For young people with special educational needs and disabilities
Understanding
behaviours for work
Age range: 14+
Contents Activity one Activity two Activity three
Session overview
Time Key learning outcomes Resources
160 mins By the end of the activity students will be able to: • Understanding behaviours for
work presentation slides
• Recognise acceptable and unacceptable workplace
behaviours • Understanding behaviours for
work student worksheet
• Identify some of the different ways we can communicate
with others, including expressing information and
receiving information
• Recognise the difference between verbal communication
and non-verbal body language
It’s recommended that lessons are repeated to ensure concepts are understood, and allow for skills to be built
over time. Always start the session by agreeing ground rules with the group. For advice on this and other ways to
establish a safe learning environment, download the content guide.
This is one of a set of core lessons that have been adapted for young people with Special Educational Needs and
Disabilities (also known as Additional Support Needs/Additional Learning Needs). Adaptation has been completed
with the support of specialist careers provider Talentino, and tested with staff and students at several different
special schools.
Contents
Activities Time Page
Activity one: How to behave well in the workplace 60 mins 3
Activity two: Communication in the workplace 40 mins 5
Activity three: Body language in the workplace 60 mins 6
© Barclays 2022. Modification of this lesson plan is not permitted. Use of this lesson plan is governed by the LifeSkills terms and conditions which can
be found at barclayslifeskills.com/terms-and-conditions
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Contents Activity one Activity two Activity three
Activity one
How to behave well in the workplace
1. Introduce the idea of workplace behaviour
• Explain that this activity will help students think about the right ways to behave at work and why it is important
• Employers see this as really important, because they have standards about how people behave, speak to each
other, what they wear and how customers are treated
• Ask students to think about when they went into a shop and whether the staff spoke to them nicely or not and how
it made them feel. Discuss if they would go there again and why. If not, how would that affect the shop (e.g. could it
lose business or get a bad name)?
2. Clues to help workplace behaviour
How do you know how to behave at work? 2 • Explain to students that when you visit another country, it’s important to
respect its culture – the way people dress, talk and behave. Their culture
What clues are there?
may feel very different to you, but it’s really important to them. Every
Listen Look Find Ask
workplace also has its own culture, which is there to help employees,
Listen to how people
talk to each other
Look at how
other staff dress
Find out
information at
your induction
Ask to see
the staff
handbook
customers, and the business
Listen to staff training
speaking to
• Show slide 2. Ask if anyone can explain some of the things that make up a
customers
workplace’s ‘culture’
© Barclays 2022
• Highlight the ways students can find out about the culture/behaviour of
a workplace
3. Discuss why workplace behaviour is important – the dos and don’ts
Workplace behaviour – 3
• Ask students to split into small groups and assign each group a workplace
what should you not do?
Use my mobile phone for personal calls / texts
relevant to their expected employment outcomes e.g. a cafe, a leisure
Wear dirty or scruffy clothes
Have untidy hair
centre, a shop, an office
Be rude to people
• Each group should think of as many things as possible that they should
Get angry
Blame other people
not do in this workplace
Not work in a team
Be dishonest or lie
Be late
Use the internet for personal things during
• Before showing slide 3, ask each group to share their list of things they
working hours
should not do along with reasons why
© Barclays 2022
• Show slide 4 and ask students why an employer might think these
behaviours are really important, and to think of an example of someone
showing the right behaviour
• Remind students that the social skills they gain from everyday
experiences can also help develop good workplace behaviour. Examples
could include charity fund raising, team activities, work experience or
playing in a sports team
• After a few minutes, help each group share their ideas with the rest of
the class
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Contents Activity one Activity two Activity three
Activity one
How to behave well in the workplace (cont’d)
4. Workplace scenarios
• Using the example workplaces from earlier, invite students to participate in a role play to reinforce the key message
about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. Some specific situations could include dealing with
a customer, listening to instructions from a colleague or being in a meeting
• Students should role play what to do and what not to do in each situation to encourage discussion
• Invite each group to share their ideas and briefly discuss as a whole group
5. Help students remember appropriate ways to behave in the workplace
Tips to help your own 5
• Show students slide 5 and ask them to think about the top tips to help
workplace behaviour
them behave in the right way at work. You can share the Workplace
behaviour student summary below for students to take away and read,
• Find out what’s expected
• Dress properly for the job
or go through the points as a class
• Pay attention
• Accept the rules and understand why
they exist
• Respect other people
• Be part of the team
• Do your best
© Barclays 2022
Activity Summary
• Emphasise that inappropriate behaviour is one of the most common complaints employers have about new
employees, especially school-leavers, so remembering some personal rules will be really important
• Remind students that they can also look at certain experiences in their social lives as examples for how to
transfer this behaviour to the workplace
• Ask each group to share one idea from the lesson and then review the suggestions using slide 6,
encouraging students to set a goal to behave well in the workplace
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Contents Activity one Activity two Activity three
Activity two
Communication in the workplace
1. What is communication?
What is communication between one person and another? 7 • Use slide 7 to explain that communication is transferring information
Speaking Texting Signing
from one person to another
Writing Showing • It can be delivered in different ways – speaking, writing, texting, signing,
showing
I want to tell you
something
You know what I
have told you • Ask students to give examples of how they communicate. Show slide 8
© Barclays 2022
and check they have thought of all of these options
• Ask students to give examples of what they might communicate at
We communicate using: 8
work and then show slide 9 to provide some examples. Explain that
• Voice communication is about both expressing and receiving messages
• Writing
• Emailing
• Texting
• Expressing yourself so other people can understand:
• Recording e.g. voicemail
• Showing
• Signing
− Speaking
− Using the phone and texting
• Symbol language
− Using written forms e.g. emails, writing, symbols
© Barclays 2022
− Using plain English
• Receiving communication:
− Listening
− Writing down information
− Answering the phone
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Contents Activity one Activity two Activity three
Activity three
Body language in the workplace
1. Use body language to communicate with the class
Body language 10
Option A
• Start this session by using your body language only (you may need to
Body language does not use words.
