London: Almost two-thirds of us have stolen from the workplace, a survey on honesty has found.
In a fascinating insight into the nation's 'moral compass' research also revealed one in three people has downloaded music illegally and 13 per cent have shoplifted.
The findings suggest the typical Briton is less honest than most people realise. It also shows that the concept of honesty varies hugely from person to person.
Eight out of ten said it was dishonest for a woman to wear a dress for a party before returning it to the shop for a refund. But only 43 per cent believed it was dishonest for a carer to try to persuade an elderly person to leave them something in their will. The study, which involved 15,000 people questioned online, was commissioned for the British Science Festival in Guildford, Surrey.
It invited people to watch a video outlining one of 50 scenarios in which an actor describes a potentially dishonest activity. They included theft, telling lies in a relationship, faking burglaries and stealing stationery from the office. The volunteers were asked to say whether the activity was dishonest.
People were far more prepared to turn a blind eye when crimes were committed against big companies. The survey also found more than 44 per cent had carried out "opportunistic theft".
