Working Toward Social Justice and Human Rights PDF

Working Toward Social Justice and Human Rights Work is a meaningful life activities that promotes ones well being to serve ones family and the community. Through work human person is able to perform his or her societal role. What is social justice? Social justice is a political and philosophical c...

Working Toward Social Justice and Human Rights Work is a meaningful life activities that promotes ones well being to serve ones family and the community. Through work human person is able to perform his or her societal role. What is social justice? Social justice is a political and philosophical concept that holds that all people should have equal access to wealth, health, well-being, justice, and opportunity. theting of social justice The Principles of Social Justice There are nine principles of social justice (Quizlet, 2019). These principles serve as guides to legislate laws to guarantee social justice. 1\. Principle of human dignity - Every person, regardless of race, gender, and background, deserves dignity because all people are made in the image and likeness of God. 2\. Principle of respect for human life - Every stage of life, from womb to tomb, is worthy of respect and protection. 3\. Principle of the call to family, community, and participation - The family is the central social institution that comprises a community. The family and the community should be protected to enable them to participate in the promotion of social justice. 4\. Principle of rights and responsibilities - Rights are claims made on a society that help humans lead a truly human life. Every citizen has responsibilities to respect and not abuse his/her rights in society. 5\. Principle of the common good - The common good is enhanced by social conditions that allow people to reach their full human potential. 6\. Principle of preferential option for the poor and vulnerable - The poor, the weak, and those who have the least in life deserve justice and dignity. They should be protected to ensure that justice and dignity are given to them. 7\. Principle of the dignity of work and the rights of workers - The economy must serve the people and not the other way around. The dignity of work is safeguarded when the rights of workers are respected. 8\. Principle of solidarity - We are our brothers\' and sisters\' keepers. We should contribute our share to work for justice and peace in a violent world. 9\. Principle of stewardship - All of us are stewards of God and society. We are called to protect people and the planet as stewards of Earth. Indicators of Social Justice in Work and Labor Article 13 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution stated the following conditions as indicators that manifest social justice in work or labor: 1\. Afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, and full employment and equality, of employment opportunities for all. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is the central government agency that implements the labor laws in the country. It established the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to monitor and supervise OFWS. 2\. Provide equal opportunity for workers to apply for jobs in accordance with their work skills and qualifications. Applications are accepted by the POEA despite differences in gender, religion, or ethnic affiliation. 3\. Guarantee the rights of all workers to self-organization, collective bargaining, negotiations, and peaceful concerted activities, including the right to strike in accordance with the law. These rights are aimed to guarantee the workers\' humane work conditions and all lawful benefits that are due for them. 4\. Promote the principle of shared responsibility between workers and employers and the preferential use of voluntary modes in settling disputes, including conciliation and mutual compliance therewith to foster industrial peace. 5\. Regulate the relations between workers and employers, recognizing the right of labor to its just share in the fruits of production and the right of enterprises to reasonable returns on investments and to expansion and growth. Violations of Social Justice at Work A statutory right is a right granted under a statute, which is a law enacted by a legislature or a governing body. Statutes have been passed to prevent the following violations of social justice at work: JUSTICE FOR OFW 1\. Discrimination of applicants with physical disabilities to apply for work for which they have the knowledge, competence, and skills 2\. Work without the Terms of Reference (TOR) that specifies the nature, scope, and limits of the service to be done. Many workers render more than the number of hours they should when employers require them to extend their services 3\. Deductions made by employers from the workers\' salaries or wages without their consent. These deductions done due to the absence of itemized pay slips that account for the remuneration received by the workers 4\. Violation of not paying the government-approved minimum wage of workers. 