We communicate using our:
Eyes speak first to get students’ attention, but try to keep this to a minimum)
Face and expression
Voice
Tone of voice
Hands
• Gesture to make the class stand up and then sit down
How we stand
Body
• Ask the class if they know what type of communication you used and
© Barclays 2022
ensure they understand it was your body language. Summarise by
showing slide 10
Option B
• Make the activity more interactive by writing down different actions and
expressions and asking students to act out the different behaviours
for their peers to guess. This is a great way to highlight how individuals
interpret actions and expressions differently
• Show students slide 11 and ask students to identify what the facial
expressions might communicate about the person’s feelings
• After they have had time to make suggestions and discuss, show slide 12
with the answers, and explore how they could work these out. Relate this
back to the non-verbal communication method called body language
Note that differing levels of self-confidence may affect students’
participation in this lesson. Try and be mindful of including everyone and
providing encouragement to those who might seem less confident.
2. Discuss verbal and non-verbal communication
Examples of different body postures 13 • Explain that communication is about how we try to get someone else to
understand something that is in our head – an idea, need, want or feeling,
Upright Slouched for example
• Point out that we do this in two ways: our verbal communication
is deliberate and conveys our ideas, usually in words. But we also
communicate non-verbally – usually what we’re feeling – through our
body language
© Barclays 2022
• Show slide 13 and review the example of different body postures.
Ask students to verbally share or physically demonstrate some other
examples, like slouching in a chair, leaning on a table or against a wall,
or with hands in pockets. Bear in mind that some students may not be
confident enough to do this
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Contents Activity one Activity two Activity three
Activity three
Body language in the workplace (cont’d)
3. Role-play using effective body language
• Demonstrate a role play of a situation from the selection below, using some appropriate and inappropriate body
language. If any of the students feel comfortable to do so, ask them to role play in pairs or in front of the class. Some
options to try include:
− entering an interview
− sitting during an interview
− listening to some important instructions
Activity Summary
• Show slide 14. Ask if anyone can explain why the ‘body language meter’ is important: we don’t just need to
adopt the right body language, but we also need to use the right amount
• Review each tip on the slide and ask students to think of other ways to use the right body language, both to
make the right impression and to feel confident in themselves
• Give out Communication and body language student summary as a summary of what you have covered in
this activity
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Understanding behaviours for work
Workplace behaviour summary
What is ‘workplace culture’ and why does it matter?
When you visit another country, it’s important to respect its culture – that is, the way people dress, talk and behave.
Their culture may feel very different to you, but it’s really important to them.
Every workplace also has its own culture. It’s there to help employees, customers, and the business.
What tips will help me behave in the right way at work?
• Find out what’s expected of you
• Dress properly for the job
• Pay attention
• Accept the rules and understand why they exist
• Respect other people
• Be part of the team
• Do your best
How can I find out what’s expected of me on work experience?
• Ask before you start
• Observe how people dress, talk and behave, and practise copying them
• Ask your buddy or mentor how they help new employees fit into their work culture
• Ask questions about what counts as good and bad behaviour
In a new job:
• Pay attention during training
• Read the employee handbook or website
• Observe how people dress, talk and behave
• Ask your manager or supervisor. They’ll appreciate your interest
Choose your role models carefully
Most workplaces have someone who doesn’t follow the rules. Think carefully before you copy how that person dresses,
talks and behaves. Their employer might not be happy with them; if you copy them, your employer might not be happy
with you either.
Understanding behaviours for work
Communication and body language summary
This can be used if the students can access both concepts at the same time.
Communication gets ideas out of your head and into someone else’s. Your communication skills are really important,
especially when you only have a few minutes to make the right impression.
Write down your ideas.
When might I need to make the right impression? When might I need to feel confident?
Face-to-face communication and body language
Face-to-face communication uses verbal and non-verbal signals.
Verbal signals are … Non-verbal signals are …
• What you say • How you say it
• Usually conscious (deliberate) • How you use your body
• Usually unconscious (not deliberate)
Most of what you ‘say’ is not only about the words you use. Somewhere between 50 and 80% is down to how you use your
voice and your body.
• Your non-verbal signals affect the person you’re talking with. Use your body language and tone to make the right
impression
• Your non-verbal signals also affect you. Use your body language and tone to feel more confident
Tips for using body language
Here are some ways to help you think like an optimist and build your self-confidence:
• Sit or stand upright
• Smile
• Look the other person in the eye most of the time
• Nod to agree
• Show you’re listening
• Try and be relaxed and ‘open’ rather than tense and ‘closed’
• Think about your hands and feet – what do they give away?
• Remember to use the right amount of body language – not too much or too little.
