Compared to 2021, employees in Ireland are more likely to have been aware of misconduct at work and have felt more pressure to compromise on their organisation’s standards of behaviour. However, they are much more likely than in 2021 to speak up about misconduct they have been aware of. The most prominent reason why employees In Ireland do not speak up about misconduct that they have been aware of is because they do not want to be seen as a troublemaker by management. 

Compared to 2021, employees in Ireland are more likely to be aware of four building blocks of an ethics programme. They are of the view that their organisation acts responsibly towards external stakeholders and employees have a clearer understanding than the global average of what is expected of them in terms of ethical behaviour. However, discussing issues of right and wrong in staff meetings is not as common as in other countries. 

Data for Ireland were first collected in 2018 as indicated in the global report. The findings in this country-specific report compare 2024 data against 2021 data, the last data point.

 

Organisational culture

  • The views of employees in Ireland towards ethically questionable practices outlined on p9 of the global report align with those of the average employee globally. Employees in Ireland are as likely as the average to find each of the practices acceptable (20% vs 20% global average).
  • Around nine in ten employees in Ireland say that honesty is practised always or frequently in their organisation (83%), remaining consistent with findings in 2021(86%) and with the percentage of employees who say this globally (84% global average).
  • Around one in seven employees in Ireland say that they feel pressured to compromise on ethical standards of behaviour (15%) compared to 2021 when around one in eight employees said so (13%). In 2024, 15% of employees globally said they feel pressured. Around one in three employees in Ireland who have felt pressured to compromise on ethical standards say that time pressure / unrealistic deadlines (35%) was the main source of pressure. Notably, around one in four employees in Ireland point to following their boss’s orders (27%), being asked to take shortcuts (26%) and the need to meet unrealistic business objectives (25%) as other main sources.
  • Around three in nine employees in Ireland reported being aware of conduct that they thought violated either the law or their organisation’s ethical standards in the last year (22%). This figure is higher than in 2021 (16%) but similar to the percentage of employees who say so globally (25% global average).

Speaking up

  • Around seven in ten employees in Ireland who were aware of misconduct spoke up about it with management, another appropriate person or through any other mechanism (65%). This figure is higher than in 2021 (57%) but similar to the percentage of global employees who say that they spoke up in 2024 (64% global average).
  • Of all those who did not report a concern, around two in five of them cited not wanting to be seen as a troublemaker by management (42%, compared to global average of 26%) and a lack of belief that corrective action would be taken (40%, compared to global average of 34%) as the key deterrents to speaking up. Notably, around one in three cited fears of jeopardising their job (38%, compared to global average of 34%) as another key deterrent.
  • Of those reporting a concern, around two in five (41%) say that they experienced a form of personal disadvantage or retaliation as a result. This figure is lower than in 2021 (52%) and the percentage of employees who say this globally in 2024 (46% global average).
  • In 2024, employees in Ireland are among the least likely to experience retaliation after speaking up, compared to 2021 when they were one of the most likely, highlighting a significant improvement.
  • Around seven in ten employees in Ireland say they were satisfied with the outcome after raising concerns about misconduct (70%). This figure is significantly higher than in 2021 (58%) and similar to the percentage of employees who say so globally in 2024 (71% global average).

The ethics programme

  • Employees in Ireland are more likely than average to say that they are aware of each of four building blocks of an ethics programme. Written standards of ethical business conduct is the most common element employees in Ireland are aware of (76%).
  • Compared to 2021, employees in Ireland are more likely to be aware of their organisations providing of each of four building blocks considered. The biggest increase was recorded in relation to means of reporting misconduct confidentially (64% vs 61%).

Embedding ethics through a supportive environment

  • In Ireland, 75% (vs 72% global average) of employees say that their line manager sets a good example of ethical business behaviour, 65% (vs 68% global average) say that their line manager explains the importance of honesty and ethics in the work they do, and 73% (vs 72% global average) say that their line manager supports them in following their organisation’s standards of ethical behaviour. While 71% (vs 72% globally) say that senior management takes ethics seriously in their organisation, 33% (vs 38% globally) of employees in Ireland also say that their line manager rewards employees who get good results, even if they use practices that are ethically questionable.
  • 77% (vs 76% global average) of employees in Ireland say that their organisation acts responsibly in all its business dealings and 70% (vs 72% global average) that it lives up to its stated policy of social responsibility - both are only one percentage point lower than in 2021.
  • Employees in Ireland are also likely to have mixed views about how their organisation engages with employees on ethics. 81% (vs 77% global average) say that people in their organisation know what is expected of them in terms of ethical behaviour, 67% (vs 67% globally) say that in their organisation decisions about people are made fairly, and 60% (vs 62% globally) say that issues of right and wrong are discussed in staff meetings. 
  • 61% of employees in Ireland say that their organisation disciplines employees who violate its ethical standards. A higher percentage of employees say so globally (65%).