WORK

IMMERSION
(Leaning Module)
SHS Department
 SAINT BENILDE WORK IMMERSION PROGRAM
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Activity Manual

School Year FIRST SEMESTER Marlon C. Salinas

2021-2022 (Subject Teacher)

WORK IMMERSION
Grade: 12
No. of Hours: 80 hours

Course Description:

Work Immersion is one of the course requirements for graduation. A Senior High School student has
to undergo Work Immersion in an industry that directly relates to the student’s postsecondary goal. Through
Work Immersion, the students are exposed to and become familiar with work-related environment related to
their field of specialization to enhance their competence.
Specifically, the students are able to:
(i) gain relevant and practical industrial skills under the guidance of industry experts and workers;
(ii) appreciate the importance and application of the principles and theories taught in school;
(iii) enhance their technical knowledge and skills;
(iv) enrich their skills in communications and human relations;
(v) develop good working habits, attitudes, appreciation, and respect for work.

Contents:

1. SHS Work immersion: Legal Basis

2. The Work Place
3. Making a Comprehensive Curriculum Vitae
4. Writing Employment Application
5. Writing Resignation Letters
6. Job Interview
7. Possible Questions for Job Interview
8. Pre-employment Examinations
9. Proper Business Attire
10. Common Human Resource Policies
11. Work Ethics
12. Professionalism in the Work Place
13. Equality in the Work Place
14. Risk Management in Human Resources
15. Basic Occupational Safety and Health Training
16. Employment Mandated Benefits
17. Government Agency Websites with Respect to Employment

LESSON 1: SHS WORK IMMERSION: LEGAL BASIS

WEEK 1

DISCUSSION

SHS Work Immersion: Legal Basis

Work Immersion as a requirement for Senior High School (SHS) Graduation

Though the intention of Work Immersion is to provide SHS learners with opportunities to become
familiar with the workplace, simulate employment, and to apply their competencies in areas of specialization/
applied subjects in actual work environments, DepEd recognizes other options that may equally prepare
learners for all curriculum exits.
For all tracks, schools may opt to devise unique delivery model with a minimum of 80 and a maximum
of 320 hours following the Curriculum Guide.
For Technical-Vocational Livelihood (TVL) Track, Work Immersion is a requirement.
All TVL learners shall have completed the required learning competencies of a particular specialization before
Work Immersion.
The nominal duration of a specialization for TVL shall be considered in crafting the delivery model of the
school.
For other tracks, learners may have Work Immersion or other options stated in the next column. They shall
start taking the chosen option in Grade 12.
Accounting, Business and Management (ABM) learners may have Business Enterprise Simulation (Enclosure
No. 1).
Humanities and Social Science Strand (HumSS) learners may take Culminating Activity (Enclosure No. 2).
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learners may take Research/Capstone Project
(Enclosure No. 3).
General Academic Strand (GAS) learners may take Research/Capstone Project or Culminating Activity.
For the Sports Track, learners may take Apprenticeship (off-campus) (Enclosure No. 4).
For the Arts and Design Track, learners may take Performing Arts Production or Exhibit for Arts Production
(Enclosure No. 5).
On Section 5, Item 5.h in the enclosure to DO 30, s. 2017 Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) for Work Immersion

The Department recognizes the help (such as insurance, transportation allowance and other relevant
expenses) provided by the partner institution and other organizations for Work Immersion. Hence, it
reiterates that such donation may be included under DepEd’s Adopt-A-School Program.
All MOA shall be signed by the school principal or school head at the school level, while the schools division
superintendent shall sign the MOA/MOU at the schools division level.
All schools through its school head or principal shall orient its partner institutions on the relevant policies that
might concern them such as, but not limited to, Child Protection Policy, Gender-Responsive Basic Education
Policy.
The school head may serve as the School Partnership Focal Person or may assign a personnel/teacher to
perform the said duties as deemed necessary.

On Section 5, Item 9 in the enclosure to DO 30, s. 2017 Expenses in securing

partnerships

As stipulated in DO No. 9, s. 2018, letter D number 14, maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE)
can be used “to fund activities as identified in the approved SHS Implementation Plan.” Since Work Immersion
is a SHS subject, its expenses for meetings like transportation shall be covered by MOOE.

On Section 5, Item 10 in the enclosure to DO 30, s. 2017 Fees for Work Immersion

All DepEd schools shall not collect any fees for Work Immersion. However, the Parents-Teachers Association
(PTA) may initiate consultation among its members for any contribution or expenses their children would have
for the said subject on voluntary basis. Schools shall only be informed and not be involved with the collection
of payment from the parents.

For private schools, Work Immersion fee must undergo consultation and approval from General Parents-
Teachers Association (GPTA) before it can be charged against the learners.

On Section 6 in the enclosure to DO 30, s. 2017 Work Immersion Delivery Models

The Department recognizes the different set up and context of schools across the country. Hence, a unique
delivery model is encouraged if any of the delivery models does not fit their need. However, schools with the
endorsement of schools division office (SDO) must still seek the approval of regional office (RO) following the
Checklist for Unique Delivery Model (Enclosure No. 6).
Schools that intend to have a unique delivery model for the new school year shall submit their requirements
on/or before April 31 of each year starting 2019.
The RO shall release an approval letter to the schools that meet the requirements stated in Enclosure No. 6.
Additional information
Schedule of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of Work Immersion

The Curriculum and Instruction Division (CID) through the Division Senior High School Supervisor-in-Charge or
assigned focal person in charge of Work Immersion shall conduct at least two Progress Monitoring to be
scheduled before and during the Work Immersion using the Progress Monitoring Tool (Enclosure No. 7).
The CID shall conduct a one shot evaluation of Work Immersion using the Annex F of DO 30, s. 2017, two
weeks after the Work Immersion of schools. It shall be submitted to the Curriculum and Learning Management
Division (CLMD) through the Regional Senior High School Supervisor-in-Charge for consolidation in the first
week of April of each year.

Annual Submission of Regional Report on Work Immersion

The Department acknowledges the needs and concerns of each region, hence, systematic feedback
mechanism shall be reinforced to impact the national policy and standards. Therefore, all ROs shall submit a
Regional Report on Work Immersion (Enclosure No. 8) on the third Friday of May of each year, to the Bureau
of Curriculum Development (BCD), addressed to the Director IV.

Learners’ Health Permit or Doctor’s Certification

The Department realizes the nature or sensitivity of some partner institutions’ operations that may require
learners to secure health permit or doctor’s certification indicating that they are physically fit. Hence, DepEd
schools shall assist learners who are seeking the said document from the nearest health centers or
government hospitals. The cost of learners’ health permit or doctor’s certification may be shouldered by the
partner institution, which must be included in its agreement with the school.
For private or non-DepEd schools, their school clinic shall facilitate the process of securing these documents
for the learners.

Learners with Special Needs in Work Immersion

Identified learners with special needs enrolled in the mainstream classes who will undergo Work Immersion
shall be given program accommodation, modification and adaptation based on their abilities and after
consultation with the concerned school personnel. Their program of activities and its assessment shall vary
based on their conditions but shall still be anchored on the competencies used in the mainstream.

Learners’ Religious and Cultural Practices

It shall be recognized and permitted in the Work Immersion as long as it does not impede the learners’
activities and partner institution’s operations.

Work Immersion during summer breaks or holidays

All schools shall consider the enrollment of learners who undergo Work Immersion even during summer,
following DO No. 13, s. 2018 entitled Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of Remedial and Advancement
Classes During Summer for the K to 12 Basic Education Program, which states the eligibility of incoming Grade
12 learners who will undertake Work Immersion in the succeeding semester, semestral breaks or holidays as
part of the school year.
DepEd teachers or personnel who will render services during these periods must be given service credits as
stipulated in DO 53, s. 2003 entitled Updated Guidelines on Grant of Vacation Service Credits for Teachers.

Allowable Time for Work Immersion

Learners shall perform their Work Immersion activities during daytime only (6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.), with eight or
less hours per day.
In case of class suspensions, Work Immersion session shall also be suspended and shall have a make-up
schedule to compensate for the lost hours.
All DepEd Orders and other related issuances, rules and regulations, and provisions, which are inconsistent
with these guidelines, are repealed, rescinded, or modified accordingly.
Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

ANALYSIS
What DepEd order is work immersion?
What is work immersion for students?
What is the DepEd order on the guidelines for immersion?

ACTIVITY
Make an essay with the topic:
“Influence of Work Immersion in enhancing the students’ knowledge and skills”. You will be graded by the
criteria as shown below.
 LESSON 2: THE WORK PLACE
WEEK 2

DISCUSSION

A workplace is a location where someone works for his or her employer, a place of employment. Such
a place can range from a home office to a large office building or factory. For industrialized societies, the
workplace is one of the most important social spaces other than the home, constituting "a central concept for
several entities: the worker and his/her family, the employing organization, the customers of the organization,
and the society as a whole".[1] The development of new communication technologies have led to the
development of the virtual workplace, a workplace that is not located in any one physical space.

THE WORK PLACE

The workplace is the location at which an employee provides work for an employer. That seems like a
simple enough explanation, but it can become a bit more complex, especially in today's knowledge economy.

The workplace is located in a variety of settings including offices, manufacturing facilities or factories,
stores, farms, out-of-doors, and in any other location where work is performed.

With the proliferation of electronic communication, employers are no longer expected to always
provide a workplace with a physical location at which employees work.

Home offices, telecommuting work arrangements, and worldwide employment relationships mean
that almost any location, including the employee's home, may serve as and can accurately be called, a
workplace.
 Your employer gets to choose your workplace. If an employer provides a physical location for an
employee to work, the workplace is subject, to workplace health and safety regulations and other guidelines
provided by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Generally, as long as they follow health and safety regulations, your employer can make what might
seem like unreasonable demands. Some office spaces are large, and each employee has his or her own private
office. It's more likely, though, that you have a cubicle or even share a table with other coworkers. If you
prefer to work alone, your employer can say, “no, this is your assigned space.”

It's your responsibility to provide a safe and productive work environment for your employees. The
DOLE provides guidance and regulations for the workplace in such areas as worker’s compensation, breaks,
and lunch requirements, leave requirements, inclement weather and other emergencies, equal employment
opportunity, as well as unemployment compensation. See the DOLE website for a complete list of regulations
and guidelines to fulfill employer and workplace requirements.

Besides following safety regulations, employers must also consider other aspects of employees' health
and well-being, including stress and sexual harassment.

There are many schools of thought about what makes for the best physical working environment.
Standing desks, sitting desks, bright lights, dim lights, and employees always battle over the thermostat. As
long as you are in compliance with Federal, state, and local regulations, you are free to design your workplace
as you please.

Keep in mind that it's not only the physical workplace that falls on your shoulders; the culture and
interpersonal environment are also your responsibility. Keep an environment where you respect all employees
and demand that they respect each other.

One of its components, the work immersion program, provides students “real workplace” experience,

giving students a set of technical-vocational and livelihood skills that can help them make more informed
career choices and improve their employment prospects.

Your career can provide you with far more than a steady income and on-the-job experience. Many people
learn some of their greatest life lessons in the workplace. Being open and willing to learn these lessons and
grow from them is key to both personal and professional development. In this article, we explore common life
lessons that can be learned at work.

What is a life lesson?

A life lesson is a situation or event in which you are able to learn new principles or useful knowledge related to
life. For example, you may try to do something the “easier” way only to realize that the results are not what
you were hoping for. If you would have taken the time and performed the task the perceived “harder” way,
your results would have been more satisfactory. In this situation, the life lesson would be that “easier is not
always better.” Being open to life lessons can help you be more successful in both your professional and
personal life and provide you with the tools needed to grow as a person.
7 important life lessons you can learn at work
Life lessons can be difficult to learn and they may require acceptance and change. The life lessons we learn
from work can be used not only to improve our professional lives but our personal ones as well.

The most effective life lessons are learned through experience rather than reading or being told about them.
Whether you’re working your first job or your years into a career, each life lesson learned along the way is an
immensely important one.

Here are some of the life lessons that you may learn in the workplace:

1. Always strive to avoid stagnation

Stagnation is often an unavoidable part of a job, and it can affect even the hardest-working individuals. Times
of stagnation can happen for a number of reasons, such as becoming too comfortable with a situation or
giving up on a challenging problem. A valuable life lesson you can learn from work is that those who always
strive to learn more and continue to progress through times of stagnation are those who succeed. 

You should always be learning and bettering yourself as a person. Just because you’ve succeeded doesn’t
mean you should stop trying to improve as a person and an employee. Furthermore, being in a challenging
situation doesn’t mean you should be resigned to your fate.

As you try new things to fight off stagnation, you may make mistakes or come up against challenges. It’s
important to remember to view each misstep as a learning opportunity and to remember that even experts
make mistakes.

How you should combat stagnation depends on you. For example, you could learn a new skill that’s always
interested you. The key is to constantly be working to improve your job performance as well as your personal
development. Work hard to get that promotion just as hard as you would on your passion project at home.
With hard work both at work and in life, your days will be happier and each will have more significance.

Related: How to Develop Your Skill Set to Advance Your Career

2. Make connecting with others a priority

Another important lesson you may learn at work is how valuable connections with other people are. Whether
it’s with a professional colleague, friend or family member, each relationship you build with another person
adds another beam of support to what you’re building for yourself. 

Though there’s much you can create by working alone, the greatest success often comes when you create and
work with a network of friends and colleagues. Think about your personal life—would it be where it is today
without the connections and relationships you’ve built with the people you love the most? Each person in
your network is a valuable member of your team and adds invaluable quality to your life.

Ask questions, listen to people’s opinions and stories, use your own strengths to help them with their projects
and problems and don’t be afraid to open up to your work network. Plus, you may be surprised to realize that
what makes a great professional team can also be implemented to foster your relationships with friends and
family. Making connections with others a priority is an important lesson that can improve every aspect of your
life both in and out of work.
Related: Interpersonal Skills: Definitions and Examples

3. Remember to look on the bright side

Every day isn’t going to be the best day and some days can be downright challenging. However, if you can
remember to look on the bright side, the difficult days can be just another way to grow in both your career
and life in general.

This life lesson is an important one when you’re in a job you don't like. This situation can be especially
challenging and, when left unchecked, can negatively impact not only your work life but your life outside of
work as well. Focusing on the positive rather than the negative can help turn the situation around. For
example, enjoying a project you do well or taking advantage of a free office lunch may seem small in the grand
scheme of things but are ways in which you can look on the bright side and remain positive.

Being able to remain positive and look at things with optimism is an invaluable life lesson. The more you can
improve your outlook and the less the small things affect you, the better you’ll be able to handle challenges in
both your professional and personal life. As a result, you’ll find yourself happier and more content no matter
the situation.

4. Focus on developing and using your strengths

Finding out what you enjoy doing and what you’re truly good at as well as how to develop those areas is an
important lesson you can learn at work. While it may take time, determining where you excel in your career
can be one of the most rewarding gifts of having a job and something you can’t learn outside the workforce.

Find what you enjoy doing the most and work to develop your strength in that area. Keep in mind that no one
is an overnight expert and that you’ll have to work hard to get to where you want to be. While anyone can be
good at something with enough hard work, those who find pride and enjoyment in their work will succeed
more than those who don’t.

Realizing where your strengths and passions lie enables you to set concrete goals in your professional life and
gives you an actionable plan to achieve them. Focus on whatever it is that you make you feel like you’re doing
the best work you can and develop those skills to create the best world for yourself. With enough endurance,
motivation and commitment, you’ll find that you truly enjoy honing your workplace strengths.

5. Work until the work is done

One of the first lessons you may learn when starting to work is what happens when you procrastinate.
Procrastination has clear repercussions in the workplace and can result in challenges such as falling behind
with your tasks. Committing yourself to work until your work is done is a valuable life lesson that can prevent
hardships and increase your overall productivity and success.

This lesson doesn’t have to be limited to your professional work. When translated to your personal life, it’s
just as applicable. For instance, think about a project you decided to start but didn’t finish. Think about a goal
you thought you might want to work toward, but didn’t for some reason, whether it be lack of time, will or
energy. Just like you don’t stop working until you’ve done your job at work, you shouldn’t stop working for
yourself at home. Dedicate time to learn that new skill you’ve been wanting to learn, complete those projects
or reach out to someone you’ve been meaning to. The time you invest in doing the things you set out to do,
the more accomplished and satisfied you will feel.

