OUR CORPORATE CULTURE

Language Empire wants to create a positive environment for all current staff and for when we have new recruits. All the rules set out in this document will allow us to achieve our future vision of a successful and happy workplace. By following these rules, we are able to improve productivity, and retention rates, find amazing talent faster, and ultimately become one of the fastest-growing language service providers in the UK.

1) Looking after your environment-
Looking after your “professional” working environment will ensure you continue to enjoy coming to your place of work. By respecting the space you work in and that of others, will ensure you and your colleagues remain happy and
comfortable when in work. Also, refer to the tidy desk policy.

2) Respect your colleagues-
The way in which you treat your fellow co-workers has a lot to do with the work environment created. If you respect your colleagues and treat them in a positive manor, they are likely to treat you the same, this encourages a good professional working culture.

3) Trust your team-
Trusting the people you work with will have a lot to do with the type of work culture that is created. If you do not trust the decisions your colleagues make this will create a negative atmosphere and will cast an aura of uncertainty over the work being carried out.

4) Celebrate the wins-
When good things happen to your colleagues these should always be celebrated by the team. This will encourage a good work culture when people are recognised for the good things they do. Birthdays, winning of new business and recognition for hard work are all good ways of celebrating the wins and
boosting the atmosphere in work. If we have a positive work culture this often encourages people to go that extra mile, benefiting both employee and employer.

5) Be open and honest-
Being open an honest about any aspects of work will promote a positive and effective work culture. Voicing opinions and putting ideas forward, or raising concerns about other proposed projects can prove very beneficial. If a person keeps their thoughts to themselves this can lead to a negative work culture, as the issues they are keeping to themselves can eat away at a person and fester causing a bigger problem in the long term. Sometimes the best ideas come from the most unlikely places, so it’s important employees are able to express themselves.

6) Reward and Recognition-
Language Empire values the contribution that employees make to the company and will recognise, and reward such contributions. At Language Empire, we operate a working environment where we value the employees that work to achieve the companies, mission, vision and objectives.

This is based on the following principles:

• We understand that work culture really does matter.

• Creating a compelling organizational culture that informs everything from decision-making and behaviour to employee and company identity – all the way from the CEO/Directors down to front line staff.

• Developing a strong, coherent culture that can align resources behind a common vision that ensures sustainability of the company

ADDITIONALLY WE EXPECT EMPLOYEES TO:

  • Report any breaches of the Equal Opportunities or Dignity at Work Policy
  • Report any rudeness towards other employees, members of the public or customers.
  • Eliminate Objectionable or insulting behaviour or bad language.
  • Promote, champion and maintain a “professional” work environment
  • Devote the whole of our time, attention and abilities to our business and it’s affairs during normal working hours.
  • Work efficiently and strive to avoid Gross carelessness or negligence that causes unacceptable loss,
  • Not behave in an Indecent or immoral way.
  • Pay respect co-workers/colleagues
  • Understand that any bad behaviour shows you in a negative way
  • Report any breaches of working environment / corporate culture expectations
  • Report any breaches of Our Values
  • Report any breaches of Our Code Ethics
As such, we have identified the following main beneficial / rewarding areas when we achieve a solid and positive work culture environment, which is effectively communicated to the employees.
  • Company Growth and Profitability
  • Advantages of High Productivity
  • Business Sustainability and Job Security
  • Recruitment and Retention
  • Work Environment and Corporate Culture
  • Employees, Management and Leadership
  • Career Development and Training Opportunities
  • Morale & Motivation
  • Customer Service
  • Responsiveness to Change
  • Involvement & Co-operation
  • Relationships
  • Absenteeism
  • Satisfaction and Happiness

WE WANT OUR WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND CORPORATE CULTURE TO BE

  • Respectful
  • Peaceful
  • Calm
  • Professional
  • Focused
  • Adaptable to change
  • Dedicated to teamwork
  • Appreciative of hard work
  • Customer-focused
  • Considerate of other employees
  • Open to communication
  • Creative and innovative
  • Committed to learning and improvement
  • Consistent in its approach to work
  • A challenging, yet relaxed work environment
  • Passionate about the work we do
  • Able to celebrate success
  • Seeking to continuously to maintain a positive and professional work
    culture
  • Effective in maintaining working relationships with other employees
  • Effective in managing and maintaining good relationships with clients
  • Prompt, efficiently and politely with third parties with whom you have
    dealings on behalf of the Company

