Ethics Newsline®

While U.S. public picks the money, Canadians are ‘more evenly divided on this issue,’ poll finds

From Harris:

“As economic conditions worsen, people who are asked to make a decision between protecting the environment or economic growth and development have moved even more strongly into the economic growth column. Specifically, a Harris Poll … found:

• “U.S. adults are divided on how they perceive things in their own community as 38 percent say it is going in the right direction while 37 percent believe things have ‘pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track’. This perception has gotten better in the past few months….
• “More than three in five Americans (63%) say economic growth and development is more important to their region while one-quarter (27%) believe protecting the environment is more important….
• “The focus on economic growth has grown over the last year. In June of 2007, Americans were more divided as 48 percent thought economic growth was more important and 43 percent believed protecting the environment was more important….
• “Looking ahead to the future, just over half of U.S. adults (56%) believe that the quality of life in the area they live in will decrease for their children and grandchildren while 44 percent believe it will increase….

“In Canada, there are different opinions on some of these topics:

• “Canadians are much more positive about the direction of their community as over three in five (63%) believe things in their community are going in the right direction and 37 percent say they are going off on the wrong track;
• “Canadians are more evenly split on which is more important, economics or environment as 45 percent say it is economic growth and development and 44 percent believe it is protecting the environment; and,
• “One area Canadians agree with Americans on is the quality of life in their region for children and grandchildren as 56 percent of Canadians say it will decrease and 44 percent believe it will increase.

“So What?

“As the economic woes continue, anything that places the economy versus something else will see economy most likely winning the battle. But, many polls, including earlier Harris Polls, show very strong support for strengthening environmental protections and regulations. Also, most people do not see the hard trade off between economic development and protecting the environment. In fact, many people believe that we not only can do both of these, but that we should be doing both….”

For the full press release, July 30, click here.

One key step to stopping fraud, says Deloitte, is establishing a strong ethical corporate culture

From Deloitte:

“As anti-fraud enforcement levels have surged to an all-time high in the investment management industry, a recent online poll, conducted by Deloitte, found that nearly one-quarter (23.8 percent) of respondents’ companies do not have a ’suspicious transaction’ monitoring system and an additional 32.4 percent of respondents were not aware of whether their firms did.

“‘Because hedge funds, private equity firms and other investment managers are often incorporated offshore and serve a client base of high net worth individuals from around the world, these organizations can be potential targets for suspicious transactions that may be part of money laundering, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations and other fraud schemes,’ said Michael Shepard, a principal in the Anti-Money Laundering practice of Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP (Deloitte FAS)….

“While 39.2 percent of respondents’ surveyed said that their companies maintain formal anti-money laundering policies and procedures, one in 10 (10.1 percent) respondents’ surveyed said that their companies have not addressed money laundering at all. An additional 31.7 percent of respondents surveyed do not know whether their firm has established formal anti-money laundering policies and procedures.

“Investment management firms must also be wary of potential FCPA violations. The FCPA states that it is a federal criminal offense for any company or individual doing business in the U.S. to offer, pay or authorize a bribe to a foreign government official to gain business advantage. While the FCPA was passed in 1977, enforcement has increased dramatically in recent years. Yet, despite the increase in the number of enforcement actions, 13.6 percent of respondents surveyed indicated that their companies have not addressed FCPA risk at all; 12.1 percent said that their organizations had addressed FCPA risk, but have not established a program to address the risk; and 10.9 percent said that their organizations have an established FCPA program, but that it needs improvement….

“According to Deloitte, some of the key steps that can help mitigate fraud, money laundering and FCPA violations include:

• “Establish a consistent organizational culture that does not condone fraudulent activity….
• “Institute an anti-money laundering compliance program. Such a program should be designed to address several areas including: assessing risk, establishing proper governance and reporting structures, designating an anti-money laundering compliance officer and conducting an enterprise-wide training program….

“More than 500 executives from the banking and security, financial services and investment management industries responded to the polling questions….”

For the full press release from Deloitte, July 23, click here.

Editor’s Note: Deloitte is a corporate sponsor of Ethics Newsline®.

Gallup poll finds that ’solid majorities of Americans believe McCain, Obama will not use personal attacks in campaign’

From Gallup:

“Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have both claimed that they will not engage in below-the-belt attacks during this race…. History has shown, however, that campaigns tend to get considerably more negative as Election Day approaches, so it is an open question as to whether the candidates will keep their promises for the duration of the campaign.

“A recent USA Today/Gallup survey shows that most Americans are at least somewhat optimistic that one or both candidates will follow through on that promise. But a variety of data show that many people view the tone of a race from a partisan perspective. As a result, there is likely to be little agreement about what constitutes fair or unfair attacks on the campaign trail once the general-election advertising season begins in earnest.

“In the June 15-19 USA Today/Gallup poll, Americans were asked about the likelihood that the presidential candidates would keep their promises to refrain from personal attacks….

“Thirty-six percent of respondents agree that Obama is ‘very likely’ to do so, compared with 27% who say the same about McCain. Combining the ’somewhat likely’ and ‘very likely’ responses yields a solid 73% and 68%, respectively, who think it is likely that the candidates will refrain from personal attacks. In other words, more than two in three Americans think there is a reasonable chance that each candidate will run a campaign focused on the issues….