Even if you limit you’re at-home work to the weekends, you should be dedicating some hours to your personal
progress. Whether it’s finally starting a project with the kids, working on your car, learning Spanish or
developing a new skill for your career, you shouldn’t let the habit of procrastination keep you from reaching
your goals. The more you resist the urge to procrastinate, the easier it becomes to work until your work is
done—whether it be in the office or in your personal development.

6. Trust in the power of failure

As you work toward your professional goals, you will inevitably experience challenges and make mistakes. Not
everything you do will be successful. But don’t stress about these failures. With no mistakes there would be no
opportunity to learn.

Every failure gives you the chance to grow both personally and professionally. There is no better way to know
what works than knowing what doesn’t.

The life lesson here is that without taking risks and making mistakes, you run into the first problem discussed
in this article: stagnation. Playing it safe may allow you to slide by, but more often than not you’ll plateau in
your journey while the risk-takers keep climbing up. In work, taking a risk may be asking for a raise, suggesting
a change to the status quo or starting a new career.

Remember that everything is a learning experience, failures and successes alike. What you take away from
failure is up to you. In a situation where you experience failure, you can either see it as a challenge or use it as
a learning experience to know how to better navigate your next endeavor. The choice is up to you.

Related:How to Overcome Fear of Failure

7. Learn how to change the situation, not the person

Learning to focus on changing a situation rather than trying to change a person or group of people is a
valuable lesson you can learn at work. This is especially important when you find yourself in a management
position. For example, if you’re a manager and employees are doing something that negatively impacts
productivity, it’s your job to find out why. It may be a problem with scheduling or an issue with the way things
are run. Instead of trying to change your employees to fit the status quo, take a look at the status quo itself
and see how you can adjust it to promote success within the workplace.

Sometimes the problem is not the people involved but rather the way the situation is handled. Listen to
others’ opinions on how to improve the situation. Take a step back and look at the situation to see if it’s being
handled in a way that keeps everyone’s interests in mind. The most important thing to remember here is that
people generally don’t respond well when you try to change them, but will often respond positively to
situational changes that increase their ability to be productive.

This lesson translates well to many aspects of life. Instead of trying to change the people you love or even the
people you don’t love, try to first change the situation or the way you view the situation. The more you’re able
to focus on contributing to a positive improvement in a situation rather than trying to change a person, the
more success you’ll have in work and in life
 ANALYSIS

What is the importance of workplace?

How workplace affects the employees?

ACTIVITY

There are many ways to develop skills: school, social, and leisure activities, work, sports, hobbies, home
chores, and volunteer work. The skills you build during your school years will become the building blocks of
your work foundation. Think of yourself now, in school, and evaluate each skill as used in school.

Check the box that best describes your level of each skill with an “x”.

Communication Skills
Can Needs
Do Work
Giving presentations
Reading manuals
Writing clearly and concisely
Listening and responding to what
Others say

Problem Solving
Can Needs
Do Work
Analyzing information
Understanding the problem

Identifying the problem

Solving the problem

Applying the solution
Knowing How to Learn
Can Needs
Do Work
Asking questions
Reading information
Using the library
Researching Information
Joining activities and clubs

Responsibility
Can Needs
Do Work
Doing homework
Meeting project deadlines
Getting to class on time
Following a schedule
Being on sports teams or clubs

Creative Thinking
Can Needs
Do Work
Learning how others have been

creative
Using your Imagination

Trying new ways of doing things

Looking at issues from a different Point of view

People Skills
Can Needs
Do Work
Getting along with others
Meeting new people
 Working on a team
Respecting the ideas of others

Personal Skills
Can Needs
Do Work
Dependable and responsible
Have integrity; honest and ethical

Strive to be the best

Motivated and enthusiastic
Reliable and dependable
Persistent
Courteous and respectful

Self-Management
Can Needs
Do Work
Scheduling your day
Setting priorities and goals
Efficient and organized
Flexible; accept change

Technical Skills
Can Needs
Do Work
Using a keyboard
Using a word processing program
Organizing and analyzing info with spread sheets

Developing a PowerPoint presentation

Learning to cut and paste text
Using the Internet for research
Using e-mail
Skills for the workplace (continued)

 Based upon your rating, which two skill areas do you feel are your areas of strength? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
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 Which two areas need more development?

___________________________________________________________________________
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 What actions can you take in order to improve the skill areas that are lacking?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

 What are the skills you think employers are looking for? Why?

LESSON 3: MAKING A COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM VITAE

WEEK 3

DISCUSSION

PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY

As a student, what do you think are the importance of having a credentials in getting a job?
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A comprehensive resume is an all-encompassing document that allows you to showcase all

of your previous work experience, your specific types of qualifications, special skills, education and
awards and recognitions. You may opt to use this resume in its full-fledged format, or use it as a
core document that you tailor to specific job applications. It can be an especially useful form of
resume if you are changing careers and want to demonstrate your full spectrum of talent.

WORK EXPERIENCE

A comprehensive resume should include all of your professional-level work experience.

Unless you’re fresh out of college, there’s no need to include summer jobs or part-time gigs unless
they’re entirely relevant to your field of work. List experience in chronological order, including
dates worked, and include both a brief description of your responsibilities followed by bullet
points that highlight key achievements or unique skills. Example:

Anytown Company

Marketing Director, 2011-present

Responsible for coordinating all aspects of internal and external marketing and communications
objectives, including but not limited to:

Marketing plan development

Team assignments

Newsletter editing

Setting sales agendas and quotas

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Provide a detailed bullet point list of professional organizations you’re involved with, either
as a member or a leader. If you hold an office, note that as well. Use chronological order and
delineate if you are a past or present member. Example:

Anytown Rotary Club: President, 2017-present

Anytown Chamber of Commerce: Member and Marketing Committee sub-committee chairman,

2016-2017

Anytown Business Association: Associate member, 2014-2016

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

A comprehensive resume should include all awards, recognition and achievements you’ve
garnered during the course of your career. Example:

Salesman of the year, Anytown Company, 2009

International Association of Business Communicators, Bronze Quill Award, 2007

Anytown Chamber of Commerce, Community Achievement Award, 2007, 2008

 You can also expand this section with a sub-section including key achievements you've had
throughout your career. You may opt to list in chronological order, or by order of significance.

EDUCATION

In addition to listing basic educational achievements, such as the degrees you hold, a
comprehensive resume can include a variety of other pieces of information that demonstrate how
well-rounded you are. Elements might include:

 Continuing education
 Specialized training 
 Seminars
 Conferences
 Workshops 

These approaches show potential employers that you embrace opportunities to learn and develop
professionally.

SPECIALIZED SKILLS
A variety of things can fall into the specialized skills section of your comprehensive resume.
Depending on your unique skill set, you may group them (for example, if you speak multiple
languages) or list them individually. The most relevant ones that apply to whatever job you're
seeking should be listed first. Other examples of things to include:

 Software programs and applications

 Specialized equipment usage
 Core competencies

Always remember to include contact information on your resume, including home address, phone,
email and links to online portfolios or work samples, and addresses for professional social media
accounts.

WRITING A RESUME
According to Cambridge dictionary, a resume is a written statement of your educational and work
experience.
A resume is a means of advertising yourself to get a job that you want and will give a short impression about
you to the employers whether you attain their standards or not. That’s why writing a good resume is very
important.

3 formats of resume

I. Reverse-Chronological
This is the more traditional format and is what you are most likely to come across. Chronological
format is flexible and can be used for applicants with any level of experience.

I should use if:

I want to show a vertical career progression.
I want to apply to a job in a similar field.
I want to promote my upward career mobility

I shouldn’t use if:

I have major gaps in my employment history.
I am changing my career path.
I change jobs every few months.

II. Functional
While chronological places emphasis on career progression, a functional format focuses on your
abilities and skills. Since it heavily emphasizes the applicant’s qualifications, functional format is more suitable
for those with an expert level of experience.

I should use if:

I have gaps in my employment history.
I am changing my career industry.
I want to highlight a specific skill set.

I shouldn’t use if:

I want to highlight my upward career mobility.
I am an entry level candidate that lacks experience.
I lack transferable skills

III. Combination
As you can probably guess the combination format merges bits and pieces from both chronological and
functional formats. Like the functional format, it focuses on specific qualifications, yet the body of the
document contains professional experience similar to chronological format. This format is generally reserved
for those with a great deal of experience in a particular industry.

I should use if:

I want to highlight a developed skill set within a specific career.
I want to change my career path.
I am a master of the subject I am applying to.

I shouldn’t use if:

I want to highlight my education.
I lack experience.
I am an entry level candidate.
CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME
FUNCTIONAL RESUME

COMBINATION RESUME

Here are the following steps and tips on how to write a resume:

STEP 1: I. Contact Information

 The contact information section is pretty self-explanatory. This section does not require a
label (Contact Information or Contact Details). When listing your contact details, you should follow
this order:
 Name (largest font on page, middle initial is optional
 Mailing Address
 Telephone Number (Check that you have an appropriate voicemail message)
 Email Address (make sure it’s appropriate, don’t use your [email protected]
account.)
 Link to online portfolio (optional, ensure it is relevant to the position)
 LinkedIn Profile

STEP 2: II. Choose a Resume Introduction

Like formats, job seekers have 3 choices for their resume introduction: a qualifications summary,
career objective, and professional profile. The goal of all three are to gain the attention of an employer
by highlighting your skills and experience that will help their company. However, the method through
which each introduction achieves this goal differs. See below:

Qualifications Summary
With regards to format, the qualifications summary is a bullet point list (ranging from 4 to 6
points) of your most outstanding career achievements. Avoid using generic statements and try to list
your skills in a way reflects your unique voice.

I should use if:

I am applying to a job that requires a rigid set of abilities.
I have a wealth of experience in the industry.
I possess multiple skill sets.

I shouldn’t use if:

I lack experience.
I am an entry level candidate that lacks specific skill sets.
I lack measurable achievements.

Career Objective
A resume objective, also referred to as a career objective, is a 2-3 sentence statement that
provides an overview of your skills and experience. This resume introduction is best for entry-level
candidates.

I should use if:

I am an entry-level applicant.
I do not have in-depth experience in the industry.
I am a recent college graduate.

I shouldn’t use if:

I have a wealth of industry-specific skill sets.
I am changing career paths.
I am writing a cover letter.
 Professional Profile
The professional profile is a combination of both the career objective and qualifications
summary. It is also the most flexible of the three styles as it can be formatted as short paragraph of
bullet-point list.

I should use if:

I have had major achievement in my past experience
I am applying to a position in the same industry
I have a special area of expertise in my field

I shouldn’t use if:

I am an entry-level applicant
I am recent college graduate
I lack measurable of accomplishments

Finally, when deciding what skills to add to either of the two, try to target skills specific to the
job you are applying for. Don’t just simply copy and paste skills right out of the job description, but
instead try to use words common in the industry.

STEP 3: III. Professional Experience

The section is the core of your resume, where you are tasked with proving the skills you have
listed in the qualifications summary or career objective. When it comes to labeling this section some
use “Relevant Experience,” or “Work Experience” as an alternative to “Professional Experience.”
Remember to list your work experiences in reverse chronological order and only list experience that is
relevant to the job you are applying for. For each company create a heading including the company’s
name, city & state, your title, and the dates of employment (month and year). If you are still currently
working at a company, you can simply write “month, year-Present” for the employment dates.

STEP 4: IV. Education

Having a solid education section helps to display the foundation of your knowledge and
expertise. Depending on your professional experience, you may want to consider switching the order
of the professional experience and education sections.
For instance, college or high school students that lack seasoned professional experience benefit from
emphasizing their education by placing it before the professional experience section. In addition, if
you possess a wealth of professional experience then it is appropriate to keep this section short and
sweet.
Here are the main points to include in your education section:
 The names of your university, community college, or technical school(Don’t include high school
unless you did not attend college)
 Location of the schools (city, state)
 Date of graduation (month, year)
 Degree(s)
 GPA (only include if your GPA is above 3.0, round up to the first decimal place , and use this format:
GPA: 3.5/4.0)

STEP 5: V. Additional Sections

By now you’ve already added the nuts and bolts to your resume and may want to consider
adding to help strengthen it.
 ANALYSIS

Is it important to include personal objective?

Differentiate qualifications summary, career objective, and professional profile.

ACTIIVITY

Make your own comprehensive curriculum vitae and once you are done kindly upload it to our
google classroom.

LESSON 4: WRITING EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION

WEEK 4

DISCUSSION

Do you need to write a letter to apply for a job? Most of the time, the answer is yes. Even in
the rare cases when employers don’t require a job application letter, such as in the case of some
part-time jobs, writing one will help you highlight your skills and achievements and get the hiring
manager’s attention.

TIPS FOR WRITING A JOB APPLICATION LETTER

A job application letter, also known as a cover letter, should be sent or uploaded with
your resume when applying for jobs. While your resume offers a history of your work experience and
an outline of your skills and accomplishments, the job application letter you send to an employer
explains why you are qualified for the position and should be selected for an interview.

Writing this letter can seem like a challenging task. However, if you take it one step at a time, you'll
soon be an expert at writing application letters to send with your resume.

HOW TO GET STARTED

Before you begin writing your job application letter, do some groundwork. Consider what
information you want to include (keeping in mind that space is limited).

Remember, this letter is making a case for your candidacy for the position. But you can do
better than just regurgitating your resume—instead, highlight your most relevant skills, experiences,
and abilities.

Important: To include the most convincing, relevant details in your letter, you'll need to know what
the employer wants.

The biggest clues are within the job advertisement, so spend some time decoding the job ad.
Next, match your qualifications with the employer's wants and needs. Make a list of your relevant
experience and skills. For instance, if the job ad calls for a strong leader, think of examples of when
you've successfully led a team. Once you've jotted down some notes, and have a sense of what you
want to highlight in your letter, you're ready to get started writing.

WRITING GUIDELINES FOR JOB APPLICATION LETTERS

Writing a job application letter is very different from a quick email to a friend or a thank-you note to
a relative. Hiring managers and potential interviewers have certain expectations when it comes to
the letter's presentation and appearance, from length (no more than a page) to font size and style
to letter spacing:

Length: A letter of application should be no more than one-page long.

Format and Page Margins: A letter of application should be single-spaced with a space between
each paragraph. Use about 1" margins and align your text to the left, which is the standard
alignment for most documents.

Font: Use a traditional font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. The font size should be
between 10 and 12 points.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN EACH SECTION OF THE LETTER

There are also set rules for the sections included in the letter, from salutation to sign-off, and how
the letter is organized. Here's a quick lowdown on the main sections included in a job application
letter:

Heading: A letter of application should begin with both you’re and the employer's contact
information (name, address, phone number, email) followed by the date. If this is an email rather
than an actual letter, include your contact information at the end of the letter, after your signature.

  Header Examples

Salutation: This is your polite greeting. The most common salutation is "Dear Mr./Ms." followed by
the person's last name. Find out more about appropriate cover letter salutations, including what to
do if you don't know the person's name, or are unsure of a contact's gender.

Body of the letter: Think of this section as being three distinct parts.

In the first paragraph, you'll want to mention the job you are applying for and where you saw the
job listing.

The next paragraph(s) are the most important part of your letter. Remember how you gathered all
that information about what employers were seeking, and how you could meet their needs? This is
where you'll share those relevant details on your experience and accomplishments.

The third and last part of the body of the letter will be your thank you to the employer; you can also
offer follow-up information.

Complimentary Close: Sign off your email with a polite close, such as "Best" or "Sincerely," followed
by your name.

 Closing Examples

Signature: End with your signature, handwritten, followed by your typed name. If this is an email,
simply include your typed name, followed by your contact information.

 Signature Examples

SIMPLE FORMATTING USING A TEMPLATE

Overwhelmed by all these formatting and organization requirements? One way to make the process
of writing a job application easier is to use a job application letter template to create your own
personalized job application letters for applying for a job. Having a template can help save you time
if you are sending a lot of application letters.

