بِسْمِ
اللهِ
الرَّحْمنِ
الرَّحِيمِِ
Office corruption: Can you trust your colleague?
The workplace is where most adults spend the majority of their
time. Increasingly within Western societies it has become an area of life that harbours mistrust, dishonesty and corruption. The conduct
of employees is often debatable, which begs the question; can the people in
your office really be trusted? Many will believe that crime and criminals will
permeate all aspects of society and so the workplace is not an exception to
this, but the reality is that workplace dishonesty is not reserved for a few
isolated 'criminals', but in fact the average worker is often the real culprit.
Recently, there have been considerable efforts to curb this trend with
legislation and policies from the Government. According to the Employment Act
and the Department of Trade and Industry 'gross misconduct' can be a basis for
employee dismissal, and may include: theft, fraud, deliberate falsification of
records, deliberate damage to property, physical violence, serious negligence
linked to unacceptable loss, damage or injury and serious breach of confidence.
Fraud and Theft
Employee fraud is a growing problem, 19% of firms with fewer than 15 employees
have experienced staff fraud, with the figure being more than doubled (48%) for
businesses with over 36 staff. The culprits, being confident that they will not
be caught, often fail to differentiate between company funds and their own,
borrowing from the former for personal use. This was highlighted with the case
of Joyti De-Laurey, a
secretary at Goldman Sachs (a leading investment bank), who was convicted of
fraud and money laundering to the tune of £4 million. De-Laurey,
who denied the charges against her, forged signatures on cheques
and money transfers in order to transfer vast sums to a network of bank
accounts in
A recent poll by office supplier Staples, covering nearly 4,000 people in 19
European countries, showed that workplace theft in the
A poll in 2003 showed that UK workers are some of the most workplace
theft-happy in Europe. Up to 60% of employees see workplace theft as
acceptable, with the theft of pens, paper, and office supplies being seen as a
'harmless' and benign activity.
Internet Usage and Effective Use of Time
Since the advent of the Internet its potential for business usage has
revolutionized the workplace, but with the obvious advantages come the disadvantages. An internet misuse survey conducted
by Websense, (a leading Internet management company)
found that 72% of companies have dealt with some form of Internet misuse, and,
1 in 4 companies have dismissed employees for Internet misconduct. The results
of the Internet survey found that 69% of Internet misuse dismissals are
associated with pornography. As well as the perusal of unsavory sites,
employees are often engaged in inappropriate use of Email, with idle gossip and
frivolous jokes. The misconduct associated with Internet use is not only the
'inappropriate' material being viewed or propagated by employees, but also the fact
that the Internet is used excessively during work time. Human resource
guidelines suggest that 20 minutes a day is actually a fair and acceptable time
for personal Internet usage. However, it is thought that employees spend in the
region of 30 minutes a day on personal surfing with 40% of companies having had
complaints by co-workers about colleagues wasting time on the Internet.
The infamous extended lunch break is another aspect of unscrupulous behaviour at work. Most contracts of employment will stipulate
the length and frequency of breaks, yet the adherence to these is often
questionable. The reasoning behind granting employees breaks
is to maximise efficiency and productivity.
Quite often this is abused with a break or lunch hour being extended on the
basis that it will go unnoticed. Moreover, many employees make excuses for
their actions. A poll by Liquid HR, a human resource organisation,
argued that mistrust between managers and employees along with dissatisfaction
with long hours and poor pay allows employees to justify workplace pilfering
and dishonesty.
Taking a 'sickie'
Recently, the case of tube driver Chris Barrett made
it to the headlines. London Underground sacked Barrett, after he was spotted
playing squash while on sick leave with an ankle injury. The RMT union demanded
the tube driver be reinstated, and the dispute resulted in tube workers
striking to protest. Subsequently, London Underground rejected an appeal
against the decision; an official overseeing the proceedings commented that if
Mr. Barrett had shown "some degree of honesty and remorse" during his
appeal, he would have considered giving him his job back.
Though this may be seen as an extreme case, many employees will relate to that
Monday morning feeling, when the weekend is over too quickly and the temptation
to 'call in sick' is great. A 'sickie' is not seen to
be a crime, or an act of dishonesty, it has almost become accepted as something
that employees will do from time to time. A statement by a spokesperson of the
Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reflects how such dishonest behaviour is a fact that employers should accept;
"There will always be a certain level of absenteeism - around 15% - which
there is not a lot employers can do about it".
