Report from Resume Now Explains Why Values in the Workplace Are Sometimes Ignored
Every so often, I come across an interesting survey that emphasizes the importance of ethics in the workplace. I just read one that deals with values. This new survey from Resume Now shows a widespread “values gap”—the disconnect between corporate messaging and lived employee experience. The survey reveals a stunning reality in today’s workplace: while firms love to promote their values, most employees say leadership doesn’t live them.
The findings in this report are based on a survey conducted with 1,000 U.S. workers on May 6, 2025. Participants were asked about ethical behavior, trust in leadership, and alignment between stated company values and lived experiences. The survey included a mix of multiple choice, scaled-response, binary, and multi-select questions to capture a wide range of perspectives on workplace culture and ethics.
70% of Employees Say Workplace Leaders Bend Rules for Favorites.
The Values Gap Report, shows a widespread “values gap”. Despite 86% of workers saying their company communicates its values clearly, only 44% feel those values are consistently upheld. Meanwhile, 70% have witnessed leadership bend rules or play favorites.
“Employees don’t just want inspiring mission statements—they want to see those values in action,” Keith Spencer, career expert at Resume Now, said in a statement. “When leaders say one thing but do another, it creates distrust and disengagement.”
Key findings of the report include:
- Clarity ≠ consistency: 86% say company values are clearly communicated, but only 44% say they’re consistently demonstrated.
- Rule bending is rampant: 70% have seen leaders bend rules or play favorites.
- Leadership authenticity in question: Just 47% believe their leaders frequently model the company’s stated values.
- Favoritism and injustice: 43% have witnessed favoritism in promotions, raises, or recognition.
- Toxic exceptions: 24% say toxic top performers are protected by leadership.
When survey respondents were asked what unethical or troubling behavior they’ve witnessed at work:
- 31% say employees are expected to work through illness or burnout.
- 22% have seen harassment or bullying ignored.
- 18% say ethics concerns are swept under the rug.
- 10% felt pressure or punishment for using PTO (paid time off) or mental health benefits.
“When employees see values being ignored or applied inconsistently, they stop speaking up. They disengage. They question whether fairness is possible,” Spencer said. “Companies cannot build loyalty or accountability when people believe leadership will always protect the highest performer, no matter the behavior. It is not just about living the values. It is about showing people those values apply to everyone.”
Trust and Psychological Safety in the Workplace
The survey also found that trust and psychological safety in the workforce is eroding. According to the poll:
- Only 41% of employees feel comfortable raising ethical concerns.
- 11% fear retaliation if they do.
- 54% feel pressure to “perform” a version of themselves that fits company image.
A company culture may not match the values espoused because top management does not ‘walk the talk’ of ethics. The culture of a company illustrates how things get done in the organization. The values gap explains why reality doesn’t match the expectations, and corporate culture could be the reason why.
The author of another survey, Joseph Santella at Resume Now (joseph@resume-now.com.), points out that ethical behavior isn’t just a compliance box; it shapes trust, morale, and retention. But many employees report witnessing troubling behavior that directly contradicts company values. He found that 24% say toxic top performers are protected by leadership.
What this means
According to the results written up by Jason Bramwell: “When unethical behavior is allowed to continue or quietly dismissed, employees stop believing that their concerns matter. It creates an environment where people feel unsupported and hesitant to speak up. To retain trust and talent, companies must respond to issues consistently and show that values apply in real situations, not just written policies. Promoting an environment that model’s conflict-resolution skills and facilitates safe and healthy work relationships is key to preventing burnout. On the employee side, developing your communication skills and clearly establishing boundaries can help establish healthy relationships at work.”
The fact is all too many companies develop a values statement and/or ethical standards but don’t live them; don’t train employees on them; don’t ensure that top leadership knows how to implement them; and seem to overlook them when it is convenient to do so. In other words, it is filed away and never to be discussed again unless it is necessary to do so. This is an intolerable situation from a workplace ethics perspective.
A good first step is to develop a whistleblowing policy to encourage reporting without fear of retaliation. Many of the behaviors mentioned above could then be handled in a fair and responsible manner. I also recommend that every organization should have a Chief Compliance Officer, who can also be the Chief Ethics Officer. That person should be held accountable to ensure that standards of behavior are enforced and deviations quickly dealt with.
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on July 16, 2025. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.