Coworkers say they distrust each other more than ever

Amid widespread upheaval in the global economy, workplace relationships may be suffering. In the latest edition of its annual Trust at Work survey, public relations giant Edelman found that workers’ trust in their colleagues has fallen to its slowest point in the survey’s history, dropping to 73% from 82% in August 2024. Trust in direct managers fell to 72% from 79%, while trust in CEOs fell to 66% from 70% — both also record lows. The report, which surveyed nearly 34,000 respondents in 28 countries, suggests change may be to blame. More than three-quarters of respondents said they have experienced at least one “transformation” in the past year, such as implementation of AI and strategy shifts, about one-third of whom had a negative experience. This era of change has put trust in businesses at risk, writes Edelman chief executive Richard Edelman. “Business has been on a great run as the most trusted institution, but transformation is the hinge point,” he writes. “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.” Another factor that may be contributing to the erosion of …