“More than twice as many Republicans (40%) as Democrats (19%) think McCain is ‘very likely’ to conduct a campaign based only on the issues (along with 24% of independents). And while half (50%) of Democrats think Obama is ‘very likely’ to focus only on the issues, only 17% of Republicans agree, with independents falling in the middle at 38%.

“The partisan tilt of these results is consistent with data from past elections….

“For a different look at the question, I conducted an Internet experiment using a nationally representative sample of 425 American adults in November 2006. All respondents viewed the same 30-second attack advertisement against a fictional State Assembly candidate. The ad consisted of fairly standard negative advertising fare…. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of two ads: one where the sponsoring candidate was a Republican and the target was a Democrat; and the other, the same ad with the partisanship of the candidates reversed. When asked whether the advertisement was ‘fair,’ people who shared the partisanship of the sponsoring candidate were far more likely to think the ad was fair … than were respondents who shared the partisanship of the target of the ad…. In other words, simply switching the partisanship of the candidates significantly changed perceptions of the fairness of two otherwise identical advertisements….”

For the full release from Gallup, July 18, click here.

Gallup finds that half of the U.S. public perceives ’structural economic inequality in the country’

From Gallup:

“Along with their mounting concerns about national economic conditions in recent years, Americans have grown more likely to perceive structural economic inequality in the country. Nearly half of Americans, 49%, now say the nation is divided into two groups: the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots.’ This is up from 45% two years ago, and from 37% in June 2004.

“The perception of an unequal society has risen at an especially sharp rate among blacks and Hispanics, although non-Hispanic whites are also more likely to perceive a haves/have-nots division today than they were four years ago. Nearly three-quarters of blacks (72%) and close to half of Hispanics (49%) and whites (45%) now believe the nation is divided along have/have-not lines….

“At the same time that more Americans see an economic class divide in the country, the percentage of Americans holding a profoundly negative view of the U.S. economy has jumped sharply, from 41% in June 2004 to 55% in June 2006 to 84% in June 2008.

“Majority Still Identify Themselves as ‘Haves’

“Despite their heightened sense that America is a land of the haves and have-nots, Americans have not changed the way they categorize themselves along the same lines. Since 2004, the percentage of Americans identifying themselves as a member of the ‘haves’ in Gallup polling has registered just under 60%, while about a third have consistently considered themselves ‘have-nots.’ (An additional 8% to 12% don’t put themselves in either group.)

“There are no meaningful differences among Americans of different household income levels in their perceptions of whether the country is divided into the haves and have-nots. High-, medium-, and low-income groups are all about evenly split on the question.

“However, as expected, there is a high correlation between self-identification as a have or have-not and one’s household income. About three-quarters of high-income Americans (those making $75,000 or more annually) call themselves ‘haves,’ compared with a much smaller majority of middle-income households (those earning between $30,000 and $50,000), and only 33% of the lowest income group (those making less than $20,000)….

“Perhaps most interesting is that even at comparable income levels, middle- and upper-income blacks and Hispanics are less likely than whites to consider themselves ‘haves.’

• “Among those earning between $30,000 and $74,999 per year, 63% of whites, but only 48% of blacks and 47% of Hispanics, classify themselves as ‘haves.’
• “Similarly, among those earning $75,000 or more, fully 80% of whites, compared with 66% of blacks and 65% of Hispanics, call themselves ‘haves.’

“…Blacks and Hispanics — even those living in high-income households — lag significantly behind whites in believing they are among the nation’s ‘haves.’ Beyond financial issues, these groups may be more likely today than four years ago to perceive that certain obstacles stand in the way of members of their own racial and ethnic groups’ ability to break into the advantaged class….”

For the full press release from Gallup, July 11, click here.

Survey of 19 countries finds widespread pessimism about state of modern ethics

From the Wall Street Journal:

“Europeans say cheating in business, sports and even love has become more prevalent over the past decade. Whether this phenomenon is real or perceived — actual cheating is hard to measure — people say the world has become a more ruthless, dishonest place.

“To study the issue, The Wall Street Journal asked market-research firm GfK to poll almost 20,000 people in 19 countries — 16 European countries, plus Russia, Turkey and the U.S. GfK asked whether cheating had become more common and whether it was a major problem. They also asked people to describe their own cheating habits. The survey covered a range of issues: taxes, business, academics, sports and romantic relationships.

“The results weren’t pretty.

“Different cultures have different definitions of cheating: A merchant haggling over a carpet in a Turkish bazaar might offend a Dutch banker’s sense of business propriety. A student who uses material from a Web site for an essay might be punished at one school but not another. But even with such shades of gray, cheating across a range of countries and disciplines — from boardrooms to bedrooms — is a growing source of concern, most people say.

“This sentiment reflects widespread anxiety about competition, according to ethicists. The proliferation of new wealth and the growing gap between rich and poor in many countries have spurred fears about being left behind. This worry, in turn, makes people suspect that others who appear to be getting ahead, making good grades in school or driving expensive cars, aren’t always playing by the rules. In some cases, this worry might be justified….

“Others say the media have increased coverage of cheating scandals that once might have escaped public attention….

