This year, the IBE surveyed employees in Brazil for the first time and the results show many indicators of a positive ethical culture at work. For instance, of the 16 surveyed countries, employees in Brazil are among the least likely to find each of the eight ethically questionable workplace practices listed on p9 of the global report to be acceptable. They are among the most likely to say that honesty is practised always or frequently in their organisation. They are less likely than average to feel pressured to compromise their organisation’s standards of behaviour.

Employees in Brazil are among the most likely to say that they have been aware of misconduct at work and are as likely as the global average employee to raise concerns about misconduct. They are also among the least likely to experience retaliation after speaking up about misconduct and among the most likely to be satisfied with the outcome after speaking up.

In terms of the ethics programme, they are among the most likely to say that they are aware of their organisation providing four building blocks of an ethics programme, particularly concerning awareness that their organisation has written standards of ethical business conduct. They are significantly more likely than the global average to have a positive view of their line manager’s commitment to ethics and their organisation’s engagement with internal and external stakeholders on ethics.

 

Organisational culture

  • Employees in Brazil are among the least likely of the 16 surveyed countries to find each of eight ethically questionable practices outlined to be acceptable. They are less likely than the global average to find each of the practices acceptable (15% vs 20% global average).
  • Around nine in ten employees in Brazil say that honesty is practised always or frequently in their organisation (89%), which is higher than the percentage of employees who say so globally (84% global average). Of the 16 surveyed countries, they are among the most likely to say this, alongside employees in Germany (89%) and India (91%).
  • Around one in seven employees in Brazil feel pressured to compromise on ethical standards of behaviour (14%) vs 15% global average. Around a third of employees in Brazil who have felt pressured to compromise on ethical standards say that time pressure / unrealistic deadlines (38%) and following their boss’s orders (36%) are the main sources of pressure.
  • Nearly a third of employees in Brazil reported being aware of conduct that they thought violated either the law or their organisation’s ethical standards in the last year (31%). The global average is 25%. Of the 16 surveyed countries, employees in Brazil are among the most likely to say this, alongside those in South Africa (34%), and India (44%).

Speaking up

  • Nearly two-thirds of employees in Brazil who were aware of misconduct spoke up about their concerns with management, another appropriate person, or through any other mechanism (63%). This figure is similar to the percentage of employees who say so globally (64% global average).
  • Of all those who did not report a concern, around half of them cited fear of jeopardising their job (47%) as the key deterrent to speaking up. Notably, around two in five cited a lack of believe that corrective action would be taken (44%).
  • Of those reporting a concern, nearly a third (31%) say that they experienced a form of personal disadvantage or retaliation as a result. This figure is well below the 2024 global average - where nearly half said so (46%). Employees in Brazil are among the least likely to experience retaliation, alongside those in Spain (31%), Japan (31%), and the UK (29%).
  • Around four in five employees in Brazil say they were satisfied with the outcome after raising concerns about misconduct (79%). This figure is above the percentage of employees who say so globally in 2024 (71% global average). Of the 16 surveyed countries, employees in Brazil are among the most likely to be satisfied, alongside those in South Africa (81%) and India (93%).

The ethics programme

  • Employees in Brazil are more likely to be equal to or above average when it comes to awareness of their organisation providing four building blocks of an ethics programme. For example, 79% of them are aware that their organisation has written standards of ethical business conduct, compared to a global average of 71%. They are among the most likely to be aware of this alongside employees in the US (82%), India (88%) and South Africa (92%).

Embedding ethics through a supportive environment

  • In Brazil, 83% of employees (vs 72% global average) agree that their line manager sets a good example of ethical business behaviour, 79% (vs 68% global average) agree that their line manager explains the importance of honesty and ethics in the work they do, 84% (vs 72% global average) agree that their line manager supports them in following their organisation’s standards of ethical behaviour. While 80% of employees in Brazil (vs 71% global average) agree that senior management takes ethics seriously in their organisation, 44% (vs 38% global average) also agree that their line manager rewards employees who get good results, even if they use practices that are ethically questionable.
  • 82% of employees in Brazil (vs 76% global average) agree that their organisation acts responsibly in all its business dealings and 80% (vs 72% global average) that it lives up to its stated policy of social responsibility. Of the 16 surveyed countries, they are among the most likely to agree with these statements.
  • Employees in Brazil are also likely to have positive views about how their organisation engages with employees on ethics. They are more likely than average to agree that people in their organisation know what is expected of them in terms of ethical behaviour (84% vs 77% global average), that in their organisation decisions about people are made fairly (74% vs 67% global average) and that issues of right and wrong are discussed in staff meetings (75% vs 62% global average). Of the 16 surveyed countries, they are among the most likely to agree with these statements.
  • Employees in Brazil are also more likely than average to agree that their organisation disciplines employees who violate its ethical standards (72% vs 65% global average).