5\. Nonpayment of pro-rate remuneration during paid official holidays or special holidays declared by duly-recognized authorities 6\. Nonpayment during the maternity leave of mothers during the delivery of their offspring 7\. Nonpayment of paternity leave of spouses to take care of their wives and offspring 8\. Compelling a worker to file early retirement before the terminal age of 65 years old Retirement age in Ph. 9\. Dismissal of workers from their jobs without being notified and without any documents that support the termination of work 10\. Absence of documents or provision of weak documents that contain clear provisions on the support and benefits workers expect to receive during sickness or illnesses. 11\. Absence or inadequate provisions to promote the health and well-being of workers in their place of work, with provisions of a healthful work environment that include drinking water dispensers, clean toilet facilities, wash sinks with continued water supply, waste containers, first-aid kits, clean and safe food canteens, and rest areas 12\. Jokes, discrimination, bullying, and harassment of workers in their place of work Responsibilities of the Youth to Promote Social Justice in the Community The youth also have a role to fulfill toward promoting social justice in the community. Here are some of the responsibilities you should be aware of: 1\. Be a conscientious student. Exert your best effort and sacrifice to complete the course that you envision will help you provide for your dream future. Abide by your school\'s rules and regulations. Be friendly. Cooperate and relate well with others in your school and your community. 2\. Be an instrument of peace. Promote peace through respect and good interpersonal relationships with others. Avoid being the source or object of problems or conflicts in your community. Instead, participate in worthwhile activities that channel your interests and talents toward promoting the goals of social justice in your community. 3\. Respect the rights of others. Work for equality, especially for those who have less in life. Keep in mind that others have the same rights as yours. Conflicts, disputes, and quarrels at home, in school, and in the community often stem from disregarding of the rights of other people. 4\. Follow all the laws and rules in your community. A community becomes more livable when citizens commit themselves to obey the laws and rutes in social institutions and in public places. Conversely, citizens experience fear, accidents, illnesses, and unpleasant situations in communities where undisciplined citizens disobey or ignore the laws and rules in the community. Show you care 5\. Show kindness, mercy, and goodness to others, Show respect for the dignity of others, especially the poor, destitute, and needy. Your kind acts to the impoverished, disabled, and victims of accidents and natural calamities would make their lives a little better. Promoting Work Excellence through Adolescent Initiatives Below are some valuable ideas that can guide adolescents like you toward work excellence in the numerous activities that you do: 1\. Determine the activity that you need to do. Know the reason why you need to carry out a task. A clear reason behind the task would help you prioritize the effort to work and complete the activity. 2\. Create an activity log or a work plan that lists the steps or activities that have to be done. The work plan would serve as a reminder where and how to continue the task the next day. Scheduling is an effective procedure to work best on a task toward its completion. 3.Create a To-Do List based on the work plan you developed. Arrange the activities that you need to do in their sequence. 4\. Maximize the use of your knowledge, talents, and skills when you carry out your work plan. Utilize your writing skills to express the concepts, ideas, or opinions in your project. Apply modern technologies to present your paper reports, surveys, researches, and other written productions. 5\. Feel good with the work that you do. Adolescents who love their work will be more focused and interested in completing the task on hand. Positive feelings for work are observed when workers prepare all the required materials, start eagerly, and continuously implement the work plan of action. 6\. Face the challenges of work with a positive perspective. Stresses are normal in any human activity. However, extreme forms of stress may be counter-productive and may diminish the quality of work. Similarly, high stress levels in schoolwork are often associated with some health issues of adolescents. Here are some practical ways that you may implement to manage pressures and stresses to maintain good health conditions that are necessary to promote excellence in your work: a\. Go to sleep early and get enough rest. b\. Complete the work in the workplace, so you do not C. need to continue working on them at home.Identify the root cause of the stress to plan the practical ways to remove or lessen its adverse effects on your well-being or state of health. Promoting Adolescents\' Work Excellence and Productivity Work excellence is accomplishing a task to achieve the best result that is both satisfying and with a high quality of workmanship. Work productivity typically describes the amount of work done by a worker within a certain number of hours or amount of labor cost. Charles Chua C. K. (2019), a Malaysian writer and author of books on personal improvement, identifies eight characteristics of a good worker. These characteristics described below are virtues that contribute to work excellence that, in turn, form the good character of adolescents like you. 1\. Humility - As adolescents, you would experience challenges that need actions and solutions. As you imbibe the needed sacrifice and accept the reality that trials, difficulties, and challenges are attributes of all forms of work, then humility prospers in your being.. 