“When it comes to cheating, in business deals, on taxes or on the playing field, people often point a finger at Italy. European survey respondents (10%) most commonly named Italy as the country that cheats the most in business. Italians themselves (40%) also said they were the worst nationality when it comes to honesty in business.

“According to the GfK study, 91% of Italians described cheating on their taxes as a major problem in their country, the highest level among the 16 European countries surveyed….

“Broadly speaking, 48% of respondents around the world said cheating on taxes was more common today than 10 years ago, while 10% of respondents said it was less common.

“Business transactions were a matter of concern among most survey participants. Across the 19 countries included in the poll, 55% of respondents said cheating in business deals was more common than 10 years ago, while only 7% said it was less common….

“When asked which country cheats the most in business dealings, 7% of total survey respondents said Russia, the highest level in the survey. Italy (5%) was the second most common answer….

“Cheating at school is more common than a decade ago, according to 42% of survey respondents. Only 9% said it had decreased….

“Cheating at sports has become more common over the past 10 years according to 48% of those surveyed….

“When it comes to romance, 42% of those surveyed said they think cheating is more common than a decade ago. Only 10% said it had become less frequent….

“The survey didn’t ask people why they cheat, but ethicists said widespread worries about cheating and the sense that cheating has become more common in romance and other areas could create a self-perpetuating problem. ‘It seems pointless to keep your promises if no one else is keeping them, and the reasons for being honest fall apart if a significant number of other people … aren’t abiding by these moral rules,’ said Alex Voorhoeve, a philosophy lecturer at the London School of Economics….”

For more information, see: Full release from the Wall Street Journal, June 27 — Snapshot illustration of survey results.

But majority of U.S. public also ‘favors stricter laws relating to the control of hand guns’

From Harris Interactive:

“The United States Supreme Court today reversed Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns, ruling that the Second Amendment does protect an individual’s right to own a handgun….

“When The Harris Poll showed wording from the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to the survey’s sample and asked whether U.S. adults think the Second Amendment supports an individual’s right to bear arms or a state’s right to form a militia, the same question the Supreme Court just answered, we found:

• “By 41 percent to 17 percent, a two to one plurality believes that the Second Amendment supports an individual’s right to bear arms agreeing with the Supreme Court….
• “By political party affiliation, Republicans by 51 percent to 9 percent believe the Second Amendment supports individuals’ right to bear arms. Democrats also agree, though by a closer 41 percent to 22 percent margin;
• “Independents are even more closely divided with 31 percent to 22 percent thinking that the Amendment supports and individuals’ right to bear arms.

“And with regard to gun control:

• “A relative majority of U.S. adults – 49 percent – favor stricter gun control with 20 percent wanting less strict gun control and 21 percent wanting no change;
• “By 54 percent to 18 percent a majority favors stricter laws relating to the control of hand guns and another 18 percent want no change..

“So What?

“Even though the U.S. Supreme Court has issued its decision, the debate over guns in this country is far from over. While Americans are more likely to believe the Second Amendment does protect an individual’s right to bear arms, they also do favor stricter gun control….”

For the full press release, June 26, click here.

Less than a quarter say their organizations ‘have a comprehensive ethics and compliance program in place’

From the Society for Human Resource Management and the Ethics Resource Center:

“In a new national survey, only 43 percent of human resources professionals said their organizations include ethical conduct as part of employees’ performance appraisals.

“In the study … human resource professionals said they are their organizations’ primary resource for ethics-related issues, and they help create ethics policies. But most don’t feel that they are truly part of the ethics infrastructure. Instead, they are just asked to ‘clean up’ the situations caused by ethics violations….

“Results of the study were compared, or benchmarked, to ERC’s National Workplace Ethics Survey, a broader study fielded in 2007. The current SHRM/ERC study questioned 513 human resource professionals on six key business ethics themes, while ERC’s poll surveyed 3,452 employees.

“According to the SHRM/ERC study, only 23 percent of HR professionals say that their organizations have a comprehensive ethics and compliance program in place, and 7 percent report that their employer has no program at all….

“‘Establishing a comprehensive ethics program is the foundation for building a strong ethical culture in any organization,’ said Dr. Patricia Harned, president of the ERC. ‘Since HR professionals are partners with ethics and compliance officers in building and maintaining a culture of integrity, it’s disappointing that less than one-quarter of them indicate that their organizations have established a full program.’

“‘But it is reassuring to see that 82 percent of HR professionals said they reported ethical misconduct when it was observed, compared with 61 percent of employees.’

“The study found that when HR professionals did not report wrongdoing, it was typically because they didn’t think they could remain anonymous, nor did they think that the people involved would be disciplined. Having a comprehensive ethics program addresses those concerns….

“Key findings in the survey:

• “Ethical misconduct most commonly identified by HR professionals included abusive or intimidating behavior toward fellow employees, plus abuse of e-mail or Internet privileges. Employees (U.S. average) cited instances of colleagues calling in ’sick’ inappropriately, and people taking credit for someone else’s work.
• “HR professionals think that top management (77 percent) would be less likely to be held accountable if caught violating their organization’s ethics standards than supervisors (86 percent) and non-management employees (91 percent).
• “A small proportion of HR professionals (19 percent) and employees (U.S. average: 11 percent) reported feeling pressure by others (within their organization or externally) to compromise their organization’s ethics standards, company policy, or the law.

