An annual report on the topic of trust shows a retreat inward. A majority of people trust those close to them — their CEOs, their neighbours — but take an insular approach to others.
As trust circles, including those in the workplace, narrow and become dependent on proximity and relationships, employers are best positioned to facilitate trust across colliding factions, according to the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer. Respondents said they have more trust in their CEO and their neighbours (61% each) than in CEOs in general (48%), journalists (48%), and government leaders (43%).
A majority of respondents in 27 of the 28 countries measured in the report said they trust their employer. Overall, 78% said that they “trust their employer to do what is right”, up 2 percentage points from last year. That trust is highest in India and Indonesia (92% each). In the UK, for instance, 75% said they trust their employer to do what is right.
Insular trust mindsets are an aggravating factor for grievance, the report noted. Most respondents (57%) said their sense of grievance has become moderate or higher because of systems, governments, and businesses that perpetuate wealth inequality.
Ideological differences also pose significant risks to workplace conflict and productivity. Forty-two per cent of employees expressed that they would rather switch departments than report to a manager with different values, and 34% said they would put less effort into a project if the team leader held different political beliefs to them.
Income disparity could increase disunity in the workplace. According to the report, the majority of low-income employees (54%) fear being left behind as artificial intelligence (AI) systems become more integrated into their roles. In addition, 32% of respondents believe the next generation will be better off, a drop of 4 percentage points from a year ago.
In an era increasingly defined by polarising narratives, employers are currently best positioned to close the trust gap, with what the report refers to as “trust brokering” — in other words, strategies employers can take to facilitate trust between distrusting groups.
“Employers have the smallest expectation/performance gap when it comes to trust brokering and a high degree of trust with their employees,” the report said. “This makes them well positioned to scale trust brokering through conflict-resolution trainings and opportunities to work and interact with people who have different values.”
Employees share this sentiment. Globally, employees want their employers to:
- Promote a shared identity and culture that shows what unites rather than divides them (82%);
- Build teams that will require people with different values to work together to succeed (81%); and
- Provide mandatory employee training for engaging in constructive dialogue during conflict (80%).
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Steph Brown at Stephanie.Brown@aicpa-cima.com.
