Trust between coworkers has fallen nine points in two years, according to Edelman’s 2026 Trust at Work report. In August 2024, 82% of employees said they trusted their colleagues. This August, the figure was 73%.
Edelman surveyed nearly 34,000 people across 28 countries, and trust fell at every level of the organisation. Trust in direct managers dropped from 79% to 72%, and trust in CEOs went from 70% to 66%. Trust between peers, where most daily work happens, fell the most.
Constant change is wearing people down
More than three quarters of respondents said their organisation is going through a transformation, from rolling out AI to changing its overall strategy. About a third said the experience had been negative. Three in four workers fear losing their jobs. They point to tariffs, automation, offshoring and a lack of training.
When people worry about their own position, colleagues can start to look like competitors. If a team is being restructured around new AI tools, it may have fewer seats at the end, and everyone in the room knows it.
Richard Edelman, the firm’s CEO, said: “Transformation is the hinge point. If transformation goes poorly, it will go back to all the bad things once assumed about business.”
Harder conversations at work
The data also shows political friction. Only 56% of employees said they feel comfortable discussing discrimination with a colleague who disagrees with them, down nine points. Comfort discussing climate change fell six points, to 65%.
What this means for leaders
How much peers trust each other affects how quickly teams share information, raise problems and adopt new tools. A company rolling out AI across departments needs employees to say openly what works and what doesn’t. When trust is low, that feedback arrives later and more cautiously.
Edelman’s wider research has ranked business as the most trusted institution for years. This report suggests that standing now depends on how companies handle the changes they are pushing through. Next year’s numbers will likely depend on three things: clear communication about what AI will and won’t replace, real investment in retraining, and honesty about headcount plans.
Source: Edelman 2026 Trust at Work report, via Fast Company
