In Canada, 42% have seen workplace misconduct. However, nearly half of them would not report it, according to an Ipsos Reid survey on workplace ethics.
Who hasn’t witnessed personal use of the company printer or a verbal assault on a colleague? In all, 42% of Canadian workers have seen such misconduct. According to the Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of Clearview Strategic Partners, this would represent 7.1 million Canadians. In spite of this, 48% of these workers witnessing minor or major misdeeds do not report them. Among the reasons given, 69% feel that investigations are not carried out properly and 66% think that the disciplinary measures are not applied uniformly. 23% also raise the fear of reprisals and negative consequences from the accusation.
All kinds of deviations
Looking closely at the details of misdeeds, wrong use of company property arises the most (28%), followed by wrongs caused to members of staff (25%), invasion of privacy (17%), fraud (17%), conflicts of interest (13%), environmental offenses (12%), inaccurate presentation of financial results (11%) and subordination and corruption (9%).
Too much pressure
How is such a number of misdeeds to be explained? According to the survey, the pressure exerted on employees to achieve the objectives set by the company seems to be at the root of the problem. One Canadian worker in three would rather get results than behave properly. On the other hand, 22% of respondents think they have to violate their own code of ethics to keep their job.
Solutions exist
To remedy such situations, several solutions were put forward in this survey. The first would be to implement measures enhancing the company’s internal integrity. The second would be to improve staff confidence in the investigation and discipline systems. Finally, the third would be better protection for employees who wish to report such actions, by eliminating reprisals and working on secure and anonymous channels of communication.