•New research reveals that ethics is not considered by Irish businesses in 47% of cases 

•11% of Irish employees have encountered a colleague using a position of power to sexually harass another 

•26% of workers surveyed admit to stealing

New research has revealed that a significant number of workplaces in Ireland do not prioritise ethical practice. A study for ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) suggests that only 63% of workers believe ethical practice in the workplace to be very important, with instances of unethical behaviour recorded ranging from sexual harassment to stealing and lying.

The survey found that 11% of Irish workers have witnessed someone using a position of power to sexually harass another in the workplace. In contrast, 17% of workers in Northern Ireland report witnessing sexual harassment in the same context. 4% of Irish workers surveyed also admit to abusing a position of power in this way.

While 94% of those surveyed consider themselves ethical at work, considerable numbers admitted to unethical behaviour such as misusing company time and taking credit for someone else’s work. Nearly half of workers (47%) admitted to talking behind colleagues’ backs, 36% lie to hide mistakes and 26% admit to stealing petty cash, supplies or food from the workplace.  

On Global Ethics Day, ACCA is calling on organisations to focus on improving commitment to ethical practice in the work place and to make a commitment to outlining ethical policies and practices.  

Brian McEnery, global president, ACCA said, “Although 94% of those surveyed in Ireland claim to act ethically in work it is clear to see that this is just not the case. When questioned more specifically 19% admit to talking behind colleagues’ backs and the numbers reported on sexual harassment, stealing and lying are unacceptable behaviour in any work place. 

“With nearly half of organisations not committed to an ethical business agenda, and consistently admitting to seeing their colleagues act unethically, it is evident that more needs to be done to educate employers and their staff on the importance of ethics. 

“Global Ethics Day is when organisations around the world come together to discuss the importance of moral values in business and international affairs. Ethics must be at the heart of company culture and ACCA prides itself on bringing a moral code to the forefront. The most recent changes to our ethics module will ensure the next generation will have the broader skills necessary to shape the future of businesses.  

“Today we are launching our campaign to call on businesses to take ethics seriously and set the tone from the top.”

The new module is an essential part of the ACCA qualification, which is set to launch on Tuesday 31 October 2017.