2\. Trust - Excellence and honesty in work are effective ways to earn the trust of superiors and fellow workers in the workplace or organizations. 3\. Courage-Workers with courage at work do not easily lose confidence when faced by trials, adversities, and challenges. 4\. Resourcefulness - Adolescent workers who love the work that they do aspire to be more competent and excellent in their work. They avoid committing mistakes that may result to poor quality of work. 5\. Honesty Honest workers can accept unexpected lapses, omissions, mistakes, or oversights in their work calmly. They avoid blaming or pointing to their co- I workers for the errors or mistakes committed by their group. 6\. Dependability - Dependable workers can be trusted to produce excellent work within the scheduled period. They inform their supervisors beforehand when they need a longer time for complicated and tedious tasks. 7\. Work as a team - Excellent workers are team players in the workplace. They are not self-centered nor impatient with their fellow workers. They unite, not divide, and refrain from rooting faults. They find remedies in their work instead. 8\. Positive attitude - A positive attitude among workers can be gleaned in their openness and acceptance of criticisms, suggestions, or recommendations on their work processes or products. Ways to Be Happy at Work Happy workers are generally effective in their workplaces. The workers themselves create ways to experience satisfaction in their work. Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury (2020), an Indian certified psychiatric counselor who is an experienced teacher and school counselor, cited a study that found that individuals are likely to feel happier when they have other happy people around them. In addition, she lists the following tips for finding real happiness at work: 1\. Declutter, your workplace. A clean and orderly workplace is refreshing and reinforces concentration and makes you feel good at work. 2\. Practice mindfulness. This is focusing your awareness on the present moment. People who practice mindfulness and meditate before or after working hours feel more connected to their work and are more emotionally stable. 3\. Work it out. A short breaks or a simple exercise brings more productivity at work, more energy, and more fulfillment throughout the day. 4\. Engage in giving and accepting feedback. Regular feedback is essential in having a happy team. 5\. Reflect on one task at a time. Multitasking or having multiple tasks at one time can waste more time and can be the reason for feeling of unhappiness at work. 6\. Help a colleague. Simple acts of kindness, gratitude, and support to colleagues can make one feel a lot better and happier at work. 7\. Choose your responses wisely. Individuals can voluntarily choose responses that can make them happy at work. Effective communication can ease the stress that accompanies work. 8\. Value yourself. Step back and take a moment to appreciate yourself. A gentle reminder to yourself or a little throwback to your past achievements can work wonders in bringing back the happiness at the workplace. 9\. Start your day on a good note. A day that is started with a positive attitude is more likely to bring in more productivity and yield more fruits. 10\. Adjust your schedule. It is good to be always one step ahead in maintaining and following a flexible schedule. The various approaches described above are practical ways to be happy and satisfied with work. Continue promoting work excellence while young to become potential contributors to your family, your school, and the community where you belong. Grateful Workers Are Happy at Work There are adolescents who are not blessed to belong to happy families for several reasons. They desire to have a family that is united and happy as they work for their dreams and goals in life. They consider it as God\'s blessing to be in school to complete their studies. It is unfortunate for some adolescents who are unable to go to school much as they want to because it is in school where human persons are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values toward becoming better persons. There are various opportunities for adolescents to participate in activities and projects to improve the lives of unfortunate members in their respective communities. There are groups or organizations where adolescents can utilize their God-given talents to meet or alleviate the living conditions of the extremely poor members in their community. Your excellence at work assumes a spiritual significance when you relate the service that you do as a commitment to God. As adolescents, strive to use your God-given talents to strengthen your work skills to become more productive in the work that you need to do. You become partners of God\'s mission to spread His word and goodness to your family, to others, to your community, and to your nation.