Be sure that each letter you send is personalized to the company and position; do not send the same
letter to different companies.

TIPS FOR WRITING AN EFFECTIVE LETTER

 Always write one. Unless a job posting specifically says not to send a letter of application or
cover letter, you should always send one. Even if the company does not request a letter of
application, it never hurts to include one. If they do ask you to send a letter, make sure to
follow the directions exactly (for example, they might ask you to send the letter as an email
attachment, or type it directly into their online application system).
 Use business letter format. Use a formal business letter format when writing your letter.
Include your contact information at the top, the date, and the employer’s contact
information. Be sure to provide a salutation at the beginning, and your signature at the end.
 Sell yourself. Throughout the letter, focus on how you would benefit the company. Provide
specific examples of times when you demonstrated skills or abilities that would be useful for
the job, especially those listed in the job posting or description. If possible, include examples
of times when you added value to a company.

Numerical values offer concrete evidence of your skills and accomplishments.

 Use keywords. Reread the job listing, circling any keywords (such as skills or abilities that are
emphasized in the listing). Try to include some of those words in your cover letter. This will
help the employer see that you are a strong fit for the job.
 Keep it brief. Keep your letter under a page long, with no more than about four paragraphs.
An employer is more likely to read a concise letter.
 Edit, edit, edit. Employers are likely to overlook an application with a lot of errors.
Therefore, read through your cover letter, and if posssible ask a friend or career counselor to
review the letter. Proofread for any grammar or spelling errors.

SAMPLE JOB APPLICATION LETTER

This is a job application letter sample. Download the letter template (compatible with Google Docs
or Word Online) or read the example below.
 ANALYSIS
What are those components to be included in each section of the letter?
What are tips in writing an effective letter of application?

ACTIVITY

Make your own letter of application as a requirement for this topic.

Please be guided with the following format.
Letter of Application Guidelines Font:
Use a traditional font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. The font size should be between 10
and 12 points. Format: A letter of application should be single-spaced with a space between each
paragraph. Use about 1" margins and align your text to the left, which is the standard alignment for
most documents. Length: A letter of application should be about one-page long.

LESSON 5: WRITING RESIGNATION LETTERS

WEEK 5
 DISCUSSION

Are you ready to resign from your job? It's always a good idea to write a resignation letter in order to
formalize the details of your departure. But what is a resignation letter, and why should you write
one?

A resignation letter is a document that notifies your employer that you are leaving your job. It
formalizes your departure from your current employment, and can be written as a printed letter or
an email message.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN A RESIGNATION LETTER

When you resign from your job, it's important to resign gracefully and professionally. Here's what to
include:

 Your Intent to Resign: Give adequate notice to your employer, write a formal resignation

letter, and be prepared to move on prior to submitting your resignation. Your letter should
start with the fact that you're resigning.
 Your Last Day of Employment: Resignation letters not only describe the employee’s intent
to leave but also provide information about the last day to be worked and other requests or
details. This eases the transition for both employer and employee.
 An Offer to Assist with the Transition: Often, resignation letters will also offer to help in the
transition, whether it be by recruiting or training a replacement. In this way, both the
employee and the employer can leave the situation with closure and a sense of respect and
amicability.
 Your Contact Information: Include your personal contact information, so it's easy for the
company to get in touch with you.

Tip: To maintain a positive and graceful exit, a letter of resignation will often thank the employer for
the opportunities provided and mention experiences gained at the company or how the employee
enjoyed their time there.

WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR LETTER

Resignation letters are not an appropriate place for complaints or critiques of the employer or odd
co-workers. Keep it simple, stick to the facts, and don't complain.

Here's a list of what else shouldn't be included in your resignation letter.

RESIGNATION LETTER SAMPLES

Review some of the best resignation letter examples to get ideas for your own letter to use to resign
from employment. There are general resignation letters, email messages, letters specifying a reason
for leaving, and many other examples to use to announce that you are leaving a job.

BASIC RESIGNATION LETTERS

The following are general resignation letters that can be used for any circumstances. They are short
and to the point.

 Two Weeks’ Notice

 Basic
 Formal
 New Job
 Personal Reasons
  Simple
 Email Resignation Message

RESIGNATION LETTER EXAMPLES WITH A REASON

Review resignation letters that provide a specific reason for leaving, and letters and email messages
for special circumstances, including no notice and short notice.

Short Notice Letters: Although most employers expect their personnel to provide two weeks’ notice
before leaving their jobs, sometimes this simply isn’t feasible. Here’s how to resign with little or no
notice.

 24 Hours Notice
 Advance Notice
 Immediate
 Intent to Resign
 No Notice
 Short Notice

To Pursue Better Opportunities: People are often prompted to take the risk of quitting their jobs
when they know that better opportunities await.

Tip: You can explain why you’re leaving without reflecting negatively upon your current employer.

ANALYSIS
What to include in resignation letters?

What not to include in your letter?

ACTIVITY

Make your own resignation letter as a requirement for this topic.

Please be guided with the following format:
Resignation Letter Guidelines Font:
Use a traditional font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. The font size should be between 11
and 12 points. Format: A letter of resignation should be single-spaced with a space between each
paragraph. Use about 1" margins and align your text to the left, which is the standard alignment for
most documents. Length: A resignation letter should be about one-page long.

LESSON 6: JOB INTERVIEW

WEEK 6

DISCUSSION

7 Interview Tips That Will Help You Get Hired

Tips That Will Help You Get Hired:

 Practice and Prepare

 Develop a Connection
 Research the Company
  Get Ready Ahead of Time
 Be on Time (That Means Early)
 Try to Stay Calm
 Follow-Up After the Interview

Even when you have gone on more interviews than you can count, job interviewing never seems to
get any easier. With each job interview, you are meeting new people, selling yourself and your skills,
and often getting the third degree about what you know or don't know. And, you need to
stay upbeat and enthusiastic through it all. This can be a challenge, especially when you're
interviewing for a job you would love to get hired for.

That said, there are ways to make a job interview feel much less stressful. Just a little preparation
time can go a long way. The more time you take in advance to get ready, the more comfortable
you'll feel during the actual interview.

Remember, though, that a job interview is not an exam: you don’t need to study for hours on end.
Rather, you just need to do due diligence in researching the company, understand exactly what they
are looking for in a new hire, and ensure that you’re able to discuss your experience and what makes
you a great fit for the job.

Important: It is a good idea to focus on your communication skills in particular, so you can speak
clearly and concisely about the assets you can offer the employer.

Ultimately, the key to effective interviewing is to project confidence, stay positive, and be able to
share examples of your workplace skills and your qualifications for the job. Take the time to work on
your interview skills so that you can develop effective strategies to use in all of your interviews.

With some advance preparation, you'll be able to nail the interview and showcase the experience
that makes you the ideal candidate for the company's next new employee.

INTERVIEW TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU GET HIRED

Here are some job interview tips that can help you interview effectively. Proper preparation will help
alleviate some of the stress involved in job interviews and position you for a positive and successful
interviewing experience.
1. PRACTICE AND PREPARE
Review the typical job interview questions employers ask and practice your answers. Strong answers
are those that are specific but concise, drawing on concrete examples that highlight your skills and
back up your resume. 1

Your answers should also emphasize the skills that are most important to the employer and relevant
to the position. Be sure to review the job listing, make a list of the requirements, and match them to
your experience.

Tip: Even the most well-prepared response will fall short if it does not answer the exact question you
are being asked.

While it’s important to familiarize yourself with the best answers, it’s equally important to listen
carefully during your interview in order to ensure your responses give the interviewer the
information they are looking for.

Also, have a list of your own questions to ask the employer ready. In almost every interview, you’ll
be asked if you have any questions for the interviewer. It is important to have at least one or two
questions prepared in order to demonstrate your interest in the organization. Otherwise, you might
come across as apathetic, which is a major turnoff for hiring managers.

2. DEVELOP A CONNECTION WITH THE INTERVIEWER

In addition to indicating what you know about the company, you should also try to develop a
connection with your interviewer. Know the interviewer's name, and use it during the job interview.
If you're not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview. And, listen very carefully during
introductions.

Tip: If you’re prone to forgetting names, jot it down somewhere discreet, like in small letters at the
bottom of your notepad.

Ultimately, building rapport and making a personal connection with your interviewer can up your
chances of getting hired. People tend to hire candidates they like and who seems to be a good fit for
the company's culture. Here's how to get the hiring manager on your side.

3. RESEARCH THE COMPANY, AND SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW

Do your homework and research the employer and the industry, so you are ready for the interview
question, "What do you know about this company?" If this question is not asked, you should try to
demonstrate what you know about the company on your own.

You can do this by tying what you’ve learned about the company into your responses. For example,
you might say:

SAMPLE:

I noticed that when you implemented a new software system last year, your customer
satisfaction ratings improved dramatically. I am well-versed in the latest technologies from my
experience with developing software at ABC, and appreciate a company who strives to be a leader in
its industry.

You should be able to find out a lot of information about the company’s history, mission and values,
staff, culture, and recent successes on its website. If the company has a blog and a social media
presence, they can be useful places to look, too.

4. GET READY AHEAD OF TIME

 Don't wait until the last minute to pick out an interview outfit, print extra copies of your
resume, or find a notepad and pen. Have one good interview outfit ready, so you can interview on
short notice without having to worry about what to wear.

Note: When you have an interview lined up, get everything ready the night before.

Not only will planning out everything (from what shoes you will wear, to how you’ll style
your hair, to what time you will leave and how you’ll get there) buy you time in the morning, it
can help reduce job search anxiety, and it will also save you from having to make decisions, which
means you can use that brainpower for your interview.

Make sure your interview attire is neat, tidy, and appropriate for the type of firm you are
interviewing with. Bring a nice portfolio with extra copies of your resume. Include a pen and paper
for note-taking.

If you're interviewing virtually, have all the technology set and ready in advance. Do a trial run to be
sure everything is working properly, and you're comfortable with it.

5. BE ON TIME (THAT MEANS EARLY)

Be on time for the interview. On time means five to ten minutes early. If need be, drive to
the interview location ahead of time so you know exactly where you are going and how long it will
take to get there.

Take into account the time of your interview so you can adjust for local traffic patterns at
that time. Give yourself a few extra minutes to visit the restroom, check your outfit, and calm your
nerves.

6. TRY TO STAY CALM

During the job interview, try to relax and stay as calm as possible. Remember that your body
language says as much about you as your answers to the questions. Proper preparation will allow
you to exude confidence:

 As you answer questions, maintain eye contact with the interviewer.

 Be sure to pay attention to the question so that you don’t forget it, and listen to the entire
question (using active listening) before you answer, so you know exactly what the
interviewer is asking.
 Avoid cutting off the interviewer at all costs, especially when he or she is asking questions.
 If you need to take a moment to think about your answer, that’s totally fine, and is a better
option than starting out with multiple “ums” or “uhs.”

Check out these tips on avoiding job interview stress to help keep your nerves calm. If the
thought of a job interview puts you in panic mode, reviewing these interview tips for introverts will
be a great place to start.

7. FOLLOW-UP AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Always follow up with a thank-you note reiterating your interest in the position. You can also
include any details you may have forgotten to mention during your interview.

Tip: If you interview with multiple people from the same company, send each one a personal note.
Send your thank-you email within 24 hours of your interview.

BONUS TIPS
AVOID THESE COMMON INTERVIEW MISTAKES
What shouldn't you do when interviewing? Here are the most common job interview
mistakes, blunders, and errors a candidate looking for employment can make.

Take the time to review these mistakes before your interview, so you don't have to stress out about
blunders after it.

SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE ANY TYPE OF INTERVIEW

Review tips on how to handle interviews that are different from a typical one-on-one
meeting. These include tips for phone interviews, second interviews, lunch and dinner interviews,
behavioral interviews, interviewing in public, and more advice for interview success.

Also review these signs that your job interview went well, so you can see what skills you may need to
brush up for next time.

JOB INTERVIEW SKILLS TRAINING

Even the smartest and most qualified job seekers need to prepare for their job interview. Why, you
ask? Interview skills are learned, and there are no second chances to make a great first impression. These
10 interview tips will teach you how to answer interview questions and convince the hiring manager that you
are the one for the job. 

Practice good nonverbal communication

It's about demonstrating confidence: standing straight, making eye contact and connecting with a firm
handshake. That first nonverbal impression can be a great beginning—or quick ending—to your interview.

Dress for the job or company

Today's casual dress codes do not give you permission to dress as "they" do when you interview. It is
important to know what to wear to an interview  and to be well-groomed. Whether you wear a suit or
something less formal depends on the company culture and the position you are seeking. If possible, call to
find out about the company dress code before the interview.

Listen
From the very beginning of the interview, your interviewer is giving you information, either directly or
indirectly. If you are not hearing it, you are missing a major opportunity. Good communication
skills include listening and letting the person know you heard what was said. Observe your interviewer, and
match that style and pace.

Don't talk too much

Telling the interviewer more than he needs to know could be a fatal mistake. When you have not prepared
ahead of time, you may ramble when answering interview questions, sometimes talking yourself right out
of the job. Prepare for the interview by reading through the job posting, matching your skills with the
position's requirements and relating only that information.

Don't be too familiar

The interview is a professional meeting to talk business. This is not about making a new friend. Your level of
familiarity should mimic the interviewer's demeanor. It is important to bring energy and enthusiasm to the
interview and to ask questions, but do not overstep your place as a candidate looking for a job.

Use appropriate language

It's a given that you should use professional language during the interview. Be aware of any inappropriate
slang words or references to age, race, religion, politics or sexual orientation—these topics could send you
out the door very quickly.

Don't be cocky
Attitude plays a key role in your interview success. There is a fine balance between  confidence,
professionalism and modesty. Even if you're putting on a performance to demonstrate your ability,
overconfidence is as bad, if not worse, as being too reserved.

Take care to answer the questions

When interviewers ask for an example of a time when you did something, they are asking behavioral
interview questions, which are designed to elicit a sample of your past behavior. If you fail to relate a
specific example, you not only don't answer the question, but you also miss an opportunity to prove your
ability and talk about your skills.

Ask questions
When asked if they have any questions, most candidates answer, "No." Wrong answer. Part of knowing how
to interview is being ready to ask questions that demonstrate an interest in what goes on in the company.
Asking questions also gives you the opportunity to find out if this is the right place for you. The best
questions come from listening to what you're asked during the interview and asking for additional
information.

Don't appear desperate

When you interview with the "please, please hire me" approach, you appear desperate and less confident.
Reflect the three Cs during the interview: cool, calm and confidence. You know you can do the job; make
sure the interviewer believes you can, too.

LESSON 7: POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR JOB INTERVIEW

WEEK 7

DISCUSSION

Are you ready to ace your upcoming job interview? It's always important to be prepared to respond
effectively to the questions that employers typically ask.

Since these questions are so common, hiring managers will expect you to be able to answer them
smoothly and without hesitation.

Tip: You don't need to memorize your answers, but you should think about what you're going to say
so you're not put on the spot.
Your responses will be stronger if you prepare in advance, know what to expect during the
interview, and have a sense of what you want to focus on. Knowing that you prepared will boost
your confidence and help you minimize interview stress and feel more at ease.

TOP 10 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND BEST ANSWERS

Here are the top 10 most common interview questions and examples of the best answers. Also, be
sure to review the follow-up questions at the end of the article to prepare for some of the more
challenging interview questions asked by hiring managers.

1. Tell Me About Yourself.

This is one of the first questions you are likely to be asked. Be prepared to talk about yourself, and
why you're an ideal candidate for the job.

What They Want to Know: The interviewer wants to know why you're an excellent fit for the job. Try
to answer questions about yourself without giving too much, or too little, personal information.

You can start by sharing some of your personal interests and experiences that don't relate directly to
work, such as a favorite hobby or a brief account of where you grew up, your education, and what
motivates you. You can even share some fun facts and showcase your personality to make the
interview a little more interesting.

