Partner Article

Dishonesty is the best policy for three quarters of UK office workers

Almost three quarters (74%) of UK office workers have committed at least one deceitful deed at work, even though less than a quarter (23%) admit to being dishonest in the workplace.

This is according to new research by online expenses management provider, webexpenses, which reveals that 22% of people have over-claimed on expenses, 21% have stolen stationery and 20% have called in sick when they aren’t ill.

The top reason workers gave for being dishonest was simply the fact they did not feel they would be caught, with 39% citing this as their main excuse. Almost a third (32%) said they lied because it is ‘normal’ to be dishonest at work, suggesting a culture of dishonesty in UK workplaces. Worryingly, 24% said their bosses were dishonest so they might as well bend the rules too.

When it comes to expenses, of those who admitted to over-claiming, a third (33%) said it was because it was easy to do. Almost a third (32%) felt they didn’t get paid fairly so made up for it by over-claiming, and 29% said they claimed back more than they rightfully should as their employer could afford it.

Adam Reynolds, CEO of webexpenses, said:

“This research shows that dishonesty is potentially a far bigger problem in the UK workplace than we may have realised. When asked if they lie at work, the overwhelming majority said ‘no’; however, when we delved deeper into the nitty gritty of what constitutes being dishonest – from ‘pulling a sickie’ to making fraudulent expense claims – we found that workplace dishonesty is far more common than people like to admit.

“For me, it’s particularly worrying that so many people say they have over-claimed on their expenses, as this can result in huge costs for businesses – more than a quarter (27%) of those surveyed admitted to having over-claimed by £100 or more. It’s even more worrying to see the reasons these people give, such as the fact it’s easy to do and it being a way of topping up their salary. This demonstrates why it’s so important that firms have a robust expense management procedure in place, including clear policies that state what is an acceptable claim and checks to make it difficult to get away with fraudulent claims.

“Businesses should also look to tackle the ‘dishonesty culture’ by creating a more open environment; for example, allowing employees to give their feedback and shape not only their company expense policy, but the way their organisation operates as a whole.”

On a regional level, 95% of those surveyed in Northern Ireland confessed to deceiving their employer whereas those in Wales were least likely to lie, with just over two thirds (67%) confessing.

When comparing industries, HR workers came out as the most likely to do something dishonest in their role with eight out of ten (80%) admitting to carrying out a dishonest deed at work. At the other end of the scale, those working in sales, media and marketing jobs are the most trustworthy – only 60% admitted to fibbing.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by webexpenses .