“A complete copy of ‘The Ethics Landscape in American Business’ is available for sale….”

For the full press release, June 12, click here.

‘In particular, Republican opinion about international respect for America has shifted substantially over the past two years,’ Pew poll finds

From the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press:

“More Americans now say that the United States is less respected in the world than it has been in the past, and a growing proportion views this as a major problem for the country. More than seven-in-ten Americans (71%) say that the United States is less respected by other countries these days, up from 65% in August 2006.

“For the first time since Pew began asking this question in 2004, a majority of Americans now sees the loss of international respect for the United States as a major problem. The percentage of Americans saying the loss of international respect is a major problem has risen from 43% in 2005 to 48% in 2006 and 56% currently.

“…[M]ajorities of Democrats (81%), independents (72%) and Republicans (60%) believe that the United States has lost global respect in recent years.

“In particular, Republican opinion about international respect for America has shifted substantially over the past two years. A clear majority of Republicans (60%) now say the nation is less respected in the international community, an increase of 12 points since August 2006. Moreover, 43% of Republicans say the loss of global respect represents a major problem, compared with just 26% two years ago….

“When asked to assess a set of specific international threats to the United States, public consensus is strongest about the threat posed by Islamic extremist groups like al Qaeda. More than seven-in-ten (72%) view these groups as a ‘major threat’ to the national well-being.

“Solid majorities also say that the nuclear programs of Iran (62%) and North Korea (55%) represent major threats to the United States….

“Other potential international threats — political instability in Pakistan and growing authoritarianism in Russia — are of considerably less concern to Americans….”

For the full press release from Pew, June 16, click here.

Only one of 14 surveyed nations shows less fear between 2006 and 2007, Gallup finds

From Gallup.com:

“In 10 of 14 former Soviet republics Gallup surveyed, residents’ likelihood to say most or many people in their country are afraid to openly express their political views rose significantly between 2006 and 2007. In seven countries, the proportion responding this way now represents a majority.

“The most dramatic increases occurred in Georgia and Lithuania; in each country residents were about twice as likely in 2007 as they were in 2006 to say many or most of their fellow citizens are afraid to express their political views. But substantial increases were also seen in countries where this perception was already common. In Tajikistan and Armenia, for example, the figures rose from about half of residents to about 7 in 10.

“…In several of the countries where freedom of expression ratings have dropped, it’s possible to identify specific trends or events that reflect an ongoing climate of fear and intimidation….

“In several of the former Soviet republics where the perception that people are afraid to express themselves is less common, residents were nonetheless more likely to feel this way in 2007 than in 2006….

“Kyrgyzstan was the only former Soviet state in which fewer residents said many or most people are afraid to express their political opinions in 2007 (33%) than in 2006 (45%). In that country, mass demonstrations in January and April 2007 played a pivotal role in triggering political reform. In both instances, the president was compelled to agree on constitutional compromises that ceded more power to parliament. Respondents in Kyrgyzstan are also far more likely than those in most former Soviet republics to say they are satisfied with the way democracy works in their country….”

For the full press release from Gallup, June 9, click here.

Yet majority says it is more important to control gun ownership than to protect the right to own guns

From the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press:

“As the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns, a majority of Americans (59%) say they would oppose a law that banned the sale of handguns. Opposition to a prohibition of handgun sales is up slightly, from 55% a year ago shortly after the Virginia Tech shootings, but it represents a more substantial increase from the 1990s, when roughly half of Americans opposed a ban on handguns.

“The latest survey … finds that public attitudes about gun control also have shown little change in recent years.

“Despite the public’s opposition to a ban on handgun sales, most Americans continue to say that in general it is more important to control gun ownership than to protect the rights of gun owners. Roughly six-in-ten (58%) say it is more important to control gun ownership while 37% say it is more important to protect the rights of Americans to own guns.

“Public attitudes about gun control and a handgun ban are divided along political, gender and racial lines. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73%) oppose a ban on handgun sales, a view shared by 59% of independents and just half of Democrats….

“Opposition to a prohibition on handgun sales is greater among men than women (65% vs. 53%), and among whites than blacks (61% vs. 49%). In addition, though majorities of urban, suburban and rural residents oppose a handgun ban, more rural residents than urban residents oppose a ban. Southerners are more likely to oppose a handgun ban than are Northeasterners or Midwesterners….

“Public opinion about gun control has been stable in recent years. Notably, last year’s shootings at Virginia Tech University had little impact on these attitudes….

“Support for controlling gun ownership rose somewhat following the 1999 massacre at Colorado’s Columbine High School; in May 1999, about two-thirds of the public said controlling gun ownership was more important than upholding gun owners’ rights (65% in May 1999). But the proportion expressing this view fell sharply the following spring from 66% in March 2000 to 55% in April. Since then, the proportion saying that controlling gun ownership takes precedence over gun owners’ rights has fluctuated modestly.

“There are greater partisan and demographic differences in opinions about gun control than in views of a law banning handgun sales. More than twice as many Republicans as Democrats say it is more important to protect the rights of gun owners than to control gun ownership (59% vs. 23%)….”

For the full press release, May 14, click here.

