What are the good qualities of a household worker following the household workers ethical standards?

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Household workers should treat colleagues with respect and should represent accurately and fairly the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues. They should cooperate with household work colleagues when such cooperation serves the well being of clients.

Learning Outcome 1:                     Maintain a Professional Image

                 The primary purpose of the household work profession is to enhance human well being and help meet the basic human needs by performing a variety of household services for an individual or a family. These household services may include cooking, doing laundry and ironing, food shopping, gardening, taking care for children and/or elders, and other household errands.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

                 The purpose of the household work profession is rooted in a set of core values. These core values, embraced by household workers throughout the profession’s history, are the foundation of household work’s unique purpose and perspective:

• service
• dignity
• importance of human relationships
• integrity
• competence

                 The following broad ethical principles are based on household work’s core values of service, dignity, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These principles set forth ideals to which all household workers should aspire.

Value: Service

                 Household workers elevate service to others above self interest. They draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need of doing household services for them.

Value: Dignity

                 Household workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. They seek to enhance customers’ capacity and opportunity to address their own needs.

Value: Importance of Human Relationships

                 Household workers understand that relationships between and among people are an important vehicle for efficiency. They engage people as partners in the helping process.

Value: Integrity

                 Household workers are continually aware of the profession’s mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards and practice in a manner consistent with them. They act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated.

Value: Competence

                 Household workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills and to apply them in practice. They should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession.

Ethical Standards

                 ​The following ethical standards are relevant to the professional activities of all household workers. These standards concern (1) household workers’ ethical responsibilities to clients, (2) household workers’ ethical responsibilities to colleagues, and (3) household workers’ ethical responsibilities as professionals.

           1. HOUSEHOLD WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS  

• Commitment to Clients. Household workers’ primary responsibility is to promote the well being of clients through doing household tasks for them.
• Self Determination. Household workers respect and promote the right of clients through assisting them in their efforts to accomplish their jobs at the most convenient time.
• Competence. Household workers should provide services and represent themselves as competent within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience.
• Cultural Competence and Social Diversity. Household workers should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.
• Privacy and Confidentiality. Household workers should respect clients’ right to privacy. They should not solicit private information from clients unless it is essential in the conduct of services.
• Access to Records. Household workers should provide clients with reasonable access to records concerning the household services rendered.
• Sexual Relationships. Household workers should under no circumstances engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with clients, whether such contact is consensual or forced.
• Sexual Harassment. Household workers should not sexually harass clients. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
• Derogatory Language. Household workers should not use derogatory language in their written or verbal communications to or about clients. They should use accurate and respectful language in all communications to and about clients.
• Payment for Services. When setting fees, Household workers should receive fee that are fair, reasonable, and commensurate with the services performed. Consideration should be given to clients’ ability to pay
• Interruption of Services. Household workers should make reasonable efforts to ensure continuity of services in the event that services are interrupted by factors such as unavailability, relocation, illness, disability, or death.
• Termination of Services. Household workers should terminate services to clients and professional relationships with them when such services and relationships are no longer required or no longer serve the clients’ needs or interests. They should take reasonable steps to avoid abandoning clients who are still in need of services.

• Respect. Household workers should treat colleagues with respect and should represent accurately and fairly the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues. They should cooperate with household work colleagues when such cooperation serves the well being of clients.
• Confidentiality. Household workers should respect confidential information shared by colleagues in the course of their relationships and work.
• Consultation. Household workers should seek the advice and counsel of colleagues whenever such consultation is in the best interests of clients.
• Sexual Relationships. Household workers should avoid engaging in sexual relationships with colleagues when there is potential for a conflict of interest.
• Sexual Harassment. Household workers should not sexually harass colleagues. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
• Impairment of Colleagues. Household workers who have direct knowledge of a social work colleague’s impairment that is due to personal problems, psychosocial distress, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties and that interferes with practice effectiveness should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.
• Incompetence of Colleagues. Household workers who have direct knowledge of a Household work colleague’s incompetence should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.
• Unethical Conduct of Colleagues. Household workers should take adequate measures to discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of colleagues.

