Landmark Technologies has published research showing that 51% of office workers in Ireland have felt pressure to cut corners on regulatory compliance. It also found that 10% did not report a compliance breach they knew had occurred in the past year.
The findings are based on a Censuswide survey of 1,000 employees in the Republic of Ireland on workplace attitudes to rules including GDPR, NIS2 and ISO standards.
More than half of respondents said their employers place greater weight on speed or results than on compliance obligations. The research found that 54% held that view, while 52% said they had seen senior management bend or break compliance rules.
These figures suggest concern not only about individual behaviour, but also about the example set by leadership teams. Workers appear to see pressure on compliance as part of wider workplace culture rather than as isolated incidents.
Landmark's data also indicates that many employees believe the compliance burden is becoming harder to manage. Some 61% said regulatory requirements are increasingly difficult to keep up with, 61% said remote and hybrid working has made compliance harder to enforce, and 58% said artificial intelligence is making compliance more challenging for organisations.
Risky practices
The research highlighted a range of behaviours linked to data handling and internal processes. A quarter of workers said they had used personal cloud storage services such as Google Drive to store work files in the past year.
Nearly a fifth, or 18%, said they had shared customer data through unsecured channels including personal email or WhatsApp. The survey also found that 21% had accepted terms and conditions on behalf of their organisation without reading them, while the same proportion said they had clicked through a work compliance policy without reading it.
Elsewhere, 16% said they had signed off on a work compliance document without fully understanding it. Another 14% said they had downloaded company data onto a personal USB drive, and 12% said they had bypassed compliance protocols to meet a deadline.
The figures add to a picture of routine shortcuts in day-to-day work, particularly where staff face time pressure or rely on personal devices and consumer tools. They also suggest that formal policies do not always translate into consistent practice.
Training levels
Despite those findings, the survey points to widespread training activity. Some 91% of office workers reported receiving cybersecurity training within the past 12 months, and the average time since their last session was three and a half months.
That suggests many organisations are continuing to invest in awareness programmes even as employees report difficulty following rules consistently. It also raises questions about whether training alone is enough when workers believe management may override compliance expectations.
Ken Kelleher, Managing Director of Landmark Technologies, commented on the findings.
“Compliance is not optional and cannot be treated as an afterthought. As cyber risks grow and regulatory environments become more complex, data protection is paramount. However, our research points to a combination of factors creating environments where risky behaviours are becoming normalised. Particularly concerning is the example being set by senior leaders, as well as the number of employees using unsecured or unregulated means to share sensitive data.
“As AI and modern ways of working continue to reshape the workplace, organisations need to ensure that compliance processes are not only robust and comprehensive, but also clear and easy for employees to follow. Strong leadership and regular training are critical to help businesses reduce risk and maintain trust,” said Ken Kelleher, Managing Director of Landmark Technologies.
Founded in Dublin, the company provides IT and cybersecurity services in the Irish market. Its survey adds to a broader debate among employers over how to maintain controls as staff use more digital tools, work across locations and face tighter delivery targets.
Among the starkest findings was that 52% of workers said they had seen senior leaders bend or break compliance rules.