Australian public servants say they have seen corrupt behaviour at work.

The Australian Coat of Arms in metal hangs on the glass wall of a building that reflects another high-rise across the street. Source: Getty Images

Around five per cent of federal public servants said they witnessed corrupt behaviour this year, with most of the complaints relating to fellow bureaucrats giving preference to friends and family in the hiring process.

The finding comes from an internal survey, published by the Australian Public Service Commission in its annual report.

The report also shows 64 public servants were found to have made improper use of inside information, or abused their status, power or authority. That’s an increase on 31 breaches in the same category in 2015-16.

There were 287 breaches in the “behave with honesty and integrity” category, while 16 were found not to have complied with relevant Australian laws.