No Lie: Future Workers OK With Cheating

Generation ‘Why Not?’: Exactly what are young people learning prior to entering the workforce? Namely, that unethical behavior is justifiable in pursuit of their goals. According to Junior Achievement and Deloitte, nearly three-quarters of teenagers say they are fully prepared to make ethical decisions once they land a job. Yet nearly 40 percent of the same group “believe it is sometimes necessary to cheat, plagiarize, lie or even behave violently in order to succeed.”

Hiring people who condone this behavior poses a threat to corporations’ integrity and reputation, researchers say. The Junior Achievement/ Deloitte Teen Ethics Survey collected responses from a diverse group of 725 U.S. teens ages 13 to 18. Among the more alarming findings for hiring managers: Nearly 30 percent of teens claim that it is unfair for employers to suspend or fire employees for unethical behavior that occurs in their free time. Nearly the same percentage can’t decide (26 percent).

Similarly, nearly six in 10 teens surveyed oppose the right of employers to base hiring and firing decisions on material that employees have posted to the Internet. And in a finding that has implications on the honesty of future workers, nearly half the teens say it is OK to illegally download music online without paying for it, and 5 percent say it is acceptable to steal items from stores.