SAMPLE:

As an ER nurse, I find that the best way for me to de-stress when I’m not working is to relax
outdoors, rain or shine. I’ve always been an avid hiker, nature photographer, and trout fisher, and
one of my favorite things to do is to volunteer with the U.S. Forest Service and with local salmon
habitat restoration groups. I also lead group hikes on some of Mt. Baker’s more challenging
trails. This is where the skills I developed during my initial training as a military nurse sometimes
come in handy. My current personal goal is to climb Mt. Rainier next summer. Being outdoors never
fails to renew my spirit so that I’m able to be the best ER nurse I can be. 

2. Why Do You Want This Job.

Why are you a good fit for the position? What would you accomplish if you hired? This question is an
opportunity to show the interviewer what you have to offer the company, and what you would
achieve if you got the job.

What They Want to Know: This question gives you an opportunity to show the interviewer what you
know about the job and the company, so take time beforehand to thoroughly research the
company, its products, services, culture, and mission. Be specific about what makes you a good fit
for this role, and mention aspects of the company and position that appeal to you most.

SAMPLE:

Construction design is in my blood—both my dad and my grandad were home builders who owned
their own construction firm. From the time I entered college, I knew that I wanted my architecture
career to be focused on sustainable, green design practices, so I earned my certification as a LEED
Accredited Professional. Greenways Construction is the most respected sustainable design firm in
Texas. I’ve been following reports of your LEED Certified projects in Journal of Green
Engineering, and I wrote my capstone project on the energy modeling you pioneered for the ACME
Business Park and the ABC Tech campus. Working here really would be my dream job, since your
mission aligns perfectly with my goals as a sustainability specialist.

3. Why Should We Hire You? 

Make your response a confident, concise, focused sales pitch that explains what you have to
offer and why you should get the job. This is a good time to review the qualifications and the
requirements in the job listing, so you can craft a response that aligns with what the interviewer is
looking for. 

What They Want to Know: Are you the best candidate for the job? The hiring manager wants to
know whether you have all the required qualifications. Be prepared to explain why you're the
applicant who should be hired. 

SAMPLE:

You should hire me because my experience is almost perfectly aligned with the requirements you
asked for in your job listing. I have seven years’ progressive experience in the hospitality industry,
advancing from my initial role as a front desk associate with Excalibur Resort and Spa to my current
position there as a concierge. I’m well-versed in providing world-class customer service to an upscale
clientele, and I pride myself on my ability to quickly resolve problems so that our guests enjoy their
time with us. 

4. What is Your Greatest Strength? 

When you're answering this question, remember to “show” rather than “tell.” For example, rather
than stating that you are an excellent problem solver, instead tell a story that demonstrates this,
ideally drawing on an anecdote from your professional experience.

What They Want to Know: This is one of the questions that employers almost always ask to
determine how well you are qualified for the position. When you are asked about your greatest
strengths, it's important to discuss the attributes that qualify you for that specific job, and that will
set you apart from other candidates.

SAMPLE: 

As a cybersecurity specialist, my greatest strength is my intellectual curiosity. I

enjoy researching the latest technology trends so that our critical information technology systems
remain uncompromised. Not only do I do this by reading the latest issues of cybersecurity journals,
but I also convinced my employer to fund my participation in quarterly information technology
conferences. This has allowed me to build a network of peer resources—many of whom are leaders
in the field—that I can call upon for strategies when new threats arise to our systems. 

5. What is Your Greatest Weakness?

This question is an opportunity to show the hiring manager that you're well qualified for the job. In
addition to learning whether you've got the right credentials, the hiring manager wants to know
whether you can take on challenges and learn new tasks.

b: Another typical question interviewers will ask is about your weaknesses. Do your best to frame
your answers around positive aspects of your skills and abilities as an employee, turning seeming
“weaknesses” into strengths.

You can also share examples of skills you have improved, providing specific instances of how you
have recognized a weakness and taken steps to correct it.

SAMPLE:

My greatest weakness used to be procrastination. Friends who knew my work style would tease me,
saying, “Panic precipitates performance.” In college, I was the person who pulled all-nighters to
finish their essay right before deadline. This isn’t as irresponsible as it sounds—from the moment I’m
assigned a project, I’m thinking about it. Most of my first and second drafts get composed mentally,
so it’s only a matter of writing down the final draft. And, since I have an excellent command of
grammar, I don’t have to spend much time proofreading or revising.

However, after I landed my first job as a content writer, it became clear that while this process
worked for me (I’ve never missed a deadline), it made my editor extremely nervous. And so I’ve
learned to set “early” deadlines for myself, at least 24 hours before the actual deadline, so that my
projects now always arrive with plenty of time to spare. 

6. Why Do You Want to Leave (or Have Left) Your Job? 

Be prepared with a response to this question. You'll need to give an answer that’s honest and
reflects your specific circumstances but keeps it positive. Even if you quit under challenging
circumstances, now isn't the best time to share what could be construed as too much information
with the interviewer.

What They Want to Know: The interviewer wants to know why you left your job and why you want
to work for their company. When asked about why you are moving on from your current position,
stick with the facts, be direct, and focus your answer on the future, especially if your
departure wasn't under the best circumstances. 

SAMPLE:

I was very fortunate to be hired by ABC Company right out of college. They taught me a lot about
digital marketing, and it’s been stimulating to work as a contributor to their creative teams.
However, I’m ready for the next step. I’ve always been a leader—I was captain of the crew team in
college, student body vice president, and I’ve served as team lead for most of our projects in FY
2019. I think I’m ready to move into management, but ABC Company already has very talented
managers in place, and they won’t be leaving such a great employer anytime soon. I’ve completed
supplemental management training courses during my time there, and I know I can hit the ground
running as your next digital marketing manager. 

7. What Are Your Salary Expectations?

What are you looking for in terms of salary? Questions about money are always tricky to answer.
You don't want to sell yourself short or price yourself out of a job offer. Employers can't ask how
much you earned at previous jobs in some locations, but they can ask how much you expect to get
paid.

What They Want to Know: The hiring manager wants to know what you expect to earn. It seems like
a simple question, but your answer can knock you out of competition for the job if you overprice
yourself. If you underprice yourself, you may get shortchanged with a lower offer. 

SAMPLE:

Reliable salary calculators, like the one used by Glassdoor.com, say that experienced sous chefs here
in Portland average around $50,964 a year, 5 percent below the national average. I brought home
around $49,700 last year. While I would definitely welcome a salary of $49k - $55K, particularly given
the cost of living here, I’m open to negotiation if a lower salary was accompanied by greater
flexibility in scheduling and additional vacation time.

8. How Do You Handle Stress and Pressure? -

Do you work well in high-stress situations? Do you thrive on pressure, or would you prefer a more
low-key job? What do you do when something goes wrong? The best way to respond to this
question is to share an example of how you have successfully handled stress in a previous position.
What They Want to Know: What do you do when things don’t go smoothly at work? How do you
deal with difficult situations? The employer wants to know how you handle workplace stress.

Avoid claiming that you never, or rarely, experience stress. Rather, formulate your answer in a way
that acknowledges workplace stress and explains how you’ve overcome it, or even used it to your
advantage.

SAMPLE:

I’m not someone who is energized by or thrives in stressful environments. My first step in managing
stress is to try to circumvent it by keeping my work processes very organized, and my attitude
professional. When customers or associates come to me with issues, I try to look at things from their
perspective, and initiate a collaborative problem-solving approach to keep the situation from
escalating. I find that maintaining an efficient, congenial office with open lines of communication
automatically reduces a lot of workplace stress. Of course, sometimes unanticipated stressors will
arise. When this happens, I just take a deep breath, remembering that the person I’m dealing with is
frustrated with a situation, not with me. I then actively listen to their concerns and make a plan to
resolve the issue as quickly as possible.  

9. Describe a Difficult Work Situation or Project and How You Handled It. 

There isn't a right or wrong answer to a question about handling a difficult situation. How you react
will show the hiring manager your work style and how you manage issues. It will help determine if
you mesh with the company, and you're a fit for the role.

What They Want to Know: The interviewer wants to know how you respond when faced with a
difficult decision. As with the question about stress, be prepared to share an example of what you
did in a tough situation. It’s important to share details to make the story believable and engaging. 

SAMPLE:

I think the most difficult situation I face as a production manager is when I have to lay off staff, either
because they aren’t doing their job properly or, even worse, because sales are down. When I can, I
try to work with underperforming personnel to see if we can’t improve their efficiency. If not, then I
hand them their pink slip and give them straightforward reasons for why they are being laid off. No
one wants to be fired without an explanation. When this happens, I keep my tone polite and avoid
using too many “you” statements; I absolutely do not want to cast shame on them. 

10. What Are Your Goals for The Future? 

Are you a job hopper? Or do you plan on staying with the company, at least for a while? Do your
plans for the future match the career path for someone typically hired for this position?

What They Want to Know: This question is designed to find out if you’re going to stick around or
move on as soon as you find a better opportunity. Keep your answer focused on the job and the
company, and reiterate to the interviewer that the position aligns with your long-term goals.

SAMPLE:

I’m someone who likes stability. My goal is to find a job that I can hold long term with a local
company, becoming a valued employee as I gradually advance to positions of increasing authority
and responsibility. I’m extremely interested in the teller job here at First Financial Credit Union
because of your internal training program. My long-term goal is to eventually become a branch
manager after I’ve proven my competencies in customer service and team leadership. 
More Common Interview Questions and Answers

For a comprehensive list of common interview questions, review the most frequently asked
interview questions, tips for responding, and sample answers you can use to practice for a job
interview.

You can also expect to be asked about how you would respond to a specific work-related situation.
Here's a list of examples of these behavioral interview questions you may be asked.

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

At the close of the interview, most interviewers ask whether you have any questions about the job
or company.

If you don’t have any questions, this can make it seem like you are apathetic about the opportunity.
It's always a good idea to have a list of questions ready, and to be prepared to discuss them.

Possible Follow-Up Questions

Here are some related questions you might be asked during a job interview that will require some
thought to answer.

 How do you handle success?

 How do you handle failure?
 Do you work well with other people?
 What can you do better for us than the other applicants?
 Why are you the best person for the job?

ANALYSIS

ACTIVITY

Make a video where you act as an applicant and you are answering this specific question in an
interview. (3-5mins)

Question:

What is your edge among the other applicants?

LESSON 8: PRE-EMPLOYMENT EXAMINATION

WEEK 8

DISCUSSION
Is it legal for employers to conduct pre-employment tests and background checks on job applicants?
The short answer is yes. Companies can test applicants for employment. The longer answer is that
the tests must be non-discriminatory and the tests must be properly administered and validated.

If you're being considered for a job and have been asked to take some kind of test, you may be
wondering what the test is for, how it will influence your chances of being hired, and perhaps
whether it's even legal. Here, to help put such requirements into perspective is a brief overview of
pre-employment testing.

Legality and Function of Pre-Employment Testing

Employers often use tests and other selection procedures to screen applicants for hire. Some of
these tests are closely focused on job-related skills and abilities, but others collect personal
information for various purposes and are somewhat controversial.

While legitimate concerns exist, pre-employment tests are legal, provided the company does not use
the test results to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability, or
age (that is, to exclude applicants only because they are 40 years of age or older).

Note: Employment tests must be valid and must relate to the job for which you're applying.

A major exception is lie detector tests, which are illegal in most circumstances, both before and
during employment, thanks to the Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA).

The type of testing discussed here is distinct from the testing required to earn professional
certifications and licenses. The difference is that certifications and licenses are required by law or by
industry standards, and are not part of the hiring process for individual employers.

Types of Employment Tests

Employment tests may look at who job candidates are, what they can do, or whether they can safely
perform the physical tasks of the job. Ideally, these tests serve as tools for the hiring manager, and a
way to avoid bias in hiring.

Personality Tests
Personality tests assess the degree to which a person has certain traits or dispositions or predict the
likelihood that a person will engage in certain conduct. Ideally, the objective is to determine if a
candidate will be a good fit for the job and the company. Personality tests are usually written in such
a way as to reveal any attempt at dishonesty. The goal of employment personality testing is to hire
people who fit the profile of the ideal employee the organization is seeking.

Talent Assessment Tests

Talent assessments are utilized to help predict a new hire’s job performance and retainability. The
focus is on potential skills and abilities, as distinct from either personality or developed skills
revealed by an applicant’s work history. These types of tests help answer questions about whether
the applicant will be successful if he or she is hired.

Cognitive Tests
Cognitive tests are used to measure a candidate's reasoning, memory, perceptual speed and
accuracy, and skills in arithmetic and reading comprehension, as well as knowledge of a particular
function or job. Cognitive function is roughly what most people mean by “intelligence,” although
true intelligence has many other aspects as well.

Emotional Intelligence Testing

Emotional intelligence (EI) is an individual’s ability to understand his or her own emotions and the
emotions of others. Strong emotional intelligence is important for most jobs and critical for some,
since emotionally intelligent people have the ability to work well with colleagues, interact with the
public, and handle disappointments and frustrations in a mature and professional way. 

Pre-Employment Physical Exams

Employers may require a pre-employment physical examination to determine the suitability of an
individual for a physically demanding or potentially dangerous job. Pre-employment physicals are
used to determine whether an applicant has the physical ability and stamina required to do the job.

Physical Ability Tests

Physical ability tests measure the physical ability of an applicant to perform a particular task or the
strength of specific muscle groups, as well as strength and stamina in general.

Drug Tests
There are several types of drug tests that candidates for employment may be asked to take.
The types of drug tests which show the presence of drugs or alcohol include urine drug tests, hair-
drug or -alcohol testing, saliva drug screen, and sweat drug screen. It is important to note that while
most alcohol tests determine whether the subject is currently intoxicated, nothing equivalent exists
for any drugs. Drug tests determine whether the subject has used certain chemicals any time in
recent weeks or months.

English Proficiency Tests

English proficiency tests determine the candidate's English fluency and are typically administered to
candidates whose first language is not English.

Sample Job Task Tests

Sample job task tests including performance tests, simulations, work samples, and realistic job
previews, assess a candidate's performance and aptitude on particular tasks. Think of these as
something like an audition.

Tests for Restaurant Jobs

Restaurants may test job applicants as part of the screening process to determine how much they
know about the business, and how well they would be able to handle the job. 

Background Checks and Credit Checks

Criminal background checks provide information on arrest and conviction history. Credit

checks provide information on credit and financial history. Here's why, when and how employers
check out job applicants.

The information contained in this article is not legal advice and is not a substitute for such advice.
State and federal laws change frequently, and the information in this article may not reflect your
own state’s laws or the most recent changes to the law. 

ANALYSIS

Why is it important to conduct pre-employment examination?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of pre employment examination to employees?
Employers?

ACTIVITY

(PROVIDED BY THE TEACHER)

LESSON 9: PROPER BUSINESS ATTIRE

 WEEK 9

DISCUSSION

PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY:
Instructions: For the preliminary activity, observe the set of pictures below then identify if the dress
code is a proper business attire or not.

1. 4.

2. 5.

3. 6.

Business attire refers to the clothing that employees wear to work. Appropriate business attire can
vary from company to company and even from job to job.

What Is Business Attire?

Business attire is the wardrobe appropriate for the workplace. Business attire can contain many
different types of clothing, each of which may be appropriate in certain circumstances and
inappropriate in others. For example, at your place of work, a suit may be appropriate for a job
interview but too formal for everyday business.

Employees who want to fit in well at their workplace wear the clothing that is expected and adhere
to the company's standard of appropriate business attire.

How Does Business Attire Work?

Business attire is often dictated by a written company dress code, which can explain what is
acceptable clothing and what is not. The level of formality of business attire varies depending on the
workplace and is usually described in the dress code, if there is one. However, you don’t need an
official dress code to understand what constitutes appropriate business attire in your workplace. You
can form a good idea of what is appropriate by just looking around you.

Tip: Look at what your boss and other successful employees wear to work. Your observations will tell
you about the proper and expected business attire for your workplace.

The formality of business attire can range from traditional and formal to smart casual, business
casual, or casual.

For example, if you are a graphic designer at a midsize firm, you may be expected to wear casual or
business casual attire. A sweater or button-down shirt, dress pants, leather shoes, and watch would
be appropriate for a man or woman in that environment.

