UK Workplace Ethics Under the Spotlight
October 10 2002
A major survey commissioned by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc as part of the BUSINESS: The Ultmate Resource database reveals shocking evidence about ethics and morality in business today in the UK.
The survey by media research company Suntop Media shows that:
- 60% of under-30s would consider sleeping with their boss to secure a promotion, this figure falls to 35% when extended to all age groups.
- 30% of employees are ambivalent about their employers' ethics.
- Only 27% of employees consider their employers to be wholly ethical.
- 5% of employees believe their employers to be completely unethical.
- 52% of respondents would definitely blow the whistle on their employer if they discovered that the roof of their office was made of asbestos.
- Only 19% said they would inform the local newspaper if they found out that their company was polluting a neighbouring river; 28% were neutral.
- The under 30s had the most negative views of their own ethical standards - only 24% gave themselves the highest ethical rating as opposed to 42% of the 30-50 group and 36% of the over-50s.
The survey's findings examine a wide range of specific issues under three broad categories: companies behaving badly, sex in the office and ethical ambition.
Jonathan Glasspool, editor of BUSINESS: The Ultimate Resource comments 'We were particularly shocked by the responses about sleeping your way to the top. This sort of behaviour we only expect from politicians, not from people under 30.'
The in-depth findings can be found on:
www.ultimatebusinessresource.com
All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.
