Worker trust in colleagues hits lowest point in survey history

Workers' trust in their colleagues has fallen to its lowest point on record, according to the latest annual "Trust at Work" survey by Edelman. Trust in colleagues dropped from 82% to 73%, while trust in direct managers fell from 79% to 72%. Trust in CEOs also reached a record low, declining from 70% to 66%.

The report, which surveyed nearly 34,000 individuals across 28 countries, suggests that widespread organizational changes may be the primary driver of this trust erosion. Over three-quarters of respondents reported experiencing at least one significant "transformation" in the past year, such as the implementation of AI or strategic shifts, with approximately one-third describing their experience as negative.

Edelman CEO Richard Edelman noted that this era of transformation poses a risk to corporate trust. "Business has been on a great run as the most trusted institution, but transformation is the hinge point," he stated. "If transformation goes poorly, it will go back to all the bad things once assumed about business—profits over people, employees are just numbers, and the like."

Further contributing to the decline in workplace trust are fears of job loss due to factors like automation, offshoring, and tariffs. Additionally, growing political polarization has made workers less comfortable discussing societal issues with colleagues who hold differing views, impacting trust dynamics.

Rebuilding trust hinges on successfully navigating these changes, which Richard Edelman described as "the central business leadership challenge of our moment." He cautioned that poorly managed transformations can create division within an organization, while effective management can accelerate growth.