text: Fast CompanyNewsletterSubscribeTechnologyLeadershipEntertainmentIdeasVideoNewsfast companyhomepagetechnologyleadershipentertainmentideasvideonewsco.Designhomepagecitiesgraphicsinnovation by designinteractiveproductspacescollectionsThe Most Innovative CompaniesThe top 50 companies in entertainment, media, sports, technology, and more.Most Creative PeopleMeet this year's inspiring leaders.Innovation By DesignA showcase for ingenious design solutions.Future of PhilanthropyInside The Changing World Of GivingWorld Changing IdeasNew workplaces, new food sources, new medicine—even an entirely new economic system.Work SmartThe apps, tips, tactics, and brain hacks to help you work smarter instead of harder.FastCo.Works StudioAn award-winning team of journalists, designers, and videographers who tell brand stories through Fast Company's distinctive lens.Current IssueCurrent IssueSUBSCRIBEFollow us:advertisementadvertisement04.30.14 work smartHow Coffee Makes You More HonestStudies on sleep-deprived workers show that caffeine can help steel us against unethical temptations at work.
  [Image: Flickr user Katherine Lim]By Samantha Cole1 minute ReadDo you take cream and sugar in your truth serum?advertisementWe already know that coffee gives us more focus, better memory, and provides an extra kick when cortisol is low, but it's also making us more honest.When you're sleep deprived, it's easier to go along with unethical suggestions because resistance takes more effort.According to a recent study, caffeine helps you resist pressure to act unethically at work.Being tired, the researchers said, makes it harder to stay resolute. "When you're sleep deprived at work, it's much easier to simply go along with unethical suggestions from your boss because resistance takes effort and you're already worn down," said David Welsh, an organizational behavior professor at the University of Washington.In the study, published in the March issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology, participants pulled an all-nighter and then chewed either a piece of regular gum, or gum laced with 200 milligrams of caffeine–the equivalent to two cups of coffee. They were then given the opportunity to play along with a lie to earn money.advertisementThe caffeinated group was less likely to take the bait; they balked at the dirty dealings. The group without caffeinated had only fresh breath to console their consciousnesses–they were more easily plied to leave morals behind for some cash."Caffeine can help you resist by strengthening your self-control and willpower when you're exhausted," said Michael Christian, an organizational behavior professor at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.And, as earlier research shows, there's a definite link between sleep deprivation and misbehavior. Deviant behavior costs companies as much as $200 billion each year, but according to the study of overworked nurses, "providing employees with caffeine can completely reverse the negative effects of sleep deprivation, at least in the short term."Wearing employees down until they've burned out of ethical restraint is a larger problem itself, but the researchers offer a few practical lessons from their findings:
  Cut back on long hours and excessive workloads.
  Schedule decision-making meetings and high-pressure tasks around long-haul projects.
  Provide awareness training for burnout, and don't encourage an over-working culture.
  When all else fails, start another pot.
  Hat tip: FortuneAbout the authorFormer Tweets, words, and editorial support for Fast Company Leadership. Find Sam on the Internet: @samleecole. MoreFast Company Daily NewsletterSign UpReceive special Fast Company offersSee All NewslettersadvertisementRelated StoriesLeadershipEveryone Secretly Hates Your "Friendly Reminder" EmailLeadershipWant To Be More Creative And Successful? Fight The Urge To FocusLeadershipUber Drivers Don't Think Travis Kalanick's Departure Will Improve Their Work ConditionsadvertisementVideoHow One Art Festival Encourages And Celebrates Global DiversitySnapchat Unveils A New Way For You To Stalk Your Friends--And Other Stories You Might've MissedThis Company Delivers Wine In Bottles, Cans--And Soon, Kegs?Grindr For Equality Is Turning The Gay Hookup App Into A Trusted Source Of Health And Wellness InfoTravis Kalanick Is Out--Where Does Uber Go From Here?General Stanley McChrystal's Remedy For A Divided NationWhy Webcams And The Internet Are Tools For ArtHow This Google Employee Transformed His Career During A Bad Job MarketHappy 30th Birthday To The GIF!Seattle's Space Needle Is Getting A Major Facelift--And Other Stories You Might've MissedHow Previously Working For An Oil Company Helped Shape This Jigsaw Employee's ValuesEver Wanted To Eat Your Beer? Well Now You CanFrom Film FX To The U.S. Department of Defense: Inside Zoic's Revolutionary LabIdeasIdeasThe Al Gore Interview: Full TranscriptIdeasThe Newest Burger At Sonic Blends The Beef With Mushrooms So You Eat Less MeatIdeasHow The Next Generation Of West Virginians Are Building A Way Out Of The State's Coal EconomyEntertainmentEntertainmentIce Cube Is Betting Big On The Future Of Three-On-Three BasketballEntertainmentThis Nike Ad Subtly, Respectfully Celebrates Pride WeekEntertainmentShowtime's "More Than T" Profiles 7 Transpeople Who Transcend That One LetterCo.DesignProductAmazon Just Patented A Drone SkyscraperSpacesThis Beautiful Replica Of The Moon Is Floating Around LondonGraphics13 Courtroom Drawings That Captured HistoryFast CompanyIdeasThe Al Gore Interview: Full TranscriptLeadershipEveryone Secretly Hates Your "Friendly Reminder" EmailEntertainmentIce Cube Is Betting Big On The Future Of Three-On-Three BasketballAdvertisePrivacy PolicyTermsContactAbout UsSite MapFast Company & Inc © 2017 Mansueto Ventures, LLC