“Global poll finds human rights in Tibet an issue”

From the Financial Times and Harris Interactive:

“A new Financial Times/Harris Poll finds that a majority of adults in Germany (55%) and France (54%) believe their leaders, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, should not attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in China this summer. In addition, pluralities in Italy (48%), Japan (45%), the United States (43%), and Great Britain (43%) as well as 39 percent of adults in Spain also believe their country’s leader should skip this year’s Opening Olympic ceremonies.

“Additional results from the Financial Times/Harris Poll … include:

• “More than three-quarters of adults in France (84%) and half the adults in Germany (51%) say they have heard a lot about the recent global protests surrounding the freeing of Tibet from Chinese rule;
• “Pluralities in China itself (46%), Great Britain (44%) and the United States (41%) have also heard a lot about these protests;…
• “Three-quarters of adults in Italy (75%) and Germany (74%), two-thirds of adults in Japan (69%), France (67%) and Spain (64%) and a majority of adults in the United States (59%) and Great Britain (53%) all believe Tibet should not be under Chinese rule.

“One of the issues surrounding all of these concerns is human rights as part of a foreign policy strategy:

• “Very strong majorities in the five European countries, the United States and Japan (between 56% in Japan and 85% in Italy) believe that human rights should be a central figure of their country’s foreign policy;
• “Interestingly, a plurality of Chinese adults (45%) believe human rights should be a central part of China’s foreign policy compared to 38 percent who say that it should not be a central feature of their foreign policy.”

For more information, see: Full press release from Harris, May 21 — Related Newsline Research Report, Apr. 14 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 7.

But nearly half of hiring managers say they don’t care about lateness as long as the work gets done, survey finds

From CareerBuilder.com:

“If the minutes on the clock seem to fly by in the morning as you frantically run around collecting your keys, getting your kids out the door and grabbing your bills to make it to work on time, you’re not alone. According to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey, 15 percent of workers say they arrive late to work at least once a week, while nearly one-in-four of all workers (24 percent) admit to making up fake excuses to explain their tardiness….

“‘Although flexible schedules are more common in the workplace these days, it is still important for employees to be mindful of their arrival times,’ said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. ‘Consistently showing up late can affect how others in the company view your work ethic and discipline….’

“While 43 percent of hiring managers say they don’t mind if their employees are late as long as their work is completed on time with good quality, others are much stricter, and would consider terminating an employee if he or she arrives late several times a year.

“When asked to identify the primary cause for coming in late, more than 32 percent of workers claimed traffic was the culprit. Falling back asleep was the reason cited by 17 percent, while 7 percent pointed to a long commute as the main cause. Other popular reasons included getting kids ready for school and daycare, forgetting something at home and feeling sick.

“While the majority of hiring managers believe their employees’ reasons for being late to work, more than 27 percent say they are skeptical of the excuses….”

For the full press release, Apr. 9, click here.

“More than 90 percent of firms plan to maintain or increase their spending on HIV/AIDS over the coming years,” report finds

From the Conference Board:

“Major companies are creating a wide variety of programs to help employees deal with the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, according to a report released today by The Conference Board, the global business research and membership organization.

“The report finds that 82 percent of the 134 major firms surveyed have HIV/AIDS programs aimed at helping employees already suffering from the disease or at risk of infection…. The study builds on a 1997 report on the corporate response to this dilemma. It also draws on the experiences of companies whose operations in sub-Saharan Africa and other high-prevalence regions have put them on the disease’s front lines.

“More than two-thirds of the surveyed companies have been affected by HIV/AIDS, with one-fifth of these firms anticipating a growing impact of this epidemic over the next three years. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 67 percent of all adults and children suffering from HIV last year. The disease has yet to peak in most of southern Africa.

“Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe/Central Asia are high-risk regions….

“Worldwide, the number of people living with HIV rose from 29 million in 2001 to 33.2 million in 2007. Forty percent of new cases are among individuals 15 to 24, the age at which employees are just entering the workforce and will require ever greater medical care throughout their working lives. Companies feel the impact of HIV/AIDS in many ways. Fewer skilled workers and managers, greater absenteeism and turnover, and higher healthcare and insurance costs can reduce productivity and increase expenses.

“‘While there is no cure, medical advances have made it possible for people with the disease to live longer, achieve better quality of life, and be more productive, both at home and in the workplace,’ said Henry Silvert, Research Associate at The Conference Board and author of the report. ‘In response to this new reality, and faced with an expected growth of new infections, more companies have been stepping up efforts to provide programs that effectively meet the needs of their employees living with the disease, or the risk of infection.’

“In 1997, The Conference Board published its first report on the corporate response to HIV/AIDS. Ten years later, HIV/AIDS in the Workplace examines the current state of company programs around the world. The report examines trends, best practices, benefits and challenges that executives have faced in their efforts to tackle the HIV/AIDS needs of their employees.