HOW TO BEHAVE IN A CORPORATE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT

HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR HOW TO EFFECTIVELY WORK WITH
YOUR CO-WORKERS, MANAGERS AND COMPANY DIRECTORS:

  • Good office behaviour plays an important role in establishing a cultureof personal behaviour by employees in the office.
  • Maintaining a good attitude in the office help to encourage positive interaction between co-workers, this would result in more productivity and a happier working environment.
  • Acting professionally at work is an important part of any corporate or work environment.
  • It is also important for your professional and career growth.
  • Professional behaviour and attitudes often play an important role in who gets hired and promoted.
  • Unprofessional behaviours at work will affect how you are perceived and will undoubtedly result in consequences.
  • Many of us often behave unprofessionally at work without even noticing it. This behaviour will undoubtedly result in consequences.
  • Acting professionally will significantly enhance your career prospects within the company

LIKE ANYTHING WORTHWHILE, CULTURE IS SOMETHING IN
WHICH YOU INVEST:

  • By understanding corporate culture and applying behaviors that support company objectives, all employees should work more effectively towards achieving the broader goals of the business.
  • Everyone should try to work well and look for ways they can do a little extra to help the company they work for.
  • Workplace culture reinforces the way a business operates with spoken and unspoken beliefs, and values which are shared between employees, senior management and company directors.
  • Employees who understand their workplace culture will have a better grasp of their goals and are more in tune with the needs of their managers, fellow employees and customers.
  • A well-developed culture minimizes anxiety, productivity is maintained, and highly valued employees are retained within the company.
  • A well-developed culture brings an increased openness to change and the desire of employees to make changes work.
  • As trust and responsibility increases, employees don’t just initiate significant improvements in ongoing operations; they actively reach out to their environment, bringing improvement ideas and initiatives that make the company more market competitive

It is important that you observing your own behaviour as you interact with your co-workers. It is important to have consideration for your coworkers within the office environment. If you are not considerate of how your behaviour will affect others, it is possible that you will be
deemed unprofessional.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR HOW TO EFFECTIVELY WORK WITH YOUR CO-WORKERS, MANAGERS AND COMPANY DIRECTORS:

