High compensation can lead employees to act unethically towards their managers, even after receiving fair pay for their work. This was shown in two experiments where high-paid employees were more likely to engage in dishonest behavior to benefit their managers. Even when given the opportunity for personal gain, only underpaid employees were influenced to act unethically. These findings were supported by field evidence showing that higher salaries were linked to police officers engaging in unethical and illegal actions to help their organization.