“Some key findings:

• “Few firms have totally escaped the impact of HIV/AIDS. Over two-thirds of respondents’ company operations have been affected by HIV/AIDS. One-fifth expect more impact from HIV/AIDS over the next three years.
• “More than 90 percent of firms plan to maintain or increase their spending on HIV/AIDS over the coming years. Firms with operations in high-prevalence sub-Saharan Africa lead in planned spending increases….
• “Regardless of location, respondents identified the following non-financial concerns as the top motivators for investing in HIV/AIDS related programs: social responsibility; creating and sustaining an inclusive environment for all employees; welfare of employees living with HIV/AIDS.
• “Three-quarters of firms report some type of gain from their programs. Top gains include increased awareness of the risk factors associated with HIV/AIDS, decreased fears of becoming infected, increased worker morale, increased motivation and commitment, and decreased absenteeism….
• “Employee assistance programs were the top overall initiative in both the 1997 and 2007 surveys. Among companies with HIV/AIDS programs, education and training programs, resource and referral services, and HIV/AIDS counseling were the top initiatives.
• “Common hurdles include a lack of funds or personnel, an obstructive corporate culture that fosters resistance, and difficulty guaranteeing privacy and freedom from discrimination….”

For more information, see the full press release from the Conference Board, Apr. 10.

“The currently hard-pressed put a higher personal priority on being wealthy than do the well-to-do,” survey finds

From the Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends project:

“Who says Americans worship at the feet of the almighty dollar? Not the American public. Only 13% of adults say it’s ‘very important’ for them to be wealthy, ranking this personal priority far behind six others measured in a new survey by the Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends project.

“But don’t get Americans wrong — a majority certainly wouldn’t mind being rich. According to the survey, another 43% of adults say being wealthy is ’somewhat important’ to them, while about the same proportion say it’s ‘not too important’ (33%) or ‘not important at all’ (10%)….

“Four times more people say ‘doing volunteer work or donating to charity’ is a very important priority than say the same about being wealthy (52% vs. 13%). And about five times more Americans (67%) say it’s very important to them to have enough free time, the top-rated value in this survey….

“Who most wants to be rich? Those who aren’t, this survey suggests. Fully 22% of those with family incomes of less than $20,000 a year say it’s ‘very important’ for them to be wealthy. That’s more than double the proportion of adults who earn $100,000 or more a year.

“Paradoxically, while the least affluent are the most likely to value wealth the most, they’re also among the most likely to value wealth the least. Fully 13% of those in the less-than $20,000 income category say becoming wealth is ‘not important at all’ to them, nearly double the proportion of those in the $100,000 or more category who hold this view. As it turns out, there’s an age-related explanation for these seemingly inconsistent results. Those in the lowest income tier contain disproportionately large numbers of adults under the age of 30, a group that most values wealth, but also a heavy share of retirement-age adults, a group that values wealth the least….

“Wealth holds a great attraction for the young, this survey finds. Fully 20% of all adults under age 30 say being wealthy is a top priority — easily the largest proportion of any age group. Another 42% say it’s at least somewhat important to them. But the dream apparently diminishes with age. Only about 14% of adults between the ages of 30 and 49 place a high premium on being wealthy. And by the time adults reach their 50s, just one-in-ten place a similarly high priority on riches.

“Minorities also are significantly more likely than whites to value wealth. More than a quarter (26%) of all blacks says that it’s very important to them to be rich, nearly three times the proportion of whites (9%). Hispanics are more than twice as likely as whites to rate wealth as a top priority (21% vs. 9%). Overall, first-generation Americans are twice as likely as subsequent generations to say it’s important to them to be rich (25% vs. 12%).

“Education follows a similar pattern….

“Being wealthy tends to be highly valued by many whose current circumstances suggest they face long odds of ever becoming well-off….”

For more information, see: Full press release, Apr. 30 — Full poll results from Pew.

“Most say upper-income households pay too little in taxes”

From Gallup:

“Slightly over half of Americans believe the government should redistribute wealth by heavy taxes on the rich.

“The percentage holding this view, similar to that found in Gallup polling last year, is up from 1998….

“Other recent Gallup Poll questions underscore the finding that Americans are generally open to the idea of some type of effort to distribute wealth more evenly.

“Asked if the distribution of money and wealth in this country is fair or if they need to be distributed more evenly, about two-thirds of Americans agree with the latter response. This is up slightly from last year and, by two points, is the highest ‘more evenly distributed’ response to this question that Gallup has found over the eight times it has been asked since 1984….

“One reason it may be easy for Americans to readily agree with wealth redistribution and increased taxes on the rich is that most Americans do not perceive themselves to be rich and therefore presumably assume they have nothing to fear — financially — from such new policies.

“Analysis of the responses to these two questions by income shows that there are some differences by respondents’ income, but these differences are not large….

“The possibility of some type of political policy that would institute higher tax rates on high-income households was discussed in the recent Philadelphia debate between the two Democratic contenders, and both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama appeared to agree with some variant of this type of policy (although both are multimillionaires, according to their recently released tax statements). The public opinion data reviewed here suggest a majority of Americans would be receptive to such a possibility….”

For the full press release from Gallup, Apr. 25, click here.

Looking to the future, “Democratic candidates are perceived to be better than Senator McCain,” poll finds

From Harris Interactive:

“With the arrival of Earth Day 2008 and the ongoing presidential election, it is interesting to compare how the current president is perceived as handling the environment and how his possible replacements are perceived as handling it if they were president. Just over one-quarter of Americans (28%) give President Bush positive ratings on his handling of the environment over his term while almost two-thirds (64%) give him negative ratings.

