Unethical pro-supervisor behavior is a type of behavior that protects the interests of leaders but violates laws and regulations or social norms. Previous studies widely considered that employees voluntarily engage in unethical pro-supervisor behavior based on their personal characteristics or supervisor-subordinate relationship. Given China’s high power distance culture, this study challenges the previous view, proposes the construct of compulsory unethical pro-supervisor behavior (i.e., the unethical pro-supervisor behavior exhibited by individuals at the request or pressure of their supervisors), and conducts empirical tests. In study 1, we developed a scale of compulsory unethical pro-supervisor behavior through qualitative interview (N = 20 employees), content validity analysis (N = 15 scholars), exploratory factor analysis (N = 299 employees), confirmatory factor analysis (N = 265 employees), and discrimination validity and convergence validity analysis (N = 268 employees). In study 2, we collected a three-wave survey (N = 280 employees) to test the destructive impact of unethical pro-supervisor behavior on work outcomes. The results of regression analysis show that compulsory unethical pro-supervisor behaviors undermines in-role performance, contextual performance, and wellbeing through basic psychological need thwarting; The above relationship is particularly prominent among the employees with higher levels of moral identity. By exploring the concept, measurement and negative consequences of compulsory pro-supervisor unethical behavior in Chinese context, this study can promote the construction and development of business management theory with Chinese features.