BP sacked 252 employees for unethical behaviour in 2004, 53% more than in 2003, the oil giant has revealed.
The figure was published in BP’s “sustainability” report, which details the company’s corporate social responsibilty activity in its operations around the world.
The report said the main reasons for the dismissals were theft, fraud and harassment.
Speaking at the launch of the report, BP chief executive John Browne said: “Human ingenuity always finds something to do. It is up to us to try to track it down.”
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BP has a scheme known as “OpenTalk” where staff can raise ethical issues, often anonymously, and the report highlighted one example where a BP employee feared he could lose his job if he reported an oil spillage.
The company also gave examples of where it was spending money to help improve communities in which it operates.