Northern Ireland workplaces amongst least ethical in the UK says ACCA

• New research reveals that ethics is ‘not at all important’ in 11% of workplaces in Northern Ireland, yet 100% believe they act ethically in work
• 17% encountered someone using their position of power to sexually harass someone
• 25% misuse company’s time
• 22% never consider ethical implications

New research has revealed that a significant number of workplaces in Northern Ireland do not prioritise ethical practice.

A study for ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) states that 11% of employees believe that ethics is ‘not at all important’ in the workplace, in contrast to other UK regions.

The study also found that 11%of workers say they have been asked to carry out tasks, which they think are unethical. Examples include: talking about a colleague behind their back, misusing the company’s time, lying to hide mistakes, bullying, stealing from work, taking credit for work they did not do, using bias to promote or avoid promoting someone and using a position of power to harass someone.

According to the report which compares ethical outlook of businesses and employees across 11 UK regions and the Republic of Ireland 17% of workers have experienced someone using their position of power to sexually harass a colleague. This is 9% higher than in any other UK region or indeed Ireland.

Calling on organisations to focus on improving commitment to ethical practice in the work place, Liz Hughes, Head of ACCA Ireland says, “Although 100% of those surveyed in Northern Ireland claim to act ethically in the workplace it is clear to see that this does not translate in practice. When questioned more specifically 25% admit to talking behind colleagues’ backs and misusing company time.

“With 22% never considering the ethical implications of their behaviour and employees 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.