Your wardrobe pieces for work should be of good quality, clean, and neatly pressed, if necessary.

Types of Business Attire

How formal your business attire should be may depend on the company as well as your
position. It's likely that the president and other company executives will dress more formally than
what is required of an entry-level employee.

If you’re a new employee, ask what employees are expected to wear to work when you
receive the job offer. Consult your dress code, employee handbook, or human resources department
to find out what the requirements are. If you are unsure, it may be better to err on the side of more
formal, not less: Choose dress pants over khakis, for example, until you confirm whether jeans are
OK.

Business Formal

If the dress code at your workplace is business formal, then the following attire would be
appropriate:

Men:

 Formal suit, tie, and business shirt

 Upscale sports jacket, dress pants, tie, and business shirt
 Leather dress shoes
 Conservative leather accessories such as a briefcase or portfolio
 Watches and cologne should be subtle

Women:

 Skirt suit
 Pantsuit
 Formal business blouse or top
 Stockings
 Closed-toe leather shoes
 Conservative business accessories such as a briefcase or a leather folder for pads of paper
 Subtle jewelry, makeup, and perfume 1

Smart Casual

Smart casual business attire is just a step down from traditional, formal attire.

Men:

 Sports jacket with a tie, dress pants, and button-down or traditional business shirt or nice
turtleneck
 Dress shoes
 Accessories as described in traditional business attire

Women:

 Jacket or dressy sweater

 Dress pants or skirt
 Blouse, shirt, top or turtleneck
 Hose
 Dress shoes
 Accessories as described in traditional business attire

Business Casual

Business casual attire is slightly more casual than smart casual and permits more comfortable cuts
and fabrics.2

Men:

 Khakis or dress pants

 Shirts with collars or golf or polo shirts
  Sweaters
 Vests
 Occasionally an informal jacket and tie
 Attractive leather shoes and accessories

Women:

 Nice pants or skirt

 Blouse, top, or sweater
 Vest
 Occasionally an informal jacket
 Attractive leather shoes and accessories

Casual

If you want to dress appropriately in a casual workplace, you may find yourself wearing jeans and
other casual wear.

Men:

 Casual pants
 Jeans
 Shirt, with or without collar
 Sweater
 Vest
 Sweatshirt
 Casual shoes

Women:

 Casual pants
 Jeans
 Casual skirt
 Blouse, top, or sweater
 Vest
 Sweatshirt
 Casual shoes

Even with a casual business attire dress code, some articles of clothing are almost always
inappropriate, no matter the workplace, including ripped or shredded clothing, flip-flops,
beachwear, and tops that reveal the midriff.

Benefits of Business Attire

Business attire conveys to your colleagues, bosses, and customers or clients your level of
professionalism and dedication. When you keep your focus on your performance and not your
fashion sense, you make a good impression and send a message about your priorities at work.
Cultivating your image can help you present yourself in the best light, and wearing the appropriate
business attire is part of that image.

Your attire has implications for how you are viewed in your workplace—for better or worse.
Showing up poorly dressed, wearing clothing that's sloppy, revealing, or otherwise inappropriate,
will send the wrong kind of message to your managers and coworkers.
 By following these guidelines, you can look professional in your selected business attire at
your workplace. Understand the standard that is expected, dress according to these guidelines, and
assemble a wardrobe that is attractive and comfortable.

Key Takeaways

 Business attire is the clothing that is acceptable at work.

 Business attire can influence the impression of your boss, coworkers, and customers about
your capabilities and professionalism.
 Appropriate business attire can vary from company to company and even from job to job
within that company.
 There are several levels of formality, ranging from casual to business formal.

ANALYSIS

Why is it important to wear business attire?

How do I ask my company for a dress code?

Here are a few tips on how to figure out your company's dress code when it doesn't actually have
one.
1. Just ask. The easiest way to figure out what to wear is to ask someone who already works
there.
2. Take cues from your boss.
3. Make sure you're comfortable.
4. Think of the company culture.
5. Do some scouting.

Can you get fired for dress code?

No. An employer generally cannot single you out or discriminate against you. Dress code policies

must target all employees, not just you.

ACTIVITY

For the activity, take a picture of yourselves wearing any different business attire and write your
captions/explanation relative to your dream jobs. Use MS Word for this activity and upload it in
google drive where the link is provided by the teacher.

LESSON 10: COMMON HUMAN RESOURCE POLICIES

WEEK 10

DISCUSSION

Are you looking for Human Resources policy samples? Do you need sample checklists, procedures,
forms, and examples of Human Resources and business tools to manage your workplace to create
 successful employees? These samples are provided for your personal use in your workplace, not for
professional publications.

Need an HR glossary? See the Human Resources Glossary of Terms. The terms provide a basic
definition and much more about how you can implement the defined concept within your own
organization. Consider taking a look at the glossary to assist you with defining concepts for your own
organization.

You may adapt these samples to your organization's needs.

These Sample HR Policies Provide a Guide

While every organization has different needs, different priorities, and different guidelines they need
to guide employee behavior, these samples give you a base on which you can build the policies for
your organization.

Take a look to see the recommended sample policies that don't sap employee spirits and steal their
lives and private time. These policies, procedures, and checklists successfully recognize the limits of
providing employees proper guidance for appropriate behavior at work and draw a line between
that and employee lives outside of the workplace. 

Disseminating and storing the right employment information and documentation can help
demonstrate compliance with federal, state, and local laws. Below are some "must-have" policies
and forms.

Workplace Policies:

Some laws require employers to communicate workplace information to employees in writing. In the
absence of a specific requirement, employers should also implement policies that communicate
company expectations and benefits. While the contents of your company's handbook will depend on
a number of factors, including your company's size, industry, and location, consider including these
key policies:

1. At-will employment. This statement reiterates that either you or the employee can terminate the
employment relationship at any time and for any reason, as long as the reason is a lawful one. It is a
best practice to prominently display this statement in the beginning of your employee handbook
(except in Montana, where at-will employment is not recognized). Reinforce at-will status in your
handbook acknowledgment form as well.

2. Anti-harassment and non-discrimination. These policies prohibit harassment and discrimination in

the workplace. Non-discrimination laws are governed by federal, state and local provisions, so
review your applicable law and account for all appropriate protections.

3. Employment classifications. It is a best practice to clearly define employment classifications, such as

full-time, part-time, exempt or non-exempt since an employee's classification can dictate eligibility
for benefits and overtime pay.

4. Leave and time off benefits. These policies address a company's rules and procedures regarding
holidays, vacation, sick, and other types of time off benefits, or leave required by law (such as voting
leave, family leave, and domestic violence leave) or company policy. Check your state and local law
to ensure all leave requirements are included in your employee handbook.

5. Meal and break periods. A policy on meal and break periods informs employees of the frequency
and duration of such breaks as well as any rules or restrictions related to break periods. Rest periods,
 lactation breaks, and meal periods must be provided in accordance with federal, state and local
laws.

6. Timekeeping and pay. A timekeeping policy informs employees of the method for recording time
worked and the importance of accurately recording their time. A policy on paydays lets employees
know the frequency of paydays, the methods available for receiving pay, and any special procedures
for when a payday falls on a holiday or when an employee is absent from work.

7. Safety and health. Safety policies describe safety and emergency procedures and require employees
to report work-related injuries immediately. Additionally, some regulations under the Occupational
Safety and Health Act require employers to have specific policies and programs in place if certain
workplace hazards exist (such as a hazard communication program if certain chemicals are present
in the workplace).

8. Employee conduct, attendance and punctuality. Attendance policies make it clear that employees
must be ready to work at their scheduled start time each day and provide procedures for informing
the company of an unscheduled absence or late arrival. It is also a best practice to have policies on
standards of conduct, drug and alcohol abuse, disciplinary action, confidentiality, conflicts of
interest, and workplace violence.

Forms & Documents:

Employers must maintain certain records to comply with federal, state, and local laws and to help
administer HR policies and practices. Depending on the nature of the form, these documents should
either be retained in the employee's personnel file, or a separate confidential file. Here are some key
forms to consider:

9. Hiring forms. There are a variety of forms that can help you identify qualified candidates during the
pre-hire process, such as a job application and candidate evaluation form. Once a candidate is hired,
you must complete certain new hire paperwork, including a Form W-4 and a Form I-9. Additionally,
certain notices must be provided to new hires.

10. Receipt of company property. If you provide employees with equipment, tools, or other company
property, use this form to document what was provided to the employee. This can help ensure that
all property is returned and accounted for at the time of separation.

11. Handbook acknowledgments. When an employee signs this form, he or she acknowledges that they
are responsible for reading and complying with all company policies. Obtain signed
acknowledgments when you first issue the handbook, at the time of hire for new employees, and
whenever you make changes to the handbook.

12. Leave of absence. Have employees submit requests for time off or other types of leave in writing. In
some cases, the federal government or your state government may provide sample forms, such as
those used for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) purposes.

13. Reasonable accommodation requests. Federal and some state laws require employers to
provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities, or sincerely held
religious beliefs and practices. While employees aren't required to make reasonable accommodation
requests in writing, employers should thoroughly document the request, all communications
regarding the request, and the resulting accommodation.
14. Performance and discipline. Document all performance and disciplinary events, whether positive or
negative. This includes annual performance reviews, recognitions received, promotions, and
disciplinary action, such as written and oral warnings and performance improvement plans.

15. Business expenses. If employees travel for work, or incur other business-related expenses, have
them maintain an expense log and submit reimbursement requests in writing.

Conclusion:

This is an overview of some commonly used policies and documents. Your size, location, and
industry may dictate whether you must provide additional written information to employees. When
making this determination, consider your business practices as well as all applicable federal, state,
and local laws.

ANALYSIS

What policies should HR have?

`What are the HR policies and procedures?

ACTIVITY

(PROVIDED BY THE TEACHER)

LESSON 11: WORK ETHICS

WEEK 11

DISCUSSION

WORK ETHIC DEFINITION

What is Work Ethic, and its Purpose?

In its simplest definition, a system of moral principles is called ethics. They affect how people lead
their lives, for life is an unbroken stream of decision-making and ethics are concerned with what is
the right moral choice, for individuals and for society. This is also known as a moral philosophy. The
etymology of ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos, meaning habit, custom, disposition or
character.

Ethics are therefore concerned with these sorts of moral decision: how to live an ethical life, rights
and responsibilities, right and wrong language, what is good and bad and so on. Contemporary
notions of ethics have been handed on from philosophy, religions, and global cultures. Ethics are
debated in topics such as human rights, right to life, and professional behavior.
In a business, an ethical code is a defined set of principles which guide an organization in its activities
and decisions and the firm’s philosophy may affect its productivity, reputation, and bottom line.

Among staff ethical behavior ensures work is completed with integrity and honesty and staff that are
ethical adhere to policies and rules while working to meet the aims of the enterprise. An ethically
positive, healthy work culture enhances morale among employees.

Work Ethic Definition and Meaning

Traditionally, work ethic has been understood as a value based on hard work and diligence.
Capitalists, for example, believe in the necessity of working hard and in consequential ability of
enhancing one’s character. Socialists suggest that a concept of “hard work” is deluding the working
class into being loyal workers of the elite; and working hard, in itself, is not necessarily an honorable
thing, but simply a way to create greater wealth for those at the summit of the economic pyramid.

These values have been challenged and characterized as submissive to social convention and
authority, and not meaningful in and of itself, but only if a positive result accrues. An alternative
perception suggests that the work ethic is now subverted in a broader, and readily marketed-to
society. This perspective has given us the phrase “work smart”.

In recent times, many say that a work ethic is now obsolete and that it is no true any longer that
working more means producing more, or even that more production leads to a better life… this is, of
course, not to be confused with quality productivity.

IMPORTANCE OF WORK ETHIC

Those with a strong work ethic have inculcated principles that guide them in their work behavior.
This leads them to consistent higher productivity, without any prodding that many require to stay on
track. Therefore, whether staff are naturally this way or need be trained, if possible, into such an
attitude is determined by the managers.

Productive Work

Individuals with a good work ethic are usually very productive people who work at a faster pace.
They regularly accomplish more work, more quickly than those who lack a work ethic, for they do
not quit until the work which they are tasked is completed. At least in part, this is also due to the
fact that they wish to appear to be stronger employees, and thus, they wish to appear to be of more
benefit to their managers and the company.

Cooperation

Cooperative work can be highly beneficial in a business entity, individuals with a good work ethic
know this well. They understand the usefulness of cooperation, e.g., teamwork — they often put an
extensive amount of effort into working well with others.

Such people usually respect company authority enough to cooperate with anyone else with whom
they are paired, in a polite and productive way, even if the individuals in question are not so ethically
inclined.

Ethics in Organizational Culture

Employers, executives and employees, all adhering to an ethics code stimulate an ethical work
culture. Business leaders must lead by exhibiting the behavior they wish to see in employees.

Reinforce ethical conduct by rewarding employees who show the integrity and values that coincide
with company policy, and discipline those who make the wrong ethical decisions. Positive ethics
culture improves morale in a business, plus it may increase productivity and employee retention
 which cuts the costs of employee churning, consequentially financially benefitting an organization as
improved productivity improves company efficiency.

BASIC WORK ETHIC FOR AN ORGANISATION

Ideally, the policies a business operates with are compassion, fairness, honor, responsibility, and
integrity. One of the best ways to communicate organizational ethics is by training employees about
company standards. Basic work ethics for any organization should include:

 Uniform rules and regulations: An ethical organizational example is the common treatment of all
staff, i.e., with the same respect, regardless of race, culture, religion, or lifestyle, with equal chances
for promotion. Therefore, small company managers should desist from favoring any one employee,
for it can lead to lawsuits and is also highly counterproductive.

 Communication of the rules and regulation to all employees: Company policies must be clearly
communicated to each employee with a transparency at all levels of the hierarchy. Employees are
the spine of all organizations and should have a say in the goals and objectives of a firm.

 Respect for Employees: Respect employees and in return receive the same. Regulations should not
be so rigid, and therefore, don’t expect staff to attend work two days before a marriage. If
somebody is not well, don’t ask them to attend office unless or until there’s an emergency.

 Allow a degree of freedom to employees without constant micro-management: Key roles of

responsibility need to be established on the first day of joining with responsibilities commensurate
with a person’s expertise. Employees should be inducted into training if needed.

 Clear cut salary and promotion policy: Employees crib if they are underpaid. Make sure they get
what is deserved and decided in the presence of the person. A major attrition factor is a poor
appraisal, promotion prospects are ideally based on merit, not favor. Clarity is crucial.

 Clear and uniform holiday schedule: It is the responsibility of human resource professionals to
prepare the holiday calendar at the beginning of the year and circulate the same among all
employees.

 Effects of Work Ethics within an organization: Preferably a workplace ethic culture will ensure that
employers guide and mentor staff appropriately while management treats all as equal. Transparency
is essential.

 How Leadership ethics and Employee ethics can impact the organization: Owner and executive
level accountability is a vital function of leadership. Executives, as equally as employees, are
expected to be honest and transparent. Organizations need to abide by ethical norms; all of which
benefit the consumer, the society and the firm.

 What are the core ethical elements that define the ethics of an organization: There are at least
four elements that aim to create an ethical behavioral culture of employees within an organization.
o A written code of ethics and standards (ethical code).
o Ethics training for executives, managers, and employees.
o The availability of ethical situational advice (i.e. advice lines or offices).
o A confidential reporting system.

HOW TO DEVELOP STRONG WORK ETHIC

The employment market is now so competitive that if one doesn’t have a positive work ethic, then
employers do not bat an eyelid about looking for someone who meets their firm’s requirement.

As a positive work ethic is vital to a business success, then each person from the CEO to new staff,
must inculcate this to keep the company functioning optimally. Get to work promptly, arriving late
always starts a workday badly, and signals that you are not committed. Take into consideration
traffic, weather and so on and leave home to reach on time. Take responsibility for your actions,
which includes being punctual.

Step 1: Be professional about your work

Professionalism is beyond a clean shirt, for it includes one’s values, attitude, and demeanor. Practice
being cordial and positive while refraining from gossip. Knowing how to communicate constructively
and positively, while respecting the feelings of others is an invaluable tool. Respect others and
develop a reputation for having integrity, meaning honesty, fairness, and consistency in what you do
and say.

