Awareness and sensitivity toward unethical behaviour in the workplace, such as telling obscene jokes, commenting on appearance or being invited to dinner by a superior, have significantly increased over the past 30 years, according to research from Warsaw’s SWPS University.
The study, Ethical Standards of Companies and Employees 1999–2025, conducted on a sample of 1,000 employees, compared current attitudes with data collected in 1999 by sociologist Professor Anna Lewicka-Strzałecka.
It shows that reports of sexual harassment at work have declined from 33 percent in 1999 to 11 percent in 2025. The share of respondents reporting frequent cases dropped from 5 percent to 2 percent.
Kotłowska said the change reflects both evolving social attitudes and the ethical standards introduced after Poland joined the European Union.
“Over the years, the boundaries of good taste and decency have been shifting — towards greater sensitivity to the rights and comfort of employees,” she said.
The study found that 30 years ago, only 6 percent of employees felt embarrassed when their supervisor commented on their appearance, outfit or hairstyle. Today, 16 percent report such discomfort. In 1999, 18 percent of respondents considered telling dirty jokes to be a form of sexual harassment, compared to 43 percent today.
Perceptions of other behaviours have also changed. In 1999, 7 percent of employees found it inappropriate for a boss to invite a subordinate to a restaurant; that figure has now risen to 20 percent.
Similarly, while one in four employees once considered hanging nude photos in the office unacceptable, half of workers now disapprove of the practice.
According to Kotłowska, older employees tend to be more tolerant of such behaviour. “Only 34 percent of people over 45 years of age consider vulgar jokes to be inappropriate. Meanwhile, among Gen Z and Millennials, they are perceived much more critically,” she said.
“Today, people are more sensitive. What I look like and what I wear is my private space and violating it is perceived as unethical behaviour,” Kotłowska said.
She noted that while legal provisions define “the bare minimum of our behaviour,” ethics concern “what is decent in a given situation, in a given organization or in a given community. In this case, we have seen a change in social norms over 30 years.”
Kotłowska added that multigenerational workplaces still face disagreements over what is considered proper conduct. “For years there was a culture of calling each other ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir’ at work. Now young people often break this distance, which can be difficult to accept for older employees,” she said.
The researcher added that ethical culture begins with leadership. “The example must come from above. If we want to have a clean and tidy canteen where everyone puts their plates back, the leader-boss must be the first person to get up and take the plate away on his own. The others, seeing the example, understand that this is the social norm in our organization. Standards cannot only be theoretical, they must be put into practice,” she said.
The study also shows that in both 1999 and today, about two-thirds of employees believe written ethical rules — such as professional codes of conduct — are necessary. In 1999, 25 percent of respondents worked in a company with such a code; today that figure stands at 54 percent.
Participation in ethics training has also risen. In 1999, 3 percent of employees took part in mandatory training and 4 percent in voluntary programs. Today, 20 percent attend mandatory sessions and 10 percent voluntary ones, though 31 percent of respondents said their companies still do not offer any ethics training.
The number of workplaces where employees can report ethical concerns has also grown. Thirty years ago, 11 percent had access to a designated person or ethics department; by 2025, that share had increased to 28 percent.
Karolina Kropiwiec (PAP)
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