3 in 10 execs have taken blame for something they didn't do

One-third felt indirectly responsible: Survey

Some professionals are "taking one for the team" at work, according to an OfficeTeam survey. Three in 10 senior managers in the United States said they have accepted the blame in the office for something that wasn't their fault.

One-third (34 per cent) who took the fall reported they did so because they felt indirectly responsible for the problem, while more than one-quarter (28 per cent) just didn't want to get others in trouble, found the survey of more than 1,000 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees.

"Why did you take the blame at work for something that wasn't your fault?"

•I felt indirectly responsible for the problem (34 per cent)

•I didn't want to get others in trouble (28 per cent)

•It was a minor infraction that wasn't worth arguing over (25 per cent)

•An explanation would have been more trouble than it was worth (12 per cent).

"It's best to accept responsibility when you've made a mistake at work," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "However, sometimes professionals feel compelled to take the blame for something they didn't do. Depending on the infraction, being the scapegoat only hurts your own reputation."

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