5a Work Ethics/Code of Practice

Work Ethics/Code of Practice

Work ethics is the way in which you conduct yourself in the work place. Your attitude, behavior and how you get on with the people you work with can affect your career and how you are viewed. It really stems from your own personal ethics to the way which you behave. A trustworthy, reliable, loyal, self-disciplined employee will do very well in a company. People with good work ethics are normally hard working, do a good job and will succeed.

Attendance

We were all called for a 1pm run through of the show the other day and one of the lead singers showed up at 1:15pm delaying the entire cast run through. Our producer made a point of saying that being late is his pet peeve. He hates it. She had an excuse but he didn’t care. I have had many directors say the same thing and attendance was also drilled into me from Elmhurst. I feel it should be high on the list of work ethics.

Teamwork

I think as a dancer you HAVE to be able to work well in a team. You need to be able to get one with a variety of people from different backgrounds, cultures and with different personalities. You need to respect other people’s views even if they are different to your own. Helping people out and putting a smile on people’s faces is what our new theatre is trying to create- a fun, happy place to work, where we all feel like a large family. As established in the last module on professional networking, it is important to create a good working relationship with your colleagues/employers.

The following is a list which I consider are Codes of Practice as a Dancer/Performer:

-          Sign contract before starting work

-          Be punctual and attend all rehearsals and performances (sign in on timesheets etc)

-          Wear correct attire to perform/rehearse

-          Give notice if unable to attend rehearsal/show

-          In rehearsals listen and focus on the task at hand

-          Know your choreography/words/lines

-          Always show up on time (1 hour before curtain opens)

-          Warm up ready for the show

-          Be courteous backstage during quick changes, never push people around

-          Be helpful to others in the cast

-          Don’t be late onto stage, be on the ball

-          Do not talk loudly backstage during show

-          Hang up costumes at the end of the show

-          Respect the dressing rooms and leave them as found

Now I will consider what might be the code of practice as the Director/Producer/Choreographer:

-          Ensure contracts are signed by employees before work commences

-          Schedule rehearsals (where, when etc)

-          Teach performers choreography, give direction

-          Make sure privacy is respected

-          Be supportive of performers and encourage them

-          Be fair to all performers and fair in dealing with clients

-          Maintain confidentiality of performers

Codes of practice are different for each department. They are so important as making one simple error could impact the entire show. For example the technical directors job impacts the lighting and sound of the show.