Survey shows UK workers and employers rate highly on workplace ethics

53% satisfied with employers ethical standards

29% believe that most companies have workers best interests to heart; compared to 48% in Europe

14% say its OK to take office supplies for personal use, the second lowest in Europe

An international survey on ethical behaviour in the workplace shows that workers in the UK are amongst the most honest in Europe and generally do not fall prey to a wide range of ethical breaches common in other countries, such as France, Germany and Spain.

The Kelly World at Work survey of more than 19,000 workers in 12 countries across Europe, conducted by global recruitment agency, Kelly Services, also found that just over half of those surveyed in the UK are satisfied with their employerís ethical standards.

íThis survey shows that when it comes to ethical behaviour in the workplace, the majority of workers and employers in the UK are getting it right,í said Steve Girdler, Marketing Director of Kelly Services UK.

One finding is that UK workers rate their employers favourably when it comes to ethical standards, with 53% satisfied with their organisationís ethical standards and practices. This was significantly higher than most other countries in the Europe-wide survey.

íSome organisations have a powerful culture which establishes a strong set of ethical principles, but many companies donít give the proper emphasis to setting ground rules which will guide the organisation,í Girdler commented.

Just 29% of those surveyed believed that their employers have employeesí best interests at heart. This contrasts with the figure from across Europe with almost half (48%) said they did not believe companies took employees interests seriously.

On an employee level the survey found that 14% of workers surveyed in the UK approve of taking office supplies home for personal use - along with Russia, the lowest of all countries surveyed. It also found that 21% approve of using office software at home - the second lowest in the survey.

A total of 31% approve of using the Internet for personal use during work time - the third lowest. And just 3% say itís OK to use unlicensed software at work - the lowest in the Europe-wide study.

Girdler said the findings reveal the real difficulty that many workers have in meeting high standards of ethical behaviour.

íAt one end of the scale, using the Internet for personal use, within reasonable limits, may not be a serious issue. It becomes more problematic when people are stealing items belonging to their organisation or using unlicensed software, which is an offence and attracts heavy penalties.í

Girdler cautions: íIn recent years, we have seen many instances of corporate misconduct at the highest level which reflects a breakdown in workplace ethics. It is important that employers communicate their values for an organisation which will make it clear at all levels, what is acceptable, and what is not.í