HIGHLIGHTS

• 9.30am - 5.30pm: Recorded Standard Time! – Nearly 45% people don't bat an eyelid while logging incorrect in / out times. If I'm late, I ain't telling!
• Calling "Granny or Aunty" from office is fine! Nearly 46.8% feel using the office line for personal long distance calls is ok.
• The next time cost goes up, check your expense reports! Around 55.7% workers had no qualms about fudging details here.
• Nearly 60% people lied unabashed while applying for leave. "Too bad boss wants me at work – I need time off" is the attitude.
• The next time you bribe someone, there's a full chance you qualify for the 62% of people who consider this act normal and ethical!
• Promise the earth to the customers … it'll be too late by the time they find out anyway! This attitude is echoed as 60% responses support this as accepted ethical behavior.
• Everything's fair in love 'n war – and now Business too! Nearly 62% respondents would use any means to get competitor information.
• Need printouts / photocopy for personal work? Worry not, the office support system is there just for you.Nearly 61% respondents felt it was fine to take printouts and photocopies at office for personal work.
• Work productivity dipping … Obviously! Around 63% respondents are ok with doing personal work during office hours.
• Kolkata comes through as a highly integrity & ethic conscious city with an ethics index of 76%. Also, against popular notion, Delhi-ites seem to be quite ethical and straight-forward – or so they say at 53%!
• Interestingly, among the cities interviews, Kolkatais most sensitive to unethical behavior with an ethics index of 76, vis-à-vis Ahmedabad which came through the most lenient at an ethics index of 21.

Interesting Outcomes

• Ahmedabadis show an astonishing 74% disagreement that qualifies"Falsifying 'In time' and 'Out time' in the Attendance register"as unethical.Respondents in Kolkata,DelhiandHyderabadhave recorded a higher integrity quotient in this regard with an average score of 78% consensus.
• Making personal long distance phone calls discreetlyis considered acceptable, except inNew Delhiwhere 51% respondentsstronglydisagree.
• Fudging expense reportis routine in most cities.Differing from this is Kolkata which records the highest response against such an act.
• Gossiping in the garb of 'networking' is the favourite pass timeas nearly 60% respondents love to indulge in it and do not consider it unethical.Topping this list is Ahmedabad, Pune,BangaloreandHyderabadwith an average of around 70%.
• Your idea or mine, what's the difference – says the Boss. Taking credit for subordinate's ideas isnotunethical, says Ahmedabad andBangalore, while rest of the cities beg to differ with an average score of 42%.
• "Accident last evening…..sudden fever ….stomach upset….mom not well."75% of respondents fromBangalore,Hyderabadand Pune (apart from Ahmedabad) accept they lie to take leave, and do not consider it unethical.However, almost 78% of the Kolkata workforce differs on this.
• To run errands for the Boss is a privilege,consider a majority of the respondents.Only 14% of the total respondents across citiesstronglydisagree and consider this unethical.
• Nearly 80% respondents fromHyderabaddon't bat an eyelid while taking office stationery home.In agreement with them are Ahmedabad,Bangaloreand Pune.
• Nearly 60% respondents feel it's acceptable for theboss to showfavouritismat workplace.
• Bribing in today's cut-throat business conditionshas become an acceptable way of life. However 67% of Kolkata respondentsstronglydisagree.
• It is heartening to know that96% of the respondentswould NOT feel squeamish about directly confronting their colleague if they find their colleague indulging in (what they think is) unethical activity. Ahmedabad is more likely to take the route of speaking to the co-worker's Supervisor while Kolkata is least likely to adopt this indirect way. Pune is the city which strongly believes in 'blowing the whistle' while protecting their identity.
• While there is no single solution to check ethical behavior, most respondents agreed thatLeaders should 'Walk the talk' – the highest nods received inHyderabadand Kolkata. Respondents in Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai felt that having open lines of communication would help decrease unethical behavior at the workplace, while Delhi and Ahmedabad respondents feel having flexible work schedules would reduce unethical behavior.
• Amazingly, one third respondents inBangalore,DelhiandHyderabadare unaware of their company's Ethical Policy!

TeamLease Services, India's largest staffing company, today released the 4thsurvey in the series of 'World of Work' surveys to understand the changing scenario at workplaces inIndia. The study titled'Nothing Ethical about Ethics'attempts to present views of the corporate workforce on 'Workplace Ethics' across 8 cities in India - New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune.

Workplace Ethics or simply ethics is a constant and evolving challenge that has direct impact on businesses and reputation.Management and employees have been trying to incorporate ethics into their office system that can help in retaining and attracting employees and customers alike. But how far has this been successful, what is the current scenario when it comes to taking liberties with office rules. The study has attempted to find the "hidden truth" of Indian Workplace Ethics.

A structured questionnaire was administered using a mix of telephonic and computer-aided-telephonic-interviewing (CATI) technology, to working men and women across all levels belonging to top 500 companies inIndiafor a sample size of 401. The cities where the questionnaire was administered areNew Delhi, Mumbai,Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad,Hyderabadand Pune. The study was commissioned by TeamLease Services and conducted by global research firm Synovate in the months of May and June 2008.

According to Surabhi Mathur, General Manager, Permanent Staffing, TeamLease Services, "The acceptable code of conduct in Corporate India is morphing from the dogmatic thought police whose card carrying members were the HR department to a more fluid situation that accepts diversity, relativity and materiality.Some people view this as a devaluation but Companies are getting better at defining non-negotiables but not interfering in trivia."

The study further reveals that Kolkata reacts strongly towards unethical office behaviour, whereas the most lenient city is Ahmedabad. While Mumbaikars would confront their co-workers directly for unethical behaviour, Ahmedabad believes in the indirect route, as per the report.Hyderabadand Kolkata insists that leaders / managers should 'walk the talk' on office ethics withHyderabadstressing on the need to frequent ethics training in offices and increase in open lines of communication. According to the study, Mumbai and Chennai are more aware of company's policy towards unethical behaviour and interestingly, one in every four respondents in Chennai have experienced mobile / /wallet thefts at the workplace.

Some interesting recall from respondents on unethical behaviour NOTICED BY CO-WORKERS:

Kolkata: Bribing for business purpose and sexual harassment

Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad:False commitment to customers and harassment by seniors

Hyderabad:People who have side business are not 100% dedicated to work

Chennai:Revealing client information to competitors and Boss having an affair with the junior and treating others unfairly

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About TeamLease Services Private Limited

TeamLease Services (TeamLease™) isIndia's largest Staffing company - a pioneer and market leader in the Temping (temporary staffing) industry today. Having pioneered the concept of Temporary Staffing inIndia, the company is constantly striving to bridge the gap between industry and thousands of aspiring candidates. TeamLease is currently one ofIndia's largest private sector employers. They have more than 80,000 employees in over 670 locations across the country for more than 1000 clients. Clients, Associates and Candidates are serviced through their 24 offices and their proprietary web-based Temp Network (TLNet) atwww.teamlease.com

About TeamLease Services Private Limited

TeamLease Services (TeamLease™) isIndia's largest Staffing company - a pioneer and market leader in the Temping (temporary staffing) industry today. Having pioneered the concept of Temporary Staffing inIndia, the company is constantly striving to bridge the gap between industry and thousands of aspiring candidates. TeamLease is currently one ofIndia's largest private sector employers. They have more than 80,000 employees in over 670 locations across the country for more than 1000 clients. Clients, Associates and Candidates are serviced through their 24 offices and their proprietary web-based Temp Network (TLNet) atwww.teamlease.com