Unethical behavior in the workplace can take many forms, from minor infractions to outright illegal acts. While some actions are clearly unethical, others exist in more of a gray area. However, there are often warning signs that can tip off employers and coworkers that someone is behaving unethically long before major damage is done.
Lying or Exaggerating
One of the most common warning signs of unethical behavior is lying or exaggerating the truth. This can include:
- Lying on a resume or during the interview process
- Calling in sick when not actually ill
- Taking credit for others’ work
- Exaggerating sales numbers or results
- Covering up mistakes or errors
Even “small” lies can be an indicator that an employee may be willing to cross ethical lines. Bending the truth gradually can become a slippery slope leading to bigger, more significant unethical behavior down the road.
Breaking Rules and Policies
Unethical employees may consistently break rules or skirt around policies. Examples include:
- Taking longer breaks than allowed
- Using company equipment or resources for personal purposes
- Sneaking in late or leaving early without permission
- Sharing confidential information against policy
- Downloading illegal or pirated content on work devices
While reasonable exceptions can be made, a pattern of disregarding rules and policies indicates that an employee believes the rules don’t apply to them. This sense of entitlement is a warning sign that greater unethical behavior may follow.
Conflicts of Interest
Ethical employees avoid potential conflicts of interest, or even the appearance of impropriety. Behaviors that indicate a conflict of interest include:
- Failing to disclose personal relationships or connections with vendors, clients, or competitors
- Using insider knowledge for personal gain or advantage
- Receiving lavish gifts, trips, or entertainment from external parties
- Having an undisclosed outside job or side business that competes with or detracts from their work
- Making hiring decisions based on friendships, family connections, or romance rather than merit
Even if the employee isn’t acting unethically yet, these behaviors signal divided loyalties and an increased risk for wrongdoing.
Secrecy and Deception
If an employee seems to thrive on secrecy and withholding information, it often means they have something to hide. Warning signs include:
- Being vague or misleading when asked for details
- Refusing to share information, data, or files
- Having private meetings with certain coworkers or managers
- Deleting emails, texts, files or other digital information
- Creating a culture of secrecy within their team
This type of evasive, secretive behavior shows that the employee wishes to avoid transparency and oversight, which allows unethical behavior to flourish.
Sabotage and Undermining
Unethical employees may deliberately undermine their coworkers and organization. Behaviors like:
- Talking negatively about coworkers to ruin reputations
- Taking credit for others’ work
- Deliberately delaying progress out of self-interest
- Sharing proprietary information outside the company to harm its advantage
- Spreading rumors or gossip to create divisions
show a willingness to effectively “stab others in the back” to get ahead. A culture of selfishness and sabotage allows unethical conduct to take hold across an organization.
Lack of Concern for Consequences
Truly unethical people often lack empathy and display an ends-justify-the-means mentality. Red flags include:
- Showing little remorse for mistakes or wrongdoing
- Expressing willingness to lie, cheat, or steal to meet goals
- Taking dangerous shortcuts with little regard for safety or regulations
- Hurting others’ reputations or careers to protect themselves
- Breaking promises and commitments if no longer advantageous
This level of extreme selfishness and lack of concern for what’s right shows someone who is capable of very unethical conduct. The lack of a moral compass or ethical baseline is a bright red warning sign.
What are some common rationalizations for unethical behavior?
People engaging in unethical behavior will often rationalize their actions so they seem more acceptable. Common types of rationalizations include:
- “No one will get hurt.” They convince themselves the unethical behavior won’t cause any real damage.
- “It’s not a big deal.” They downplay the severity so the behavior seems trivial.
- “Everyone else does it.” They justify the misconduct by claiming that others do the same.
- “It’s for a good reason.” They frame unethical acts as being for a noble purpose.
- “I deserve this.” They feel entitled to special treatment or exceptions to the rules.
Being aware of the types of rationalizations people use can help identify unethical behavior before it escalates. Actions justified through faulty reasoning should be viewed as red flags.
What are some steps organizations can take to encourage ethical behavior?
Organizations can promote ethical behavior among employees by:
- Setting a clear code of conduct and modeling ethical leadership at the top
- Offering ethics training and establishing clear accountability procedures
- Putting checks and balances in place to prevent conflicts of interest
- Being transparent about rules and investigations into wrongdoing
- Rewarding ethical choices and having zero tolerance for violations
- Ongoing communication about company values, standards, and mission
Reinforcing ethical norms while leaving no room for excuses or ambiguity helps shape an organizational culture where employees aspire to do the right thing.
What are some examples of unethical behavior and their consequences?
Some examples of unethical behavior include:
- Embezzlement – An employee steals money from the company. This is illegal and may result in fines or jail time.
- Discrimination – An employee makes biased decisions based on race, gender, religion etc. This is illegal and creates a toxic culture with low engagement and high turnover.
- Conflicts of interest – A manager awards contracts to a family member’s company. This signals corruption and damages the company’s reputation.
- Insider trading – An executive trades shares based on confidential information, gaining an unfair advantage and undermining investor trust.
- Falsifying expenses – An employee overstates expense reports for personal gain. This is a form of fraud and theft.
The consequences of unethical behavior range from damaged morale to lost dollars, lawsuits, and criminal charges. That’s why early detection of warning signs is so important to limit harm.
What steps can individuals take to avoid unethical conduct?
Individuals can steer clear of unethical conduct by:
- Learning the codes of conduct and rules that apply to their role
- Avoiding any conflicts of interest or divided loyalties
- Being transparent and keeping only appropriate secrets
- Upholding principles of honesty, integrity, accountability, and fairness
- Not gossiping, undermining coworkers, or spreading rumors
- Reporting any suspected unethical behavior through proper channels
- Seeking advice when facing an ethical dilemma
Staying objective, playing by the rules, and never cutting corners or compromising values are the best ways to make ethical choices.
Conclusion
Left unchecked, unethical behavior can metastasize and cause extensive damage. That’s why identifying warning signs early and reinforcing ethical norms is so vital. Organizations must be vigilant for red flags like lying, rule-breaking, conflicts of interest, secrecy, and sabotage. Intervening promptly allows problems to be addressed before real harm is done. With ethical foundations and accountability, companies can foster integrity and transparency from the top down.