  • Work wear should remain professional at all times. Dressing casually will portray an image of a disorganised and a messy worker. This can give the company a negative image when we have visitors coming into the office therefore everyone should assure they dress in a professional manner. You should remain smartly dressed, neat and professional in order to portray the right image to those around you. You will be respected by your colleagues and it will enhance your stature within the office, as others will know they should take you seriously.
  • Your timekeeping and attendance is extremely important within the office. Timekeeping allows your fellow employees to know that they can rely on you to come through. It also allows your employers to see that you can adhere to targets and deadlines. Keeping track of your own time, allows you to manage projects and tasks more effectively. It will also show your dedication to the job and that you are able to organise your time effectively.
  • Keep your personal mobile phone on silent: Everyone’s personal mobile phones should be on silent during working hours so that it’s not disturbing you or anyone sitting around you. Your mobile phone should not be used during office hours, for emergency circumstances or situations you should give your work office number to your immediate family and relatives. It is important that your mind is focused on the job at hand and that you do this as efficiently as possible. Having your phone on loud or ringing during work hours shows you to be unprofessional and easily distracted. It also allows others around you to be distracted. Where possible, keep your phone off of your desk, so that you do not have the temptation to use it. Breaks and lunchtimes are when it is acceptable to use your telephone.
  • No one appreciates strong smells within the office, so be considerate and keep these to a minimum. Foods, perfumes, cigarettes that have strong smells should be used away from your co-workers, or at least away from the main office environment. It is possible for co-workers to get distracted by these things and they could even cause tension. Just be wary of how what you’re doing will affect the people around you.
  • Don’t mistake work for a social gathering: It’s great to have friends at work and to form relationships with your co-workers however; it is vital that you don’t get distracted and carry out lengthy and personal conversations during work hours. Work is not a place to chat with your co-workers. Having good relationships with the people you work with is important for a happy and motivated work culture. However, when this affects work performance and productivity, this will demotivate others around you who are working hard to complete their tasks and can lead to disciplinary action been taken against you. It is important that you respect your work environment and the others around you. Excessive noise and distractions will stop others from being able to carry out their work and will mean that they may have to pick up your share of the workload on top of this. It is important to remain focused, and allow these types of conversations to be limited to break and lunch times.
  • When different types of people are brought together, there is bound to be a degree of conflicting opinions and disagreements. However, it is important to remember that this is a working environment and tension is not good for stress levels or productivity. You can voice your opinion in a private and polite manner and it is important that you do not let conflict lie for too long; otherwise it will build up and may cause arguments. Use your judgemen, take five minutes to yourself to calm down and approach the situation with a clear and level head.
  • Everyone has the right to respect and dignity within the workplace. It is okay to have light hearted conversations but please refrain from comments which may appear to be offensive to other, even if these are deemed to be a joke. You should avoid singling anyone out and remember that different people have different tolerance levels. References to what are known as the ‘protected characteristics’ i.e. age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, personal characteristics and or appearance, should not be made at work as this is strictly against the law and can be classed as discrimination.
  • Don’t be loud: It can be intrusive and it should be avoided as even though you may be discussing a work related topic, it may disturb other co-workers.
  • Raising your voice or acting on emotions: If you’re an emotional person, try to take a break and calm down before an important conversation. People often do and say things driven by a spur of the moment that they later regret.
  • Misrepresentation, lack of transparency and not acting in a fair, open and honest way will result in your contract being terminated
  • It can be very tempting to critique the work or effectiveness of others in the workplace. You should discourage your fellow workers from criticising coworkers to you. Accepting this kind of behaviour only makes other staff think that it is acceptable and therefore it will be a growing issue within the company. Negativity will feed on itself, meaning that soon enough you will have a full department or a full company who are negative about each other.
  • If you have an issue with how someone carries out their work, or if you think that they are being effective, then you should report this to management as soon as you become aware of it.
  • Remain professional and humble at the same time. Language Empire maintains its success through the staff that it employs and each one of these go in to making the overall product. The work we carry out, requires teamwork within departments and across the business. Acting as if you are superior to someone else will only show you in a negative light. Remain positive about all the people within the company and do not act self-important.
  • What we do within the office, is more often than not a team effort. It is important that you embrace this both when the feedback is positive and negative. Share the credit among those who have worked hard to achieve the successful project. Equally, you should take your part in the responsibility for an unsatisfactory outcome. By remaining with your team, you will show that you care about working with them, and your respect the job that each of the
    people within that team does.
  • Keep your office clean: Co-workers shouldn’t have to clean up after you. Wash your dishes after your, don’t leave leftovers in the fridge until they go over-dated, and don’t leave your takeaway or cups scattered around your desk or other places.

WHAT IS UNSATISFACTORY, MINOR AND GROSS MISCONDUCT

UNSATISFACTORY CONDUCT/ MISCONDUCT:

  • Failure to abide by general health and safety rules and procedures
  • Use of materials or equipment that you are not authorised or trained to use
  • Unsatisfactory standards or output of work
  • Persistent lateness, sickness or absenteeism
  • Failing to deal promptly, efficiently and politely with third parties with whom you have dealings on behalf of the Company.
  • Failure to carry out reasonable instructions or follow our rules and procedures
  • Minor breach of the Equal Opportunities or Dignity at Work Policy, rudeness towards other employees, members of the public or customers.
  • Objectionable or insulting behaviour or bad language.
  • Unauthorised use of, or negligent damage or loss to Company property.
  • Misuse of company facilities e.g. email, internet etc.
  • Failure to devote the whole of your time, attention and abilities to our business and its affairs during normal working hours.
  • Failure to maintain effective working relationships.
  • Failure to perform assigned duties, or performing assigned duties in an unsatisfactory manner
  • Employee’s failure to report own absence
  • Habitual absence or tardiness
  • Interfering with the work performance of another employee
  • Lateness to meetings and poor timekeeping in general

