Despite the number of corporate whistleblowers being at an all-time high, new research shows the presence of a culture that promotes ethical behavior in workplaces is at its lowest point in the last decade. A new study from the Ethics Resource Center reveals that over the past two years, 45 percent of U.S. employees observed a violation of the law or ethics at work. The use of social media appears to be contributing to the problem, according to new research.
While reporting of the wrongdoing was at an all-time high, so too was the backlash against those employees who blew the whistle, the research revealed. More than 1 in 5 employees who reported misconduct experienced some form of retaliation, which ERC President Patricia J. Harned said spells trouble.
“Retaliation against whistleblowers and pressure on employees to compromise their ethics standards are at or near all-time highs,” Harned said. “These are factors that historically indicate that American business may be on the cusp of a large downward shift in ethical conduct.”