Reliability and honesty: Work ethic is more than completing long hours for its foundation is integrity.
To develop integrity, one can:

o Act the same when people are not watching you, as when they are.
o Perform consistently at the same level of quality. Be conscientious. Be honest in all things.
o Honesty isn’t a business policy, it is a state of mind.

Deliver best outputs: A work ethic is fundamental to success at anything, plus it makes you a
valuable employee. For career advancement this is more important than ever before. In work
assignments strive to exceed expectations by paying attention to details and making the quality of
work your central priority. Everyone can work fast, but few will deliver best quality outputs with few
mistakes.

Keep everything in an organized method like a good file system for documents (both soft and hard
copy), so you can retrieve these easily to get on with the essential tasks. All of us have times when
we are more productive, some in the early morning, some later at night. Identify and schedule the
difficult work to be completed in those periods.

Be consistent in delivering good quality work and earn good reputation: Everything worthwhile
accomplishing requires discipline. Remain focused on a long-term goal while avoiding getting side-
tracked by a short-term gratification. To be persistent and able to follow through on assignments…
Train yourself.

However productive you may be, there is always an opportunity to increase one’s level of quality
work. Effectiveness means doing the work that matters. Be effective first, then become efficient.
Efficient is achieving improved output in less time. There is no point in becoming efficient at doing
that non-value added work.

Step 2: Manage your time

Know your strength and weaknesses (including potential distractions, so you can avoid
them): Evaluate work. Identifying one’s weaknesses and making a plan to improve these areas builds
a stronger work ethic. One way of evaluating this is to create a list summarizing the skills and
requirements of your work, and the strengths and weaknesses. Be honest about weaknesses, and
what it is that distracts you – this is step one in learning to manage those weaknesses.

Distractions are everywhere – Twitter, Facebook, TV, mobile, etc. Complete these before arriving at
work for a no-distraction period. Turn off the internet and see how you start doing work in due time.
Ditch the unimportant. If the work is nice-to-do but not need-to-do. Stop it.

Accelerate becoming a more productive employee by regularly visualizing yourself as channeled

toward higher accomplishments. Vision yourself as highly efficient and feed the subconscious mind
with this vision until it is accepted as a command. The individual that you ‘‘vision”, is the individual
that you “become”. Lastingly successful people have one common denominator: they focus on
strengths and manage around any weaknesses
 Set yourself deadlines for delivering even small tasks: Being able to complete your tasks and finish
what you start, is an essential part of character building. You cannot imagine a fully mature, fully
functioning person who is unable to finish what she begins. The development of this habit is the key
to long-term success. Don’t waste time by doing stuff that is not important? Constantly evaluate to
check which things absolutely must get done.

Prioritize tasks and set the most important ones in the morning: Complete projects and tasks
immediately. A trademark behavior of a worker with a poor work ethic is delaying work until another
day, which usually only leads to an incomplete or late project.

Avoid procrastination: Procrastinating is a great waste. Imagine all that could be accomplished by

eliminating procrastination from this moment on. To overcome procrastination, first realize that it’s
not the real issue. Procrastination, laziness, bad time management, or lack of discipline, are merely
symptoms of the issue. The real reason is beneath this. You can also use the Pomodoro technique to
avoid procrastination.

 Provide feedback that improves situations and builds people up.

 Be an active listener and keep an open mind.

Step 3: Keep a balance and deliver consistent high performance work

Do sport, sleep well, and socialize: Play is best when it’s earned, equally sleep. Earn sleep by
working hard on one’s goals in the day. A good work ethic isn’t just being glued to a computer. It is
also understanding how to take care with decent sleep, and eating nutritiously. Take time to relax
and recharge while keeping priorities in your life clear, helps maintain a good perspective at work.

Step 4: Develop good work habits

Steer the self-development path towards choosing to be an employee with a strong ethic, after all,
creating a habit for oneself is really a question of being an action-minded person. The ‘doing
component’ flows easily when embracing the ‘being part.’

Create and learn habits: Values to inculcate and habitualize:

 Valuing punctuality and attendance.

 Valuing time, orderliness, neatness, and speed.

 Working smarter but not harder; being psychologically self-employed.

 Playing an internal game of working, yet enjoying the importance of relaxation and rest.
“Do it now” habit: Never leave ‘till tomorrow what can be accomplished today.’ Good ethics
habitualize both attitude, action, and inevitably – consequence: how you do, what you do this
moment.

 The initiative habit – positivity.

 The main cause of poor productivity and self-sabotage is procrastination, for many reasons,
including the perceptions that a task is unpleasant, may lead to negative consequences, or is
overwhelming.

 Cultivate flexibility.
“Do it right” habit: A disciplined habit makes a difference in the long term. Don’t try to break bad
habits. Alternatively, choose preferable substitutes that you move forward to, in place of the old
ones.
 Other good habits:

Concentration is the ability to stay on a task until it is completed, by working in a straight line to get
from where one is, without distraction or diversion, to the destination, i.e., completion of the work.

 Get off to a good start.

 Clean up and get organized.

 Plan activities.

 Streamline work and emphasize the important work.

 Concentrate on one work task at a time until completion.

 Work steadily.

 Make smart use of technology.

 Be in control of office paper, work in-basket, and e-mail.

 Multitask on routine matters.

 Make better use of time.

Don’t forget to create some quiet, uninterrupted time!

CORE ELEMENTS OF A STRONG WORK ETHIC

It is difficult to define the elements of good work ethics, as it is such an individualistic approach and
thinking. What may be good work ethics for me may not be the same for you. Much depends upon
how each organization or person looks at work ethics and the moral values that each follows. What
moral values you practice in daily life will define your attitude towards work and your work ethics.
But there are a few common elements that are universally followed and employers look for it in
their employees.

 Honesty: This is the core element of work ethics; all the other elements are based upon your
honesty. Be honest about your successes and failures, take credit only where due, do not steal
other’s works or ideas, and own up to your failures.

 Integrity: Do not let people down, try to fulfill your commitments, and be consistent in your
thoughts, action and behavior.

 Impartiality/Fairness: Be fair to all, do not practice favoritism. Treat everyone as equals.

 Alertness: Be aware of what is happening around and keep an eye on things.

 Openness: Share your ideas, results and resources with the other team members, so that everyone
has the same opportunity and know what you are doing. Being secretive is counterproductive.

 Respect for others: No matter how urgent a deadline or heated that tempers become, remain
diplomatic and poised and show grace under pressure. Whether serving a client, meeting a customer
or meeting with management, do the best to respect other’s opinions, even in stressful
circumstances. It shows one values other’s individual worth and professional contribution.

 Reliability and Dependability: Means being punctual for work and meetings, delivering assignments
within budget and on schedule. Be reliable about keeping promises for reputation precedes one
so that clients, customers, and colleagues do trust in you to do all that you say you will – everyone
appreciates the stability this embodies.
 Determination: Obstacles cannot stop you as they are a challenge to be overcome. Embrace
challenges positively and know that your role is to solve problems with purpose and resilience. Push
on, no matter how far it is necessary to go.

 Dedication: Continue until the job is complete, and delivered. “It’s good enough” is not sufficient for
you and the team, as you aim to be “outstanding” in content and quality. Put in the extra hours to
get things right by attending to detail and excellence.

 Accountability: Accept responsibility personally for one’s actions and outcomes in all situations, plus
avoid excuses when work does not proceed as planned – admitting mistakes or oversights are used
as a learning curve and will not be repeated again. Employers expect employees to attain to high
standards, and they should fully support staff who accept responsibility, instead of passing the buck.

 Confidentiality: Any confidential information of documents you have should remain confidential.
You cannot discuss it or show it to anyone else, other than the people authorized to do so.

 Responsibility: Take responsibility for your thoughts, actions, behavior and work.

 Legality: Always work within the legal boundaries, do not break or twist the law to fit your agenda.

 Competence: Improve your performance and competence by constantly learning and including the
new learning into your work.

 Professionalism: From how one dresses and presents oneself in the business world, to how others
are treated, professionalism is such a very broad category that it encompasses all the elements of a
work ethic.

 Humility: Acknowledge other’s contribution, and share credit for successes. You have integrity and
are open to learning from mentors and others, even as you teach via your action, example, and
words. Though you take the work seriously, you are also maintaining a sense of humor about
yourself.

 Initiative: Do not be afraid to put forth your ideas or volunteer for work.
These days a work ethics is important in many situations. It is a skill that can be learned by every
person and has so often proved to be the path of success for many. All businesses give a higher
regard to an ethical employee, and hiring staff with positive ethics is appreciated around the world.

Simply stating that “I have a good work ethic” is not the way to demonstrate it to an employer. Don’t
provide generic, wishy-washy utterings, allow the employer to visualize your ethic by defining how
they are incorporated in your accomplishments, without condition.

CONCLUSION

Today the notion of ethics is extremely widespread. They are an important part of our personal and
our working life. With a positive work ethic, individuals can become more focused and responsible
regarding their work. The individual can also cultivate a sense of achievement, and this too, has
positive effects on their career development, and also on the culture and productivity within the
enterprise.

If one is able to successfully demonstrate a positive work ethic, then you are sure to get the job you
are being interviewed for, retain your position or be expectant regarding a promotion. However, it’s
crucial to recognize what constitutes an ideal work ethics before answering the question.

As we have seen, ethics are fundamentally the modus operandi of activity and any work or task
where one keeps in mind the synergy and harmony of coworkers involved which is simply one’s
demeanor with respect to others, and towards work.
Ethics in the work environment means those positive facets that accumulatively, define the staff of a
company, e.g. Integrity, determination, dedication, initiative and so on. If asked about your ethics,
then speak about how you implement them in your work and that being in a job that satisfies you,
ensures that you are productive in your current job performance.

Activity 1
Objective: Identify the work ethics in the work place where you are in and identify whether it is a
strong work ethic (good work ethic) or negative work ethic (bad work ethic).
1. Observe your workplace, what are the strong work ethics implemented in your company?
And rate it using the Likert scale that is shown below.

Good work ethics Always Sometimes Never

Goal-oriented
actions

Dedicate on priority

Being available and

reliable

Conscientiousness

Creating a
rewarding routine

Embracing
positivism

2. Observe your workplace, what are the negative work ethics that you notice in your
company? And rate it using the Likert scale that is shown below.

Bad work ethics Always Sometimes Never

Unproductive
workers

Lack of social skills

Power politics

Doesn’t have a
systematic routines

Toxic workmates

Others
CAPITALIST VIEW
Steven Malanga refers to "what was once understood as the work ethic—not just hard work
but also a set of accompanying virtues, whose crucial role in the development and sustaining of free
markets too few now recall".
Max Weber notes that this is not a philosophy of mere greed, but a statement laden with moral
language. It is in effect an ethical response to the natural desire for hedonic reward, a statement of
the value of delayed gratification to achieve self-actualization. Franklin claims that Bible readings
revealed to him the usefulness of virtue. Indeed, this reflects the then Christian search for ethic for
living and the struggle to make a living.
Experimental studies have shown that people with fair work ethic are able to tolerate tedious jobs
with equitable monetary rewards and benefits, they are highly critical, have a tendency for
workaholics and a negative relation with leisure activity concepts. They valued meritocracy and
egalitarianism.

ANTI-CAPITALIST VIEW
The industrial engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) revised the notion of work
ethic as a means of management control that delude workers about the actual reality
for accumulated advantage, which is a form of avarice. Marxists, and some non-Marxist sociologists
do not regard "work ethic" as a useful sociological concept. They argue that having a "work ethic" in
excess of management's control doesn't appear rational in any mature industry where the
employee can't rationally hope to become more than a manager whose fate still depends on the
owner's decisions.

NOTE:
Since work ethics deals with a code of conduct, or a set of principles that is acceptable in the work
place, we need to look at what some of those principles are. 

A list of work ethics for an employer or a company might be:

 To provide a safe work environment for its staff and employees,

 To treat employees with dignity and respect,
 To provide a fair wage for the services rendered,
 To handle all business transactions with integrity and honesty.

A list of work ethics for the employee might include:

 To show up on time.
 To tend to company business for the whole time while at work.
 To treat the company’s resources, equipment, and products with care,
 To give respect to the company. That means honesty and integrity.

ANALYSIS
What are the steps in developing strong work ethics?

Differentiate Capitalist View and Anti-capitalist View.

ACTIVITY

Teacher Instructions

Divide students into groups of three or four. Assign each group of students one of the following
scenarios to read and discuss. Then, instruct students to follow the steps below for making
ethical decisions. Each group should select a feasible alternative and be prepared to discuss their
reasoning for selecting that alternative with the class. Other groups should challenge the
decision and give appropriate feedback.

Scenarios

CASE 1: Lorna is an administrative assistant in the Human Resources Department. Her good friend,
Bill, is applying for a job with the company and she has agreed to serve as a reference for him. Bill
approaches her for advice on preparing for the interview. Lorna has the actual interview questions
asked of all applicants and considers making him a copy of the list so he can adequately prepare.

CASE 2: Emily works in Quality Control. Once a year, her supervisor gives away the refurbished
computers to the local elementary school. No specific records are kept of this type of transaction
and Emily really needs a computer for her son who is in college. Her supervisor asks her to deliver 12
computer systems to the school.

CASE 3: Marvin is the secretary in the Facilities Management Department. He has just received a
new computer and wants to try it out. Though his supervisor has a strict policy about computer use
for business purposes only, he wants to learn the e-mail software more thoroughly than his training
can provide. One good way to do this, he figures, is to write e-mail messages to his friends and
relatives until he gets the knack of it.@ He is caught up on all his work and only has 30 minutes left
to work today. His supervisor left early.

CASE 4: Richard and Conway are talking in the hallway about the employee benefits program.
Conway, who has had some recent financial trouble, explains to Richard how the benefits program
has a loophole that will allow him to receive some financial assistance that he really needs to help
pay health care costs for his mother. Cathy, a fellow worker, overhears the conversation. Later,
Cathy is approached by her supervisor who says he heard a rumor that some people were taking
advantage of the company benefits program.@

CASE 5: Jennie was recently hired to work as a receptionist for the front lobby. As receptionist, she is
responsible for making copies for the associates. Her son, Bruce, comes in and needs some copies
for a school project. He brought his own paper and needs 300 copies for his class. If he doesn’t bring
the copies with him, he will fail the project. The company copier does not require a security key nor
do they keep track of copies made by departments.
Steps for Making Ethical Decisions

1. Identify the ethical issue or problem.

2. List the facts that have the most bearing on the decision.
3. Identify anyone who might be affected by your decision and how.
4. Explain what each affected person would want you to do about the issue.
5. List three alternative actions and identify the best and worst case scenario for each alternative, anyone who
would be harmed by this choice (and how), any values that would be compromised by selecting this
alternative, and any automatic reasons why this alternative should not be selected (legal issues, rules, etc.).
6. Determine a course of action.

LESSON 12: PROFESSIONALISM IN THE WORK PLACE

WEEK 12

DISCUSSION

Professionalism is defined as an individual's conduct at work. In spite of the word's root, this quality
is not restricted to what we describe as "the professions," which are typically careers that require a
lot of education and have high earnings associated with them. Many cashiers, maintenance
workers, and waitresses can demonstrate a high level of this trait, although these occupations
require minimal training and employees have modest earnings. An equal number of doctors,
lawyers, and engineers—often called professionals—can display very little.

You may wonder if anyone will even notice if you don't demonstrate professional behavior at work.
As long as you do your job well, who cares? It turns out your boss, customers, and co-workers do.
They will notice if you lack this quality and it could have severe consequences for your career. To
discount the importance of professionalism would be a big mistake. It can affect your chances for
advancement or even the ability to keep your job.

How can you show your professionalism? Follow these dos and don'ts:

Make It a Priority to Be on Time

When you arrive late for work or meetings, it gives your boss and co-workers the impression you
don't care about your job and, if it affects them, it's like saying you don't value their time. Pay
attention to the clock. Set alarms if you have to. Show up at least a few minutes before you are
supposed to start work and return from your breaks on time.

