policies set by the employer are the ethics of the employment group, such as a company or government. Employees are generally held personally responsible for following the guidelines set forth in the ethics policies.

Personal Ethics

Personal ethics are the moral guidelines the individual follows in day-to-day living. Each individual has his own set of ethics as defined by their parents, upbringing and personal beliefs. These ethics affect behavior in the workplace.

Workplace Ethical Standards

The ethical standards set forth by a company or employer are the standards which apply primarily to the business and dealings with clients. The moral standards of a company vary depending on the company, type of work and the policies, but usually there are rules regarding appropriate behavior, attire and work standards which employees must follow.

Personal Responsibility

An individual who takes responsibility for his actions in the workplace does not lie or try to avoid the consequences when something at work goes wrong. Those who try to avoid personal responsibility are not only acting in a way that is usually unethical for the company, but are also pushing the burden of responsibility onto another individual. At work, personal responsibility can help a business thrive or bog it down in office "politics."

Employee Expectations

Employers lay out expectations they have of workers in an employee handbook. Since a company cannot teach employees personal ethical standards, it needs to spell out the rules employees are expected to follow. Businesses can use examples of appropriate behavior for employees to model and actions for various situations. This will help prevent problems relating to personal responsibility and ethical behavior.