Ethics? Isn’t that a county to the East of London, the media jibe goes. But according to new research, millions of workers may feel the same way.
A new study has found millions of Brits would turn a blind eye to a company’s ethics as long as the salary was good. A survey of 2,000 employed adults in the UK found that 36 per cent would rather work for a company that paid them more, over one whose morals they agreed with.
Almost a quarter of people in the study had worked somewhere with ethical practices they didn’t agree with, although only 13 per cent of these people left the job because of it.
Fifty-six per cent of people in the study would continue to work for a company that avoided paying tax, and 14 per cent said they currently work somewhere with managers or senior staff members that they believe are dishonest in their company’s tax returns.
Adam Harper, spokesman for AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians), who commissioned the report, said: “Ethics is a grey area for many people, with Britons demonstrating a range of responses to what they consider ‘ethical behaviour’ in their professional lives.
“It’s important for long-term success for businesses and their employees to be ethical; even small things like employees taking sick days when they’re not ill can build up and waste time and money.”
“Some of the results also show that many employees disagree with practises some businesses in the UK carry out. Managers need to be aware that getting a reputation for unethical behaviour could lead to demotivated staff, and have a negative impact on their business.”
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