Don't Be a Grump

Leave your bad mood at the door when you come to work. We all have days when we aren't feeling
our best. Remember not to take it out on your boss, your co-workers, and especially your customers.
If work is the thing that is causing your bad mood, it may be time to think about quitting your job.

If that isn't a good option for you right now, find a way to make the best of the situation until it is.

Dress Appropriately

Whether you have to dress up for work or you can wear more casual clothes, your appearance
should always be neat and clean. A wrinkled suit looks no better than a ripped pair of jeans does.
Choose the type of clothing your employer requires. If there isn't a dress code, pick attire that is the
norm for your place of employment. 

Save flip-flops, shorts, and tank tops for the weekends, along with clothes that are better suited for a
night out at a club.

Watch Your Mouth

Swearing, cursing, or cussing—whatever you call it—has no place in most workplaces. Unless you
know it is okay in yours, refrain from using foul language, particularly if those who you might offend
are present. Here's a good rule of thumb to follow: If you wouldn't say it to your grandmother, don't
say it at work.

Offer Assistance to Your Colleagues

A true professional is willing to help their co-workers when they are overburdened or facing a
challenge at work. They aren't afraid to share knowledge, opinions, or simply an extra pair of hands.
One person's success reflects well on everyone in their workplace.

It is important not to be too pushy, however. If your colleague rejects your offer, don't push it. They
may prefer to work alone.

Don't Gossip

While you may be tempted to tell your cubicle neighbors what you heard about Suzy or Sam down in
accounting, gossiping makes you look like a middle school student. If you know something you
simply must share, tell someone who has nothing to do with your workplace, like your sister,
mother, or best friend.

Try to Stay Positive

Negativity is contagious. If you complain incessantly about your workplace, it will bring others down.
Your boss certainly will not appreciate a drop in morale among their employees. That does not mean
you shouldn't speak up about things you think are wrong. If you see something that should be fixed,
give your boss feedback along with a plan for how to make improvements. If you are just
complaining for no reason, stop.

Don't Hide from Your Mistakes

As hard as it may be to do, own your mistakes and then do your best to correct them. Make sure you
don't make the same one twice. Never blame others for your errors, even if they deserve it. Instead,
set an example so that those who share responsibility for the mistake can step forward and admit
their part.

Always Fight Fair

You will inevitably have occasional disagreements with your co-workers or even your boss. You may
think that something should be done one way while someone else will believe another way is better.
Don't let yourself get angry. It doesn't matter how upset you are or how strongly you believe you are
right, screaming in the workplace isn't allowed, nor is name-calling or door slamming. Calmly explain
your opinion and be ready to walk away if you cannot sway the other person or if they begin to lose
control. 

Of course, you should always avoid physical contact.

Don't Lie

Dishonesty always makes you look bad, whether it's lying on your resume or calling in sick when you
aren't. A true professional is always upfront. If you are unqualified for a job, you have two choices.
Don't apply for it at all or submit an application that reflects your real skills. If you choose the second
option, explain how your other strengths compensate for the missing requirement. As for lying
about being sick, if you need a day off, take a personal or vacation day.

Don't Air Your Dirty Laundry

While confiding in a close friend at work is usually okay, sharing too much information with the
entire office is not. Be judicious about whom you talk to, particularly when it comes to discussing
problems you are having with your spouse or other family members. If you do decide to share
something personal with your co-workers, don't do it where customers and clients might overhear
you.

LESSON: EQUALITY IN THE WORK PLACE

WEEK 13

DISCUSSION

Equality is not Pie. Equal rights for others doesn’t mean fewer rights for you.

Imagine going to a beautiful store but you’re not allowed to enter because you have blue hair. You
won’t like it, would you?

Equality is a necessity that every individual must enjoy. Being treated unfavorably every day owing
to who they are, where they’re from, or what they look like is unfair and shouldn’t exist at all.

Although the laws are in place against discrimination of any form, however, discrimination is still
prevalent to certain extent everywhere.

What exactly is Equality in the workplace?

Equality is fair treatment for people in every facet of life regardless of their gender, race, disability,
religion, nationality, sexual orientation or age.

But here’s the catch. Equality doesn’t necessarily translate to equal treatment for all. It is promoting
an individual’s right to be different. It can only be done by making adjustments in the system to
meet the needs of different people.

The primary branches of equality are Diversity and Inclusion.

“Companies that embrace diversity and inclusion in all aspects of their business statistically
outperform their peers.”
– Josh Bersin

Diversity is understanding, accepting, and valuing differences between people including those of
different races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, disabilities, and sexual orientations. It also
includes people with differences in education, personalities, skill sets, experiences, and knowledge
bases.

Inclusion is when every person in the society is valued, heard, supported and respected and people
feel a sense of belongingness.

Establishing equality is a top challenge that the entire human society is facing at the moment.
Businesses and specifically people management can play a significant role in this regard by making
the workplace better for everyone.

78% of employees who responded to a Harvard Business Review (HBR) study said they work at
organizations that lack diversity in leadership positions.
Equality in the workplace is making sure people are given equal opportunities, equal pay and are
well accepted for their differences. It is creating an inclusive and conducive work environment where
employees feel secure and happy. Equality ensures removing any chances of discrimination in the
workplace.

Equality in the workplace and Business goals

“It turns out that advancing equal opportunity and economic empowerment is both morally right
and good economics because discrimination, poverty and ignorance restrict growth.”
-Bill Clinton

Let’s evaluate some of the amazing benefits that your business can have by embracing equality in
the workplace:

1. Attract and retain competent talent:

When a company fosters equality in the workplace, the biggest advantage is the huge increase in
opportunities to find competent candidates for hiring. It brings the best people on board from the
talent selection pool.

It also plays a special role in employee retention. Employees love to be part of a culture where they
are perceived as equals. They stay longer where they are valued for their individuality and unique
contribution.

2. Boosts collaboration:

Modern workplaces are changing rapidly. They are now driven by collaboration and teamwork.
When you create a culture where people from all kinds of backgrounds are treated equally, it
enhances collaboration.

A variety of skills and experiences among the team also means that employees can learn from each
other. It helps in building cohesive teams focused on attaining the common goals and of the
company.

3. Helps to reach more customers:

Another big win for companies embracing equality is in emerging as a global brand. A diverse
workforce means more representation of your consumer persona within the workforce. When your
workforce reflects your customers, it helps in greater capture of the target market.

4. Enhance company brand reputation:

How a company is perceived outside of the organization is a matter of great importance. Candidates
rely heavily on reviews on social media sites like Glassdoor before joining a new job to get a gist of
the company. Companies are in fierce competition to make it to the “Best Places to Work” lists
provided by various magazines and websites.

Having a diverse and inclusive workforce is one of the topmost criteria in determining a company’s
culture and building positive brand image.

According to a survey by Glassdoor, 78% of employees expect their employers to be inclusive and
treat everyone equally.

5. Increased productivity:

Businesses can’t grow if everyone within them thinks the same, acts the same and has similar
interests.
When you bring together people from diverse background to a table, it widens the range of ideas to
deal with a situation. You are stimulating creative and thought-proving ideas. Naturally, problem-
solving and innovation is enhanced. These factors collectively result in increased productivity and
efficient performance.

6. Increased employee engagement:

Employees feel invested in a job where everyone is treated with respect no matter who they are,
where they’re from, or what they look like.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of employees felt that the respectful treatment of all employees was a very
important factor in their job satisfaction.

Upholding equality in the workforce ensures a more balanced and representative workforce. It
builds inclusive company culture and boosts communication and teamwork. Equality in the
workforce, therefore, is a huge driver of employee satisfaction, productivity and company growth.

How to Promote Equality in the Workplace?

Start from hiring:

The best way to foster a balanced workforce is good hiring practices. You must take a more holistic
approach to recruitment and remove any kind of prejudices that might exist. Make sure you take full
advantage of the huge talent pool that exists simply because you embrace diversity and inclusion.

Focus on training and mentorship programs:

Training and mentorship programs need to be re-evaluated in order to accommodate a diverse

workforce. You must make sure that people coming from different background don’t feel lost and
confused during the process. Maintain a global tone throughout the training curriculum and conduct
one-on-one meetings with mentors to guide employees in every step.

Bridge the pay gap:

No discussion on equality can be complete without talking about the prevalent pay gap, especially
between men and women. What is sad is we are still far behind in bridging the gap of gender
equality. At the current rate, it’ll take 217 years to close the economic gender gap.
Identify and resolve the unconscious bias that exists. A new approach of transparency needs to be
introduced which challenges a company to investigate the pay gap.

Communication is the key:

Equality is not just accepting people from different background but also celebrating them.

You cannot become a champion of equality without implementing robust communication practices.
Take proactive measures to improve communication within the organization. Create a safe space
where employees are unafraid to share their stories and experiences. Encourage brave, authentic
conversations and inclusive meetings.

Take time to acknowledge and reward individuals for their unique and interesting traits.

Make work-life balance a top priority:

To truly encourage equality, you must also make certain adjustment for them. When you focus more
on the output rather than a fixed style of working, it offers room to grow and thrive for your diverse
workforce.

For eg., pregnancy leaves, in house child-care facilities, religion-specific holidays are some of the
great ways to show acceptance of all people.
 Foster the right culture:

Everything comes down to building an environment that encourages open communication and
candour. Acknowledge and respect individual beliefs, practices and backgrounds, and recognize the
importance of a diversity of approaches to a problem.

Hold sessions and meetings to convey the company’s stance on equality and encourage fair
treatment from the very beginning.

Have a plan in place:

To highlight that equality is at the core of your business plan, it is essential that you have a written
plan and policy in place. It will not only make things hassle-free and systematic, but it will also
reinforce how serious the organization is in this matter. The said plan should try to cover every
aspect of the workplace, from recruitment to onboarding to salaries and benefits and everything in
between.

Set consequences for racial discrimination and unacceptable behavior at work. Convey about the
disciplinary procedures that your company will follow in instances of discrimination.

LESSON: RISK MANAGEMENT IN HUMAN RESOURCES

WEEK 14

DISCUSSION

The only sure way to avoid risk in nonprofits would be to lock the doors and put up a closed sign in
the window.

Risks are inevitable and organizations have a moral and legal obligation to attend to the safety and
well-being of those they serve, those who work for them and others who come into contact with
their operations. This is known as “Duty of Care.”

Organizations need to look at all the risks throughout their entire operation and incorporate risk
management into all planning and decision-making. However, the specific focus of this section is risk
management as it applies to HR activities.

The Human Resource Management/Risk Management Interface. ... Human resource

management is a process that can be broken down into specific activities: job analysis, writing job
descriptions, hiring, orientation, training, employer/employee interactions, performance appraisal,
compensation, and discipline.

Applying risk management to HR

When developing a risk management plan for your HR activities, there are a number of areas to
focus on. This general list will get you started but it is very important that all organizations identify
and evaluate the risks unique to their own organization.

HR Risk Management – Top Sources of Human Resource Risk

 Workplace Culture. From our experience, there are two major types of workplace culture. ...
 Workers Comp Injuries, Medical Costs, and Lost Productivity.
 Employment-related Lawsuits. ...
 Employee Benefits Liability.
 Theft & Embezzlement.
 Training & Competency.
 Turnover.

The risk management process

Risk management is a cycle. That means that it is not something that gets checked off a “to do” list
but it is a continuous activity. Having a risk management process means that your organization
knows and understands the risks to which you are exposed. It also means that your organization has
deliberately evaluated the risks and has strategies in place to remove the risk altogether, reduce the
likelihood of the risk happening or minimize harm in the event that something happens.

At a very basic level, risk management focuses you on two fundamental questions:

What can go wrong?

What will we do to prevent the harm from occurring in the first place and in response to the harm or
loss if it actually happens?

Identify the risks

The very first step is to identify the risks. Ask yourself what can go wrong. Every activity of an
organization poses a risk so brainstorm and document the risks.

Consider both the general risks (that could happen to any organization) and the risks specific to your
organization.

Risks can be:

– Abuse that is either one-time or ongoing (physical, emotional, psychosocial, sexual, financial)
– Personal injury
– Medical
– Environmental
– Property
– Financial
– Reputation/goodwill
– Other

Assess the risks

The next step is to assess each of the risks based on the (1) likelihood or frequency of the risk
occurring and (2) the severity of the consequences.
Using a risk map to plot the likelihood of occurrence and the severity of the consequences will help
you prioritize your next steps.

To avoid these risks, you should:

1. Provide opportunities for your employees to grow through training and skills development
programs.
2. Encourage learning and organise for employees to set aside time weekly to learn.
3. Incorporate skill development into the regular performance appraisal process.

Develop strategies for managing risks

Consider the most appropriate risk management strategies for each identified risk:
Avoidance – Stop providing the service or doing the activity because it is too risky.

Acceptance – Some risky activities are central to the mission of an organization and an organization
will choose to accept the risks.

Modification – Change the activity to reduce the likelihood of the risk occurring or reduce the
severity of the consequences. Policies and procedures are an important part of this risk management
strategy because they communicate expectations and define boundaries. Learn more about writing
policies and procedures.

Transfer or sharing – Purchase insurance or transfer the risk to another organization through signing
a contractual agreement with other organizations to share the risk (for example, having a
contractual agreement with a bus company to transport clients rather than staff driving clients).

Implement

When you have decided which risk management strategies will be the most effective and affordable
for your organization, practically outline the steps and who is responsible for each step in the risk
management plan.

Communicate the plan and ensure that there is buy-in from all who are involved in the organization
(staff, volunteers, clients, other relevant stakeholders).

Provide training for all organizational staff and volunteers so they understand the rationale of the
risk management plan as well as the expectations, procedures, forms, etc.

Monitor

Consider the following questions and document any changes to the plan:

Is your plan working?

Have your risks changed?
Have you expanded or reduced your programs and services?
Are changes or updates required?
Are staff and volunteers following the risk management plan?
Do they need re-training on the details?
Do we need to better communicate the plan?

Who is involved in the risk management process?

Risk management is a large and important undertaking. There must be commitment from the board
to commit the financial and human resources. In larger organizations, a risk management
committee, team or department may be formed to handle the risk management process. In smaller
and medium sized organization, the responsibility for developing and implementing a risk
management process will likely fall on the executive director. However, paid staff, volunteers – and
potentially clients and other stakeholders – will be very helpful partners in identifying risks and
developing effective strategies to deal with the risks. Once the risk management process is in place,
everyone in the organization has a role to play from identifying risks to following policies and
procedures to completing forms and reports.

ANALYSIS

What are the risks in human resources?

What is human resource risk management?
How can HR risk be mitigated?

ACTIVITY

(PROVIDED BY THE TEACHER)

LESSON: BASIC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

TRAINING
WEEK 15

DISCUSSION

This is a very short module which aims to prepare you for the technical discussions that will
follow in the next modules. This will also explain how the discussions will flow and give you basic
directions on where we are going.

Objectives:

Working on this topic should help you to:

- have an overview of the BOSH Course and the importance of safety and health

- define OSH and its three major fields – Occupational Safety, Occupational Health and
Industrial Hygiene

- identify work hazards and risks and recommend control measures to reduce or eliminate
work-related accidents and illness

- acquire basic knowledge & skills on OSH, such as safe work practices, that will enable you
to plan/develop your company’s Safety and Health program.

Overview of the BOSH Course

These objectives can be attained by understanding OSH, why we need to learn key concepts in
prevention and how we can respond to existing and potential hazards that affect the human
body, personal lives, families and communities.
 What is Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)?

Occupational safety and health is a discipline with a broad scope involving three major fields –
Occupational Safety, Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene.

 Occupational safety deals with understanding the causes of accidents at work and ways
to prevent unsafe act and unsafe conditions in any workplace. Safety at work discusses
concepts on good housekeeping, proper materials handling and storage, machine
safety, electrical safety, fire prevention and control, safety inspection, and accident
investigation.

 Occupational health is a broad concept which explains how the different hazards and
risks at work may cause an illness and emphasizes that health programs are essential in
controlling work-related and/or occupational diseases.

 Industrial hygiene discusses the identification, evaluation, and control of physical,

chemical, biological and ergonomic hazards.