But the impact upon the economy of absenteeism is huge. While absence from work
in general has been estimated to cost
Underlying Cause
No matter what type of 'workplace dishonesty', or how small or great the
consequences; the causes of such misdemeanours are
the same. The reason why people work is in order to earn money, so that they
may purchase items and services for their wellbeing. When applying for a job,
an individual will consider the advantages to be reaped, whether this is in the
form of a salary, annual leave, extras, prospects for promotion etc.
The concept of benefit in measuring an action will produce an individual who is
solely concerned with what they can personally get out of any situation with
only the fear of being caught or exposed acting as a constraint. In turn, this
mentality will produce a person who is a self-centred
and selfish personality. As an employee such a person would be concerned only
with his personal interests and seeking opportunities to take, steal or defraud
in some shape or form. The negative effect of their actions on colleagues or
their employer would not be considered. Thus the reason for the growing problem
of employee misconduct and corruption in the office environment is the fact
that many are motivated by self-interest alone and are willing to go to
extraordinary lengths to achieve this.
A Reflection of
Wider Society
The workplace is not a world within itself rather it is part of a wider
society. So inevitably, the workplace will reflect the culture of the
surrounding society, its values and norms. The behaviour
of individuals at work will be shaped by the Capitalist ethos that views the
objective of each individual to be to gain as much material possessions as
possible. Hence, happiness is equated with the size of your bank account and
self-gratification, and as everyone wants happiness, everyone is taking care of
'number one'. And it is this thinking that shapes the thoughts and subsequently
the behaviour of the people, including the nation's
workforce.
By its nature the Capitalist yardstick of benefit is a flawed criterion, the
consequences of which are very apparent in today's world. It produces behaviour that is inconsistent and unreliable; the actions
will be dependant on a measure that varies not only from person to person, but
from one situation to another. In addition, the use of benefit as a measure for
one's actions, results in the definition of good and bad becoming unclear and
subject to change as the benefit and interest changes. For example, to take a
few pens from the office is not seen as 'bad' or as theft by the people, rather
it is acceptable, whereas to take a computer, or money from work is stealing
and thus 'bad'. This highlights how the extent of material gain or loss is used
to determine the acceptability of an action, rather that a study of the action
itself.
Islamic criterion
of action
The criterion for action of the Muslim is not personal benefit, but the halal and the haram as determined
by the Hukm Sharr'I (divine law). Islam determines
the conduct and the misconduct of the Muslim rather that self-interest. The
Muslim employee adhering to Islam has a consistent conduct, which does not
alter with changing situations. So this employee is not only trustworthy when
he is happy in the workplace, or pleased with his employers, rather it is the
accountability to Allah (swt), which ensures that he maintains the qualities of
a Muslim.
فَلاَ تَخْشَوُاْ
النَّاسَ
وَاخْشَوْنِ
وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ
بِآيَاتِي
ثَمَنًا
قَلِيلاً
"So fear not man, but fear Me,
and do not barter My scriptures for a little gain" [TMQ Al- Maidah: 44].
Likewise, what constitutes misconduct at work is not viewed as behaviour that will lead to disciplinary action or
dismissal, but is defined by what has been prohibited by Allah (swt)
Honouring contracts
The Islamic view towards the employee and employer relationship is that it is
bound by contract. The contract of employment is one that defines the
conditions and details of the employment, the nature of the work, specified
tasks, responsibilities and hours to be worked. Many of the problems faced by
employers stem from the fact that workers do not adhere to the terms of the
contract, taking extended breaks for example, or not fulfilling job
requirements. Such problems should be alien to the Muslim for he cannot violate
his contract, as it is an obligation to abide by the conditions of the
agreement he signed.
يَا أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ
أَوْفُواْ بِالْعُقُودِ
"Oh you who believe, fulfil your obligations (treaties, covenants, contracts)"
[Al Mai'dah: 1]
And He (saw) said:
الْمُسْلِمُونَ
عِنْدَ
شُرُوطِهِمْ
"Muslims are
bound by their conditions" [Bukhari]
So for the Muslim, any matter related to the contract is a matter
of accountability to Allah I, regardless of whether a person could actually get
away with not fulfilling his part of the agreement.