GROSS MISCONDUCT:

  • Serious breach of our Company rules and procedures.
  • Serious breach of health and safety rules which endangers your life or the lives of employees or any other person.
  • Breach of the smoking policy.
  • Serious breach of the Equal Opportunities Policy or Dignity at Work Policy including serious and deliberate acts of unlawful discrimination,
    harassment or bullying.
  • Dangerous behaviour, violence, fighting or physical assault on Company premises or on Company business.
  • Deliberate falsification of Company documents or records, including fraudulently attempting to claim payment for time not in work.
  • Theft or unauthorised possession of money or property, whether belonging to the Company, another employee or third party
  • Malicious damage or sabotage to Company, customers or suppliers property.
  • Gross carelessness or negligence that causes unacceptable loss, damage or injury
  • Serious breach of confidentiality.
  • Activities which breach your employment restrictions as detailed within your Main Statement of Terms and Conditions of Employment.
  • Activities which breach your employment restrictions as detailed within your Main Statement of Terms and Conditions of Employment.drugs whilst on the Company premises.
  • Persistent unauthorised absence (AWOL)
  • Indecent or immoral behaviour.
  • Gross insubordination or continual refusal to carry out legitimate instructions
  • Leaving site without authorisation from a Manager during working hours.
  • Taking part in activities which result in adverse publicity to ourselves or which causes us to lose faith in your integrity
  • Undertaking private work on the premises or in working hours without expressed permission.
  • Misuse of the Company’s property or name.
  • Knowingly making false or malicious statements or allegations either informally or formally.
  • Criminal offences or convictions that are inconsistent with continued employment

MANAGEMENT CODE OF PRACTICE (CMI)

BEHAVING IN AN OPEN, HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY MANNER

Examples include:

  • Being responsible and accountable for your actions and decisions
  • Exhibiting and defending professional and personal integrity and at all times
  • Disclosing any personal interest which may affect your decisions
  • Acting reasonably and justifiably in identifying and resolving conflicts of values, including those of an ethical nature
  • Being truthful and transparent in all communications
  • Neither offering nor accepting gifts, hospitality or services which could create, or imply, an improper obligation
  • Ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation and regulations in the countries where you are operating

ACTING IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF YOUR ORGANISATION, CUSTOMERS, CLIENTS AND/OR PARTNERS

Examples include:

  • Safeguarding and not seeking personal advantage from all confidential, proprietary, commercially sensitive and personal information that comes into your possession, only disclosing it to those entitled to receive it
  • Acting in a manner which supports the organisation’s overall objectives and reputation
  • Serving customers and clients to the highest possible standards at all times
  • Establishing, maintaining and developing business relationships based on mutual confidence, trust and respect

CONTINUALLY DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCE

Examples include:

  • Striving for excellence at all times
  • Continuing to develop professionally, maintaining relevant knowledge and competence
  • Acting only in accordance with your level of capability and in accordance with the highest standards of professional behaviour and performance
  • Seeking support if asked to act beyond your current level of capability

CREATING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON SOCIETY

Examples include:

  • Treating others fairly and with respect, promoting equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion, and supporting human rights and dignity
  • Addressing the interests and needs of all stakeholders in a balanced manner
  • Ensuring that the environmental impact of your work is as positive as possible
  • Challenging and reporting conduct or behaviour which you suspect to be unlawful or unethical, and encouraging others to do so
  • Recognising and valuing the responsibilities you have to the communities in which you operate
  • Exhibiting personal leadership as a role model for maintaining the highest standards

RESPECTING THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM YOU WORK

Examples include:

  • Supporting colleagues to understand fully their responsibilities, areas of authority and accountability.
  • Encouraging and assisting colleagues to develop their skills and progress their careers, valuing the contribution which they make, and recognising their achievements
  • Promoting, enhancing, sharing and encouraging best management practice
  • Acting consistently and fairly when addressing personal performance or standards of behaviour
  • Having regard for the physical and mental health, safety and well-being of colleagues, recognising their specific needs and the pressures and problems they face.
  • Demonstrating respect in all interactions, whether face-to-face or virtually.

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