“In its broadest sense, OSH aims at:

• the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and
social well-being of workers in all occupations;
• the prevention of adverse health effects of the working conditions

• the placing and maintenance of workers in an occupational environment adapted to

physical and mental needs;
• the adaptation of work to humans (and NOT the other way around).

In other words, occupational health and safety encompasses the social, mental and physical
well-being of workers, that is, the “whole person”.

Successful occupational health and safety practice requires the collaboration and participation
of both employers and workers in health and safety programs, and involves the consideration
of issues relating to occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, toxicology, education,
engineering safety, ergonomics, psychology, etc.

Occupational health issues are often given less attention than occupational safety issues
because the former are generally more difficult to confront. However, when health is
addressed, so is safety - a healthy workplace is by definition also a safe workplace. The
reverse, though, may not be true - a so-called safe workplace is not necessarily also a healthy
workplace. The important point is that both health and safety issues must be addressed in
every workplace.”
Examples of responsibilities of workers include:
 Using personal protection and safety equipment as required by the employer.
 Following safe work procedures.
 Knowing and complying with all regulations.
 Reporting any injury or illness immediately.
 Reporting unsafe acts and unsafe conditions.
 The terms hazard and risk are often interchanged. Because you will be encountering these
throughout the course it is a must that you understand the difference between them.

Hazard – a source or situation with a potential to cause harm in terms of injury, ill health, damage
to property, damage to the environment or a combination of these.

Risk – a combination of the likelihood of an occurrence of a hazardous event with specified period
or in specified circumstances and the severity of injury or damage to the health of people,
property, environment or any combination of these caused by the event.

The hazards affecting the workplace under each major area should be detected, identified,
controlled and, at best, prevented from occurring by the safety and health officer of the company.
Occupational safety and health should be integrated in every step of the work process, starting
from storage and use of raw materials, the manufacture of products, release of by-products, use
of various equipment and ensuring a non-hazardous or risk-free work environment.

Our discussions will therefore flow from the three major areas of OSH and then on to the part
where you will prepare a re-entry plan to apply what you have learned in your specific workplace.
If you are not working yet, we can simulate a company, a household or a community that will
benefit from your re-entry plan.

The BOSH training is part of a program developed by DOLE in support to Article 162 of the Labor Code
on mandatory occupational safety and health standards training to eliminate or reduce
occupational safety and health hazards in workplaces.

ANALYSIS

What is basic occupational safety and health?

What is Bosh safety training?
What are the examples of occupational health and safety?

ACTIVITY

(PROVIDED BY THE TEACHER)

LESSON: EMPLOYMENT MANDATED BENEFITS

WEEK 16

DISCUSSION
Mandatory Employee Benefits

Definition

The term mandatory employee benefits refers to the programs all employers are legally required to
provide their employees.  Mandatory benefits include unemployment insurance, workers'
compensation, and disability insurance.  Companies with fifty or more employees are also required to
provide their employees with family and medical leave.

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Explanation

While state law can be more generous, employers are required to provide employees with certain
benefits under federal law.  Generally, these benefits will provide the employee with some form of
compensation or time away from work, which may be unpaid.  The following are generally recognized as
mandatory employee benefits:

 Compensation:  employers must pay their employees an hourly rate that is not less than the
federal minimum wage.
 Civic Duties:  employers must allow their employees to take time away from work to fulfill their
civic responsibilities such as jury duty, to appear as a crime victim or as a witness in a court
proceeding, to elect government officials, and to serve in the military.
 Unemployment Insurance:  if a worker loses their job through no fault of their own (downsizing,
restructuring), they can apply for unemployment insurance, which provides a source of income
(typically half their salary) for up to twenty-six weeks.
 Workers' Compensation:  offers protection to employees that miss work as a result of illness or
injury that occurs while performing the duties of their job.  Workers' compensation not only
reimburses the employee for loss of pay, but also for their medical expenses.  Note:  Federal
laws do not require employers to provide their employees with health insurance coverage.
 Disability Insurance:  provides financial support to employees that are injured or ill and are not
able to perform the functions of their job.  Disability insurance provides partial wage
replacement and is required in the states of California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Rhode
Island.
 Family and Medical Leave Act:  companies with fifty or more workers must also provide
employees up to twelve weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave for significant family or medical
reasons, including paternity leave, adoption, foster care, and to care for a family member that
has a serious health condition.

Listed below is a summary of the mandatory benefits and provisions for employees in the Philippines
under the Labor Code and special laws:

1. Minimum wage = P537.00 per day (in NCR) as of 22 November 2018

2.  13th month pay (after 1 month of service) = 1/12 of the total basic salary earned by an employee
within a calendar year
3.  Overtime pay= 25% premium on hourly rate
4.  Night shift differential if work between 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM = 10% premium on hourly rate
5.  Special Non-Working day = 30% premium if worked
6.  Regular holiday pay= 100% premium if worked, paid if unworked
7. Service Incentive Leave = 5 days paid leave for every year of service
8.  Maternity Leave = daily maternity benefit equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of her average
salary credit for sixty (60) days or seventy-eight (78) days
9. Paternity leave = 7 days leave with pay (married only)
10.  Parental leave for solo parents= 7 days leave with pay for every year of service
11.  Leave for victims of Republic Act 9262 or Anti-Violence Against Women Law = 10 days leave with
pay
12.  Special Leave for Women= Two months leave with pay for women who underwent surgery due to
gynecological disorders
13. Social Security System contribution (based on salary)
14.  Pag-ibig contribution (based on salary)
15. Philhealth contribution (based on salary)
LESSON: GOVERNMENT AGENCY WEBSITES WITH RESPECT TO
EMPLOYMENT
WEEK 17

DISCUSSION

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A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-
permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and
administration of specific functions, such as an administration. Agencies can be established by
legislation or by executive powers.

GOVERNMENT AGENCY WEBSITES WITH RESPECT TO EMPLOYMENT:

https://www.dole.gov.ph/

http://ecc.gov.ph/

http://ilsdole.gov.ph/

http://co.ncmb.gov.ph/

http://nlrc.dole.gov.ph/

http://nmp.gov.ph/

http://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/

http://oshc.dole.gov.ph/

http://owwa.gov.ph/

http://poea.gov.ph/

http://prc.gov.ph/

http://www.tesda.gov.ph/

https://www.sss.gov.ph/

https://pagibigfund.gov.ph/

https://www.bir.gov.ph/

https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT (PHILIPPINES)

The Depart ment of
Labor and Employment (Filipino: Kagawaran ng Paggawa at Empleyo, commonly abbreviated as DOLE) is
the executive department of the Philippine government mandated to formulate policies, implement
programs and services, and serve as the policy-coordinating arm of the Executive Branch in the field of
labor and employment. It is tasked with the enforcement of the provisions of the Labor Code.

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The Department of Labor & Employment (DOLE) was founded on December 7, 1933 via the Act No. 4121
by the Philippine Legislature. It was renamed as Ministry of Labor and Employment in 1978. The agency
was renamed as a Department after the 1986 EDSA Revolution in 1986.

The ECC is a government corporation. It is attached to the Department of Labor and Employment for
policy coordination and guidance.

It is a quasi-judicial corporate entity created to implement the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP).
The ECP provides a package of benefits for public and private sector employees and their dependents in
the event of work-connected contingencies such as sickness, injury, disability or death.

As implementor of the Employees Compensation Program, ECC is mandated by law to provide

meaningful and appropriate compensation to workers. Its main functions are:

To formulate policies and guidelines for the improvement of the employees’ compensation program; To
review and decide on appeal all EC claims disapproved by the Systems; and To initiate policies and
programs toward adequate occupational health and safety and accident prevention in the working
environment

The birth of the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), more popularly known as the Pag-IBIG Fund,
was an answer to the need for a national savings program and an affordable shelter financing for the
Filipino worker. The Fund was established on 11 June 1978 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1530
primarily to address these two basic yet equally important needs. Under the said law, there were two
agencies that administered the Fund.

The Social Security System handled the funds of private employees, while the Government Service
Insurance System handled the savings of government workers.

Less than a year after on 1 March 1979, Executive Order No. 527 was signed. The order directed
transferring the administration of the Fund to the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation, which
was one of the operating agencies of the then Ministry of Human Settlements.

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Seeing the need to further strengthen the stability and viability of the two funds, Executive Order No.
538 was issued on 4 June 1979, merging the funds for private and government personnel into what is
now known as the Pag-IBIG Fund. However, It was only on 14 December 1980 when Pag-IBIG was made
independent from the NHMFC with the signing of PD 1752, which amended PD 1530. With the improved
law in effect, the Fund's rule-making power was vested in its own Board of Trustees. Likewise, PD 1752
made Pag-IBIG membership mandatory for all SSS and GSIS member-employees.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (abbreviated as OWWA) is an agency of the Department

of Labor and Employment of the Philippines. It protects the interests of Overseas Filipino Workers and
their families, providing social security, cultural services and help with employment, remittances and
legal matters.[2]:99 It is funded by an obligatory annual contribution from overseas workers and their
employers. The agency was founded in 1977 as the Welfare and Training Fund for Overseas Workers.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is an agency of the Government of

the Philippines responsible for opening the benefits of the overseas employment program of
the Philippines. It is the main government agency assigned to monitor and supervise overseas
recruitment and manning agencies in the Philippines.

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The Professional Regulation Commission, (Filipino: Komisyon sa Regulasyon ng mga Propesyon)
otherwise known as the PRC, is a three-man commission attached to Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE). Its mandate is to regulate and supervise the practice of the professionals (except
lawyers, who are handled by the Supreme Court of the Philippines) who constitute the highly skilled
manpower of the country. As the agency-in-charge of the professional sector, the PRC plays a strategic
role in developing the corps of professionals for industry, commerce, governance, and the economy.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) (Filipino: Pangasiwaan sa Edukasyong

Teknikal at Pagpapaunlad ng Kasanayan) serves as the Philippines' Technical Vocational Education and
Training (TVET) authority. As a government agency, TESDA is tasked to both manage and supervise the
Philippines' Technical Education and Skills Development (TESD). Its goals are to develop the Filipino
workforce with "world-class competence and positive work values" and to provide quality technical-
educational and skills development through its direction, policies, and programs.

The Social Security System (SSS; Filipino: Paseguruhan ng Kapanatagang Panlipunan) is a state-run, social

insurance program in the Philippines to workers in the private, professional and informal sectors. SSS is
established by virtue of Republic Act No. 1161, better known as the Social Security Act of 1954. This law
was later amended by Republic Act No. 8282 in 1997. Government employees, meanwhile, are covered
under a separate state-pension fund by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

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The Bureau of Internal Revenue (Filipino: Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas, or BIR) is an agency
of Department of Finance. BIR collects more than half of the total revenues of the government. Caesar
Dulay is the current Commissioner of BIR.

The powers and duties of the Bureau of Internal Revenue are:

 Reduction and collection of all internal revenue taxes, fees and charges; and
 enforcement of all forfeitures, penalties, and fines connected therewith, including the execution
of judgments in all cases decided in its favor by the Court of Tax Appeals and the ordinary
courts;
 It shall also give effect to the administer supervisory and police powers conferred to it by the
National Internal Revenue Code and special laws.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) was created in 1995 to implement universal

health coverage in the Philippines. It is a tax-exempt, government-owned and controlled corporation
(GOCC) of the Philippines, and is attached to the Department of Health. Its stated goal is to "ensure a
sustainable national health insurance program for all", according to the company. In 2010, it claimed to
have achieved "universal" coverage at 86% of the population, although the 2008 National Demographic
Health Survey showed that only 38 percent of respondents were aware of at least one household
member being enrolled in PhilHealth. Nevertheless, this social insurance program provides a means for
the healthy to pay for the care of the sick and for those who can afford medical care to subsidize those
who cannot. Both local and national governments allocate funds to subsidize the indigent.

ANALYSIS

Why is it important that we should be familiar with different government agencies relative to
employment?

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 ACTIVITY

(PROVIDED BY THE TEACHER)

PORTFOLIO

The meaning of Portfolio

According to Collins dictionary, a portfolio is a set of pictures by someone, or photographs of examples

of their work, which they use when entering competitions or applying for work.

How to create a portfolio

  You need a portfolio to showcase your work and to help to demonstrate your skills to prospective
employers. Nothing impresses more than a beautifully presented portfolio at an interview. But don't send it
unless requested. Always bring it with you if you have an interview.

 Go for quality, not quantity: employers will probably spend only a few minutes looking at your portfolio,
especially at interview. Less can be more so select only your strongest work.
 Put your portfolio on a web site if possible as it is so easy to access. You then simply need to provide
the web link on your CV.
 Make sure that the portfolio is carefully laid out and in the correct order.
 All items need to be clear and easy to understand
 A physical portfolio can include anything that is portable! Anything flat can be folded into a portfolio,
but you are not restricted to things that can fit inside the portfolio! If an item is too large to take to the
interview take high quality photos of it to show with close ups to elicit details.

What should my portf olio include?

A good portf olio would probably have most of the following:

 An index of the contents

 Your CV including your interests and any evidence of project management skills. 
Your CV should give the impression that you think like a designer.
 Perhaps a profile or personal statement
 Your key achievements and skills
 Examples of your work of course with good documentation.
Place the best and most relevant work first and start and finish with strong pieces of work.
 Include a variety of examples of work you have done.
 Your main example needs to reflect your strengths and your creative approach and flair.
 Items that show your thought process and development of ideas are valuable: sequence of
photos for example.
 Production portfolios can also include budget sheets, idea pitches and marketing materials.

Portfolio content
 accomplished forms
 pictures of work site and non-written output/ projects with captions
 illustrations of activities performed (as needed)
 weekly diary (narrative/ account of learnings and achievements, issues faced and corresponding
resolutions)
 sample written output (if any)
 work immersion highlights

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  other relevant pictures/ documents

REFERENCES

Links:

https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DO_s2017_030.pdf

https://work.chron.com/write-comprehensive-resume-8762.html

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-write-a-job-application-letter-2061569

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/resignation-letter-samples-and-writing-tips-2063051

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-interview-tips-2058577

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-interview-questions-and-best-answers-2061225

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/types-of-pre-employment-tests-2059812

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-business-attire-1918075

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/sample-human-resources-policies-and-procedures-1918876

https://simplicable.com/new/work-ethic

https://kayaconnect.org/course/info.php?id=1014

https://kayaconnect.org/course/info.php?id=388

https://www.hrfuture.net/strategy/risk-management/what-is-risk-management-in-hr/

http://oshc.dole.gov.ph/images/OSHTrainingAnnouncement/BOSH-Manual_Narrative-Handout.pdf

https://ndvlaw.com/employee-benefits-under-philippine-laws/

https://www.dole.gov.ph/

http://ecc.gov.ph/

http://ilsdole.gov.ph/

http://co.ncmb.gov.ph/

http://nlrc.dole.gov.ph/

http://nmp.gov.ph/

http://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/

http://oshc.dole.gov.ph/

http://owwa.gov.ph/

http://poea.gov.ph/

http://prc.gov.ph/

http://www.tesda.gov.ph/

https://www.sss.gov.ph/

https://pagibigfund.gov.ph/

https://www.bir.gov.ph/

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https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_ethic

 Daniel T. Rodgers. The Work Ethic in Industrial America, 1850-1920. Univ. of Chicago Press, 1978 2nd
edition 2014
 "Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic - BBC Radio 4" on YouTube
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_ethic

http://workforcecompliancesafety.ca/resources/10-reasons-why-workplace-safety-is-important/

http://www.arbill.com/arbill-safety-blog/bid/182469/top-10-workplace-safety-tips-every-employee-should-know

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_policy_in_the_Philippines

http://tucp.org.ph/2015/09/immersion-in-k-to-12/

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4663

http://www.edcc.edu/counseling/documents/conflict.pdf

http://www.deped.gov.ph/sites/default/files/order/2017/DO_s2017_030.pdf

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/credentials
https://resumegenius.com/how-to-write-a-resume

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/resume

https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/boost-your-interview-iq

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/portfolio

https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/portfolios.htm

http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/portgrade.htm

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