How about calling in sick because it’s a beautiful day, and going to the beach? Countless policies, procedures and training is available to teach workplace ethics. At the same time, numerous instances of workplace ethics violations still come to surface. These can range from using company’s office supplies for personal use, to improper use of sick days and serious offenses like expense account fraud, or insider stock trading.

Ethical practices in the workplace cannot be different from ethical practices in our daily lives. For Sikhs, truthful living is known as Jivan Jaach and when applied properly, it takes care of all aspects of ethics – personal or professional. A Sikh derives his or her Jivan Jaach and ethical practices from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. A Sikh’s conduct in different situations doesn’t deviate from the foundational teachings of his or her Guru.

The following examples illustrate how ethical behaviour can find its way into the workplace:

1. A Sikh executive who follows Jivan Jaach will not lie under any circumstance. This means never claiming credit for the work of other employees or, if working in a group setting, remembering to recognize the entire group’s efforts.
2. A Sikh restaurant server who believes in sharing and knows that Waheguru is the ultimate giver, will never withhold a portion of his tips from the common pot before the tips are divided with the fellow workers.
3. A Sikh employee who believes in sewa (selfless service), will know not to use up the last paper in the communal printer and instead, will refill the paper tray for the next person who uses the printer.
4. A Sikh employee who believes in earning an honest living will never spend several hours a day using his work computer to shop, check out sports scores, pay bills, do online banking, or surf the news headlines.

All these examples involve personal decision making. Only the person making the decision will ever know that there was a decision but each decision will have its impact as an individual, as an employee, as a Sikh, and as a human being.

An individual’s decisions that lead to ethical violations negatively impact the workplace culture and affect co-workers. An ethical or unethical response to even small things will result in the same behaviour and mindset for larger actions.

Let us live our lives, personal and professional, according to the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Let the three pillars – reading Gurbani, doing Simran and following Jivan Jaach – be the central part of our daily lives. The result? An enriched family, workplace and community for all!

We’ve all heard by now that multitasking at work leads to reduced productivity, so is it possible to stay present and mindful while I’m doing work?

First, let’s lightly touch on why meditation is important. It helps to improve concentration and focus, amongst many other benefits. When you begin meditating your brain matter actually changes. The benefits of meditation have been studied and reported by many, including the Harvard Gazette and Harvard Medical School. Meditation can help us become more mindful of our thoughts.

Let’s look at this another way. By being present and mindful, you’ll be able to control the hundreds of thoughts that come into your mind. So, instead of being bombarded by thought after thought, you’ll have the ability to take only necessary thoughts. This is why the power of being present is so critical in the corporate world. It can help you be more focused, more productive and achieve greater results!

In the Sikh faith, one particular way to stay present is through Simran, which is the process of chanting a particular mantra – “Waheguru”. This mantra is chanted in two syllables, “Wah-Guru” (‘Wah-Groo’). This specific technique is called “Saas-Giraas Simran.”

So, can I actually do Simran while I work? Aren’t I supposed to be focused on my work? Can I do both at the same time? The answer to these questions – yes!

Here’s how you might be able to incorporate Simran into your work schedule.

1. If your job requires walking, whether a lot or just a little, you can time the Simran to your footsteps. For example, if you’re a security guard, as your patrolling during your shift you can chant Wahe – Guru – Left – Right.
2. If you’re in a quiet area, challenge yourself! When you’re saying Wahe – Guru, have an interval timer/stopwatch running, and see how long you can chant without taking a thought. If you only last a couple of minutes, that’s ok. Start over. The longer you can go without taking a thought, the more control you have over your mind and the more present you can be.
3. When doing complicated tasks, try dividing that task into thirds and do Simran before each block of time. For example, if a particular report might take an hour, divide your time into 20 minute blocks. Try doing 2-3 minutes of Simran before each 20 minute segment for mental clarity.
4. Book yourself a meeting. If your work area is always busy and you’re unable to clear your mind in that busyness book yourself a meeting room. In that meeting room, do Simran. You’ll find that afterwards, you’ll be much more focused.
5. Always look for like-minded people, whether it be co-workers, friends, people in your community, or even family members. If they also enjoy Simran, or keeping a clear mind, you can buddy up and do Simran together.

Try incorporating some of these tips and see how smoother your days at work become.

“Hey, did you hear about Jack in Sales? They’re saying he might get fired for stealing office
supplies”! If you’ve ever worked in a setting with colleagues you’re quite familiar with
provocations like these. Office gossip seems to invade your space at every turn. Whether in
email, chat, a private Slack channel or in hushed tones in a conference room, there seems to be no escape from the wildfire spreading down the grapevine. For Sikhs in the workplace, it may pose a difficult predicament. How do you stay engaged with your workmates, but stay true to your spiritual duty to not slander and gossip?

Three helpful tips to keep you from gossip

1. Identify if you are the gossiper​

The next time you’re speaking about a colleague that’s not present, ask yourself, “would I say this to their face?”. If the answer is no, it’s probably gossip! And in the worst case, maybe slander too. A Sikh should always have the courage to express their viewpoint directly to that person in a professional manner.

2. Stop the gossip in its tracks

If you’re on the receiving end of gossip, try this simple trick. Ask the person doing the gossip or slander to say those things directly to their target’s face. Watch how quickly they recoil from the challenge and try to backtrack their comments. You’ll find that people will no longer seek you out to spread rumors.

3. Remove yourself from the conversation

If you simply can’t avoid the office gossip, just excuse yourself when it starts. There’s no shortage of emails sitting in your inbox, so say you’re busy and go focus on something productive and worthy of your time.

As Sikhs in the workplace, it’s imperative to remember why we don’t gossip or slander. We
believe that God resides in each and every person regardless of race, religion, status or
gender. When you gossip or slander others, you really do so about God. Each breath wasted in gossip is one you could’ve spent humbly serving others.

And as Sikhs, we should always take our guidance – personal and professional – from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Here’s what Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji has to say about gossip and slander:

ਨਿੰਦਉ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਾਹੂ ਬਾਤੈ ਏਹੁ ਖਸਮ ਕਾ ਕੀਆ ॥
Don’t indulge in slander​ for any reason, for everything is the creation of the Lord and Master. Ang 611

ਪਰ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਮੁਖ ਤੇ ਨਹੀ ਛੂਟੀ ਨਿਫਲ ਭਈ ਸਭ ਸੇਵਾ ॥੧॥
Your mouth has not stopped slandering and gossiping about others. Your seva (selfless service) is useless and fruitless. ||1|| Ang 1253

While there may never be a foolproof way to avoid every tidbit shared at the Keurig machine, as a Sikh you should make the effort to control your own words and set the standard for professionalism in the workplace.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!