“Not surprisingly, Republicans are more likely to give him positive ratings (58% positive versus 35% negative) and Democrats negative ratings (83% negative and 10% positive). Independents, however, are more closely aligned with Democrats on this issue. Seven in ten Independents (71%) give the president negative marks on his handling of the environment while one in five (22%) give him positive ones….

“Looking at the three Senators vying to replace President Bush, the two Democrats are perceived as doing a better job on the environment if they were elected president. Just under half say Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (47% each) would do a positive job on the environment while one-third (33%) say John McCain would do a positive job. One-third (32%) give a possible Obama presidency negative ratings on the environment, while a possible Clinton presidency and the environment is perceived negatively by 35 percent of Americans. Just under half (45%) give a possible McCain presidency negative ratings on the environment….

“The environment and global warming are issues that concern many people but, at this time, they are not nearly as important as the economy, Iraq or health care. In so far as they become significant issues in the election, these findings suggest they will be somewhat helpful to the Democratic candidate. This poll does not tell us whether Senator McCain’s lower scores reflect perceptions of Republicans in general or of McCain personally or if he is hurt by President Bush’s negative ratings on the environment….”

For the full press release, Apr. 21, click here.

Survey finds mixed support for boycott of Olympics; majority doubts Olympics broadcaster NBC will be aggressive in reporting negative news on China

From Zogby Interactive:

“As thousands of pro-Tibet protesters cut short the Olympic torch relay Monday in Paris, a new Zogby Interactive poll finds 70% of likely voters believe the International Olympic Committee was wrong to award this year’s summer Olympic Games to China because of its poor record on human rights. Dissatisfaction with the IOC’s choice is strong across the political spectrum, with 70% of Democrats and Republicans, and 68% of political independents who said they disagree with the decision to have China host the summer games….

“…The online survey finds nearly half — 48% — think U.S. political officials should not attend the opening ceremony of the games because of China’s poor human rights record, while 33% believe U.S. officials should attend and 19% are unsure. Most Democrats (52%) and independents (51%) would support U.S. political officials boycotting the opening ceremony, while Republicans are more divided — 42% believe U.S. officials should not attend, while 41% believe they should be present at the opening ceremony….

“Support for an outright boycott of the games is less strong, although nearly a third (31%) believe the United States Olympic Committee should boycott the Olympic Games and 23% believe President Bush should order a U.S. boycott of the games to protest China’s human rights record….

“While 46% agree a political boycott by world leaders of the Olympics would be an effective way for them to express their unhappiness with China’s human rights record, nearly as many (40%) disagree. Regardless of their support for a boycott, most question how likely it would be to bring about change — 70% believe a boycott of the Olympic Games in China would amount to grandstanding by world leaders that might help them politically in their own countries, but will have no effect on how China’s leaders treat their own citizens. Just 13% believe a boycott would embarrass the Chinese leadership so much they would change how they treat Chinese citizens.

“Regardless of how they view the effectiveness of a boycott to change how Chinese leaders treat their citizens, 71% believe any boycott of the Olympic Games in China by the U.S. would be hypocritical because the U.S. imports so many products from China and retains relatively close diplomatic ties with China that the U.S. has essentially endorsed China’s human rights record. Sixty-one percent also believe that U.S. political leaders may oppose a boycott against the China Olympics out of fear of a financial backlash from China….

“Despite recent media coverage of China’s human rights issues, nearly half of Americans (48%) believe the U.S. and international media will ignore negative stories about China before and during the Olympic Games out of fear of retribution from the Chinese government. The vast majority (94%) believes the Chinese government will try to prevent international news media from covering stories about China that put the government or country in a bad light….

“When asked about their expectations of coverage from NBC — the network contracted to televise the Olympic Games in China this summer — most (54%) don’t believe the network will be as aggressive about covering any possible negative stories about China leading up to and during the Olympics as it would be if not contracted to broadcast the games….”

For more information, see: Full press release from Zogby, Apr. 7 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 7.

“But majority of Americans support the government helping people stay in their homes,” Gallup says

From Gallup:

“A new Gallup Poll, conducted March 24-27, shows that 6 in 10 Americans oppose the federal government taking steps to help prevent major Wall Street investment companies from failing.

“On March 13, Bear Stearns told the Federal Reserve it would file for bankruptcy the next day and as a result, the Fed voted on March 14 to extend the investment company emergency credit to keep it from failing. On Sunday, March 16, the Fed, with the support of the U.S. Treasury, extended a $29 billion loan against Bear Stearns assets to facilitate its merger with JP Morgan.

“On Wednesday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke defended this highly unusual emergency action by stating, ‘Given the current exceptional pressures on the global economy and financial system, the damage caused by a default by Bear Stearns could have been severe and extremely difficult to contain.’…

“While the Fed’s effort to maintain financial stability is clearly justified when viewed in economic terms, it is opposed by a surprisingly uniform 6 in 10 Americans across a wide variety of demographic groups: men (61%) and women (60%); those in the East (55%), Midwest (60%), South (64%), and West (62%); those with annual incomes of less than $35,000 (61%), of $35,000 to $74,999 (59%), and of $75,000 or more (62%); and even those affiliated with political parties (or with no party): Republicans (61%), independents (64%), and Democrats (57%).

