The article "The ethics of productivity at work" by Mahmoud Ahmad (Dec. 9) should strike a right note among workers not only in the government but also in the private sector, particularly those who are dealing with the public. It is not only in government offices but also in private sector like banks and insurance firms where tardiness and lack of concern for people waiting to be served.



I had a car accident two weeks ago and  got my own share of frustrations while waiting at the office of an insurance firm to be attended to because, while there were two employees supposed to be attending to claims, only one was working diligently; the other was busy attending to his cell phone, although the queue was piling up.



I have also similar experience with the banks every now and then.



It seems that many employees in government and the private sectors here think that working is just earning a living and not about doing one's job conscientiously, particularly when one's work is dealing with public service.



Indeed, workers should adopt some work ethics in their jobs and think beyond the mindset that one is working just to earn a living. Any job entails some responsibilities that we have to meet. We should be grateful that we have jobs and try to be productive in return. If the company where we are working loses, we will also lose our jobs.



An expat, Riyadh