Corruption Matters - June 2021 | Issue 57
The new workplace landscape: what WFH means for corruption
While statistics are indicating a record drop in observed misconduct in 2020, some caution that this is not a cause for celebration. Rather, the skewed results should be attributed to Covid-19’s unprecedented impact on the way we work, and that we might need to rethink our anti-corruption measures.
Most NSW public servants are familiar with the Public Service Commission’s People Matter Employee Survey. The 2020 survey was open from mid-October to mid-November 2020 and so captures an impression from the Covid-19 period when most of us were working from home (WFH).
In answer to the question “In the last 12 months, have you been aware of any misconduct in your organisation?”, just 16% of survey respondents said “yes”. This is a historically low figure, down from the reported 2019 figure of 27%. On its face, this statistic suggests the level of workplace misconduct plummeted while we were all WFH. But did it really? And by this much?
Based on more than three decades of investigating corrupt conduct, we know that corrupt individuals are most comfortable when their manager and colleagues are not watching. In fact, individuals who are most adept at acting corruptly put considerable effort into keeping their activities away from the gaze of their boss and potential whistleblowers.
Although the NSW public sector appears to have transitioned smoothly to videoconferencing technology, 2020 was a year in which our ability to monitor the quality and quantity of work was challenged. Consequently, while the Commission is extremely pleased to see reported levels of workplace misconduct at record lows, we suspect the figures are at least partly explained by fewer sets of eyes and ears in the workplace.
To give a few obvious examples:
- minor payroll frauds can be easier to carry out when WFH (for example, exaggerating hours, claiming overtime not worked, and failing to record leave)
- a common form of corrupt conduct arises when a public official engages in unauthorised secondary employment (without any managers or co-workers in the vicinity, it is much easier for a public official to work on private business interests from a home office)
- misusing confidential information is another common example of corrupt conduct (in a WFH setting, it is incredibly easy for such information to be improperly shared without taking much risk).
Since the beginning of 2021, there has been a gradual removal of public health orders that encouraged WFH and most public servants have begun returning to the office. However, many industries, including significant parts of the public sector, have shown that staff can be productive and fulfilled while WFH. Accordingly, WFH – at least for a portion of each week – is likely to become a permanent practice in parts of the public service. This means our ability to deter and detect corruption may be impaired if managers cannot maintain reasonable levels of supervision.
In particular, those managers who use a management-by-walking-around style or rely on unplanned, casual interactions with staff to obtain information, may have to try new approaches.
In a similar vein, the Commission’s experience is that corrupt conduct can be prevented by having a strong ethical culture, which, in many ways, is promulgated by the demeanour of managers.
This begs the question: can managers model the right tone via email or videoconference? It appears a great deal can be achieved remotely but frontline managers and staff with responsibility for ethics programs may need to think about new ways to drive home the right messages.
If your agency would like to discuss these corruption prevention issues, please contact us by telephone on (02) 8281 5999 or 1800 463 909 or email icac@icac.nsw.gov.au. If possible, our staff will even visit you in person.
|