Workplace Behaviour, Safety and Health
Senior 6 · Entrepreneurship
Workplace Behaviour, Safety and Health
Lesson 1 of 5
30 min
Gatete, 19, has just been hired as a receptionist at a hotel in Musanze. In his first month he arrives late twice, posts a photo of a guest's passport on social media "as a joke", helps a colleague carry a heavy box down the stairs without being asked, refuses to wear the name badge because "everyone knows me", and stays an hour late, unpaid, to finish a booking report that a manager needed. (An illustrative case.)
Some of these actions build trust; one could cost the hotel its reputation and Gatete his job. This unit is about behaving well, staying safe and staying healthy at work, as an employee and, later, as an employer responsible for others.
Definition
Workplace: any place where people work for an employer or for themselves, including offices, farms, markets, workshops, vehicles and building sites. Workplace behaviour: the way a person acts towards work, colleagues, customers and the employer.
Definition
Occupational safety and health (OSH): the protection of people at work from injury and ill health, and the promotion of their physical and mental well-being. Safety is freedom from harm; health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being; welfare covers facilities such as clean water, toilets and rest areas.
Definition
Work ethic: a set of values, such as reliability, honesty and diligence, that guides how a person works. Professionalism: behaving in the competent, respectful and responsible way expected in a job. Code of conduct: an employer's written rules on acceptable behaviour.
Definition
Attitude: a settled way of thinking or feeling about something, which shows in behaviour. Misconduct: behaviour at work that breaks the rules or the employment contract, from lateness to theft.
Rwanda's labour law, Law N° 66 of 2018 regulating labour in Rwanda, sets duties on both sides:
| Employees must (Article 41) | Employers must |
|---|---|
| Carry out their work personally, on time, and achieve performance | Ensure health, safety and welfare at work for employees and visitors (Article 77) |
| Respect the employer's instructions | Provide suitable protective equipment, with instructions, and check that it is used (Article 79) |
| Avoid any act that threatens their own safety, colleagues' or the workplace | Take measures for first aid, fire-fighting and imminent danger (Article 80) |
| Keep the tools given to them in good condition | Assess risks and set an OSH policy (Article 81) |
| Report at work on time | Declare occupational accidents, diseases and deaths (Article 82) |
| Protect the interests of the work | Not charge employees for safety measures (Article 77) |
The law also prohibits forced labour (Article 7) and sexual harassment in any form against a person one supervises (Article 8); an employee may not be dismissed for reporting or testifying about it. For misconduct, the disciplinary sanctions are an oral warning, a written reprimand, suspension without pay for up to eight working days, and dismissal (Article 42).
| Behaviour or attitude | What it looks like | Its opposite |
|---|---|---|
| Punctuality and reliability | Arriving on time; meeting deadlines; warning early when you cannot | Lateness, unexplained absence |
| Integrity | Honest records, no bribes, using the employer's property only for work | Theft, fraud, falsifying hours |
| Respect | Courtesy to all colleagues and customers, whatever their sex, age, disability or background | Insults, discrimination, harassment |
| Confidentiality | Keeping customers' and the business's information private | Sharing data or documents without permission |
| Teamwork | Helping colleagues, sharing information, accepting decisions | Gossip, refusing to cooperate |
| Positive attitude and initiative | Willingness to learn, solving problems, suggesting improvements | Complaining without proposals |
| Following rules and safety instructions | Wearing the uniform and protective equipment; reporting hazards | Ignoring rules "because nothing happened before" |
| Self-control | Staying calm under pressure; no alcohol or drugs at work | Shouting, fighting, working under the influence |
Worked example
Case analysis 1: Gatete's month
| Action | Judgement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Late twice | Misconduct (minor) | Breaks the duty to report on time (Article 41); likely an oral warning first |
| Posting a guest's passport | Serious misconduct | Breaks confidentiality and the guest's privacy; harms the hotel's reputation; could justify severe sanctions |
| Carrying a box without being asked | Good teamwork, but a safety question | Helpful, but heavy loads on stairs need a safe method; offer help and lift correctly |
| Refusing the badge | Misconduct (minor) | Ignores an instruction; badges help guests and security |
| Staying late to finish a report | Positive attitude | Shows commitment; extra hours, however, should be agreed with the employer |
Worked example
Case analysis 2: a supervisor's "joke"
At a packaging company, a supervisor repeatedly makes sexual remarks to a junior worker, who asks him to stop. He says she will lose her shift if she complains. (Illustrative.)
Analysis: this is sexual harassment by a supervisor, prohibited by Article 8 of the labour law, and the threat makes it worse. The worker may report it to the employer's management or human resources office and to the labour inspector; she cannot lawfully be dismissed for reporting. If she resigns because of proven harassment, the law treats it as unfair dismissal. The employer should act at once: investigate, protect the worker and discipline the supervisor.
Warning
Social media is a workplace too. Posts about customers, colleagues or the employer's private information can break confidentiality, damage reputations and lead to discipline, even when made outside working hours. If in doubt, do not post.
Tip
The front-page test. Before acting, ask: "Would I be comfortable if this appeared on the front page of a newspaper, or if my manager and my family saw it?" If not, don't do it.
Practice
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: the cases, the tables, the diagram, the analyses and the practice items. Gatete, the hotel and the packaging company are illustrative (2026). Parts of the labour law were amended in 2023 (Law N° 027 of 2023); check the current text for working hours and leave.
