Job Ethics for Teen Employees

Purpose

• While your teen's part-time job at a grocery store or fast-food chain might seem low key, it's the ideal opportunity to instill solid job ethics that follow him throughout life. Teens can often err on the side of entitlement, which can breed a me-first attitude and lackluster on-the-job skills, according to business writer Cam Marston in an article for USA Today Money. Teaching your teen how to interact with others, make decisions and behave at work can help set him up for a lifetime of career success stemming from a positive first-job experience.

Dependability

• Your teen's boss wants to know that he can count on her to show up to work on time and when she's scheduled. Skipping shifts or coming into work late can throw the entire shift off balance, so it's important that your teen always be punctual and dependable, particularly when she's already committed to work at a certain time. When your teen's supervisor sees that she's dependable, she can gain more responsibility and less supervision, which can create a better working environment. Your teen might even earn the chance for more money through raises and promotions. It also proves that your teen takes her job seriously.

Honesty

• Sure, no one will miss that handful of French fries or that damaged merchandise, but honesty is always the best policy, especially for a first job. Your teen should understand that his boss trusts him to do his work and shouldn't worry about supplies, food and merchandise while on the job. Remind your teen that getting caught being dishonest could affect the rest of his working life, particularly if he can't get a positive reference from a past boss or he does something so dishonest, it winds up on a future background check.

Teamwork

• In most cases, your teen's job will require her to work with other employees. Other employees can make work more enjoyable, but a team-oriented attitude -- working together, remaining loyal to other employees and looking out for the best of the company -- is what really makes your teen a model employee. Learning to work with others and depend on another's strengths is an excellent lesson for your teen to learn about work. Encourage her to get to know the other employees and foster a spirit of teamwork, where work is made easier by extra hands and improved efficiency as a group.

Attitude

• Your teen's attitude toward work says a lot about him and his work ethic. If he goes to his job and does the bare minimum to not get fired, he's unlikely to experience a promotion or have a positive experience. Instead, if he goes to work with the goal of being the best employee possible and working to make a company better, his work ethic will definitely get him noticed, which can result in better opportunities, such as raises, promotions and opportunities for leadership within the company. Such opportunities can in turn increase your teen's job satisfaction.