“In sharp contrast to their opposition to helping Wall Street investment companies, Americans — by a margin of 56% to 42% — support having the federal government take steps to help prevent people from losing their homes because they can’t pay their mortgages….

“While federal officials, the president, and the Congress may act against public opinion to preserve global financial stability, it seems hard to believe they will not also respond to help American homeowners. In fact, swooping in to rescue struggling homeowners could be crucial in offsetting consumer resentment toward the Fed over its Wall Street bailout….”

For the full Gallup press release, Apr. 3, click here.

For more information, see: Related Newsline story, Mar. 17.

Three in four now believe U.S. is in a recession

From Reuters/Zogby:

“With U.S. recession fears hitting new highs, the overall mood of Americans has taken a sharp turn for the worse, a new Reuters/Zogby poll shows. The Reuters/Zogby Index, which measures American confidence, has fallen to a new low of 87.7 from 99.3 last month, when the index boasted its highest rating since the baseline rating of 100 for the index was established in August.

“The report of public confidence in the economy and their nation comes after several days of dramatic economic headlines, but fieldwork for the survey was actually completed just as news was breaking Friday about the collapse of investment house Bear Stearns and the full percent cut of a key interest rate by the Federal Reserve — a quarter-point on Sunday and another three-quarters of a percent on Tuesday.

“The Reuters/Zogby index is comprised of 10 poll questions that gauge perceptions of the state of the country and the economy. Every one of the 10 data points declined in March compared to a month ago.

“Three in four Americans — 74% — believe the U.S. economy is currently in a recession, a sharp increase from the 54% surveyed last month who believed a recession could arrive sometime in the next year. Worries about the state of the nation’s economy may also be taking a toll on how Americans view their own economic circumstances — more than half (54%) give their personal financial situation a negative rating, up from 44% who said the same in last month’s survey….

“Likely voters are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the performance of U.S. economic policy, with 87% who rate it negatively — up 10 points from the 77% who said the same in February — with half (50%) who now rate the nation’s economic policy as ‘poor.’ Discontent over the nation’s economic policy cuts across party lines….

“Nearly three in four are also pessimistic about the overall direction the U.S. is headed — 73% believe the country is on the wrong track, up from 62% who said the same last month. Independents are most likely to feel this way (85%), but most Democrats (77%) and Republicans (60%) also believe the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction.

“The gains in job approval ratings made by President George W. Bush and Congress over the past few months from their all-time lows last year have reversed course in this latest poll. Approval ratings for the President stand at just 26% this month, down from 34% who gave him positive job approval marks in February. Bush has lost ground across the political spectrum, including among likely voters in his own party….

“Likely voters are even more dissatisfied with the job performance of Congress — job approval ratings for Congress have fallen to just 13%, down from 17% who gave Congress a positive rating last month….”

For the full press release, Mar. 19, click here.

“Ethanol research loses ground, continued division on ANWR,” Pew poll finds

From the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press:

“At a time of rising energy prices, the public continues to be conflicted in its overall approach toward energy and the environment. A majority of Americans say that developing new sources of energy, rather than protecting the environment, is the more important priority for the country. However, when asked specifically about energy policy priorities, 55% favor more conservation and regulation of energy, compared with 35% who support expanded energy exploration.

“As in recent years, specific policies that address both energy and the environment draw overwhelming support. Nine-in-ten Americans favor requiring better auto fuel efficiency standards, while substantial majorities also support increased federal funding for alternative energy (81%) and mass transportation (72%).

“By contrast, there is greater division over other energy policies. A majority (57%) favors increased federal funding on ethanol research, but support has fallen over the past two years (from 67% in February 2006).

“The public continues to be almost evenly split over the idea of promoting more nuclear power (48% oppose vs. 44% favor). And a majority (53%) opposes giving tax cuts to energy companies to do more oil exploration.

“With gas prices already high and expected to increase, the public overwhelmingly rejects boosting gas taxes to encourage carpooling and energy conservation. By greater than three-to-one (75% to 22%), Americans oppose raising gas taxes.

“The latest nationwide survey … finds continued public divisions over drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Currently, 50% oppose drilling in the Alaska refuge while 42% are in favor. As recently as September of 2005, 50% of Americans favored allowing drilling in ANWR, while 42% were opposed….

“Roughly 90% of Republicans, Democrats and independents support tougher auto fuel standards, and about 80% in each group favor more federal funding for research into alternative energy sources, such as wind, solar and hydrogen technology….

“Other energy policies are more divisive. Somewhat more independents (76%) and Democrats (73%) than Republicans (65%) favor increased funding for mass transit, including subway, rail and bus systems. Increased funding for mass transit also wins greater support from people living in urban (73%) and suburban areas (74%) than among those living in rural areas (62%).

“Roughly six-in-ten Republicans (59%), but just 46% of independents and 34% of Democrats, support promoting the increased use of nuclear power. Notably, there also is a substantial gender gap in views on the use of nuclear power: many more men than women support increased use of nuclear energy (58% vs. 31%, respectively).

“In addition, far more Republicans (52%) than Democrats (39%) favor giving tax cuts to energy companies to spur oil exploration….”

For the full press release from Pew, Mar. 6, click here.