Most commonly in business, you'll see violations such as discrimination, safety violations or poor working conditions. As well, bribery, theft, or conflict of interest.

In professional and workplace environments, the most common ethical violation is often cited as misuse of company time, which includes "time theft" or performing personal tasks during work hours. However, in broader corporate contexts, conflicts of interest and harassment/bullying frequently top the list of reported misconduct. A conflict of interest occurs when an employee’s personal interests interfere with their professional obligations, such as accepting gifts from vendors or hiring family members without disclosure. Other prevalent violations include dishonesty (lying to supervisors or clients) and theft (ranging from office supplies to intellectual property). In 2026, with the rise of AI and remote work, data privacy breaches and the unauthorized use of proprietary company data have also become leading ethical concerns that organizations must actively manage through strict codes of conduct.