Honesty is Always
the Only Policy
Honesty is not the 'best policy', but the only policy. The Muslim employee is
bound by the command and prohibitions of Allah (swt) that do not permit him to
lie, no matter what the circumstances are. For the Muslim, honesty is not
something just to strive for, but it would be an integral aspect of the Islamic
personality. Because it is obligatory upon the Muslim to be truthful, it cannot
be compromised in the workplace, as it would render him sinful.
Ibn Madud narrated that the
Messenger (saw) said
إِنَّ الصِّدْقَ
يَهْدِي
إِلَى
الْبِرِّ
وَإِنَّ
الْبِرَّ
يَهْدِي
إِلَى
الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ
الرَّجُلَ
لَيَصْدُقُ
حَتَّى
يُكْتَبَ
صِدِّيقًا وَإِنَّ
الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي
إِلَى
الْفُجُورِ
وَإِنَّ
الْفُجُورَ
يَهْدِي
إِلَى
النَّارِ
وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ
لَيَكْذِبُ
حَتَّى
يُكْتَبَ كَذَّابًا
'A true action leads to the path of
virtue and good deeds, and virtue paves the way of a person to Paradise, and
the said person continues to speak the truth till in the sight of Allah he is Sidiq, (truthful). Lying leads to vice and vice leads to
indecent acts and if a person goes on lying till in the sight of Allah he is
named a liar' [Bukhari and Muslim]
Theft is Theft
Islam made the issue of stealing very clear. Theft in Islam is to take
ownership, without permission, over something not belonging to you. It is a
decisive sin and in some cases a punishable offence. Thus theft cannot be
justified by the Muslim, on the grounds of value of the item or the surplus
amount, no matter how much stationary there is in the office.
Abu Hurairah (ra)
reported:
لَعَنَ اللَّهُ
السَّارِقَ
يَسْرِقُ
الْبَيْضَةَ
فَتُقْطَعُ
يَدُهُ
وَيَسْرِقُ
الْحَبْلَ
فَتُقْطَعُ
يَدُهُ
Allah's Messenger (saw) said: "Let Allah's curse be upon the thief;
he gets his hand cut off for stealing an egg as well as for stealing a
rope". [Sahih Muslim ]
With such an understanding of theft and the comprehension of it
being a crime, a prohibited action, the Muslim employee would not be permitted
to unlawfully take anything from the workplace.
Accountable for
Your Efforts
The Muslim is always mindful of the effort he puts into his work. Slackness,
'skiving' or sheer laziness, are not the characteristics of the Muslim
employee.
The Prophet (saw) said:
وَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ
بِأَمْرٍ
فَأْتُوا
مِنْهُ مَا
اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
"If I
commanded you of something, do of it as much as you can".
Together with the acknowledgment of being bound by a contract,
and the fact that Muhammad (saw) himself asked of the believer to expend all
his efforts into that which he was charged with, it would be almost guaranteed
that the Muslim employee works with his best endeavors. Islam has prevented
such problems from arising by addressing the matters of employee responsibility
and honesty, and making these matters of accountability to Allah I, thus
safeguarding such values in the workplace and all spheres of life.
The Muslim
Employee-Ambassador for Islam
Muslims who live and work in the West are in the ideal position to be true
ambassadors of Islam. It is our responsibility to be the representatives of the
Islamic way of life here in the West. The Muslim must never overlook the
endless opportunities he has to be the mouthpiece for Islam, to put forward the
case for a way of life which is able to provide the whole of humanity with the
alternative which it so desperately needs. The Muslim should utilise all opportunities to convey Islam, and this
includes the workplace. Muslims can learn from the famous example of our
predecessors who went to
Being an ambassador for Islam is achieved by words and by deeds. Our conduct
will speak for itself when it is based upon Islam, when our actions are the
practical manifestation of our Islamic belief. When we remain steadfast in our
commitment to the Islamic rules the natural result will be a Muslim that
represents Islam in the workplace as well as in the society at large.
Shazia Akhter