            3. HOUSEHOLD WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS PROFESSIONALS 

• Competence. Household workers should accept responsibility or employment only on the basis of existing competence or the intention to acquire the necessary competence.
• Discrimination. Household workers should not practice, facilitate, or collaborate with any form of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical disability.
• Private Conduct. Household workers should not permit their private conduct to interfere with their ability to fulfill their responsibilities.
• Dishonesty, Fraud, and Deception. Household workers should not participate in, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud, or deception.
• Impairment. Household workers should not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their performance.
• Misrepresentation. Household workers should ensure that their representations to clients, agencies, affiliations, services provided, or results to be achieved are accurate
• Solicitations. Household workers should not engage in solicitation of testimonial endorsements (including solicitation of consent to use a client’s prior statement as a testimonial endorsement) from current clients or from other people who are vulnerable to undue influence.

                 ​Employers may require their domestic workers to wear a uniform, livery or other "domestic workers' clothes" when in their employers' residence. The uniform is usually simple. Female servants wore long, plain, dark-coloured dresses or black skirts with white belts and white blouses, and black shoes, and male servants and butlers would wear something from a simple suit, or a white dress shirt, often with tie, and knickers.

An ​Apron is an outer protective garment that covers primarily the front of the body. It may be worn for hygienic reasons as well as in order to protect clothes from wear and tear. (for female) ​A Housekeeping shirt and pants is an outer protective garment that covers the body. (for female)

​                 ​The word Protective paraphernalia most commonly refers to tools and materials used in or necessary for a particular activity. Below are examples of worker’s protective paraphernalia.

Hand towels – used for wiping and drying wt hands.​​ Long sleeves – used for covering the arms to protect arms from heat, dust and insect bite. ​​ Protective mask – used for protecting the mouth and nose from inhaling dust and chemicals while working. ​ Protective gown – used for protecting the dress from dirt. ​​ Protective shoes – used for protecting the feet from any harm. ​​Hairnet – used to prevent the hair from falling while at work. ​​ Long pants – used for protecting the legs against dust, heat and insect bite. ​ Gloves – used for protecting the hands from cuts, burn and other related incident.

                 A. Personal hygiene refers to practices that lead to cleanliness and health preservation. Examples of personal hygiene practices include hair cutting, shaving, brushing teeth, bathing daily, nail clipping, etc. It also refers to good personal appearance. Hygiene encourages personal health. Personal Hygiene is the first step to good grooming and good health. It is an ongoing task. 

• Bathe or shower daily
• Brush & floss daily
• Regular exercise
• Wear little perfume

•   understand the importance of creating a positive impression;
•   behave appropriately at social and business functions;
•   enhancing the Corporate and Social Image through dressing;
•   understanding that basic grooming is all about cleanliness, tidiness and hygiene;
•   how to manage personal hygiene;
•   understanding the importance of nonverbal communication through facial expressions,   posture and behavior; and
•   understanding the uniqueness of cultures around the world and how to apply the skills of cultural understanding to become more successful in the global business environment

•   Wear your hair clean & styled neatly.
•   Use deodorant.
•   Shave your facial hair.
•   Trim your beard (if you are sporting one).
•   Do not use a lot of perfume/cologne.
•   Do not smoke, chew gum or spit tobacco.
•   Do not have dirty fingernails. Trim & scrub hands if necessary.

•   Wear clean, ironed clothes.
•   Empty pockets-beware of bulging keys & coins.
•   Don’t wear loud, bright colors. These colors can be used sparingly as accents or accessories.

•   Look the person you are speaking to straight in the eye. This gives the person the impression that you are interested and very attentive.
•   Avoid distraction which might result if you stare other things other than the person you are speaking to
•   Think before, during and after you speak.
•   Do not speak with your mouth full.
•   Speak in a gentle and pleasing tone.
•   Avoid the use of slang, swearing, or any other "bad" language
•   Do not interrupt people while they are talking.
•   Refrain from sarcasm or double meanings in your conversation.
•   Try to keep the main topic of the conversation away from yourself.
•   Refrain from discussing people's private affairs or secrets.
•   Try not to speak ill of others.
•   Reserve a cheerful topic for conversation.
•   Speak only about things you know.
•   Make introductions to make new friends.
•   Remember to respect others.
•   Maintain a behavior that does not offend others.
•   Look your best at all times according to the time place and occasion.
•   Do not eat or drink in places not designated for such.
•   Do not groom yourself in public.
•   Maintain a proper decorum.
•   Be courteous.
•   Consider others.
•   Be sure not to make noises that may bother others