by HRHQ Editorial Team
The Ethics at Work 2024 International Survey of Employees was conducted by the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) in conjunction with the Compliance Institute in Ireland. 12,000 workers in 16 countries were polled, 750 of those surveyed were in Ireland.
The top 3 concern for the future among workers is the unethical use of AI (artificial intelligence) for things such as discrimination or privacy breaches (47%), AI replacing human jobs (45%), and increased workplace surveillance and monitoring (42%).
The least concerning issue for employees is the reduction of interpersonal interactions due to the rise of hybrid working (36pc).
Between 30pc and 40pc of employees are not worried about any of these potential issues.
More men (47pc) than women (38pc) express concerns about heightened surveillance and monitoring of staff.
Among those worried about the misuse of AI for unethical purposes, one-quarter (24pc) report being ‘extremely concerned’ about its potential for malevolent behaviour, such as discrimination and privacy violations.
CEO of the Compliance Institute, Michael Kavanagh, commented on the findings,
“Almost one in every two employees in Ireland believe ethical behaviour in their organisation has improved in the post-Covid period. Less than one in ten workers (8pc) feel that ethical behaviour has worsened – and, while in an ideal world this figure would be nil, such a small percentage must still be regarded as positive overall.
“The findings do pose some questions as to why some groups are more likely than others to have experienced a decline in ethical behaviour – namely 9pc of female employees and 11pc of workers in the younger age the 18 – 34 category”.
“The rise of AI brings opportunities and challenges, and it’s clear that employees are acutely aware of its potential for misuse. With half of employees expressing concerns about AI being used unethically – such as privacy breaches or discrimination—there is a clear need for organisations to establish and implement robust ethical guidelines and governance around AI technologies. This is essential not only for protecting employee rights but also for making sure that technological advancements reflect the values and expectations of the workforce”.
