Employee Trust in Leadership: 80% Question Whether Leaders Put Employees First

Trust in workplace leadership is often tested most when businesses face difficult decisions and employees are left uncertain about what comes next.

LiveCareer’s Trust Under Pressure Report, based on a workplace trust survey of 900 U.S. workers, examines employee trust in leadership, including how workers view leadership decisions and communication during financial difficulties, layoffs, and AI-driven change.

The findings show that the majority of workers surveyed rarely or never trust leadership to put employee interests ahead of profit, and most don’t trust leadership to be fully honest and transparent during financial difficulties.

Key Findings

Trust gives way to profit. 4 in 5 workers (80%) say they rarely or never trust leadership to put employees' interests ahead of profit when the two conflict.
Financial hardship erodes confidence. Nearly 3 in 4 workers (73%) don’t trust leadership to be fully honest and transparent during periods of financial difficulty.
Layoff explanations leave employees skeptical. 71% believe leadership was at least somewhat dishonest or withheld information when explaining layoffs or restructuring.
Workers expect limited transparency around AI. 71% believe their employer would either downplay AI's impact on jobs or avoid discussing it until employees experience the effects firsthand.
Reskilling inspires little confidence. 7 in 10 workers (70%) believe leadership would be unlikely to invest in retraining or reskilling employees whose roles are affected by AI.

Do Employees Trust Their Employer? 80% Say Profit Comes First

When employees’ best interests compete with profit, 8 in 10 workers rarely or never trust leadership to make decisions with those interests in mind:

40% say profit is always the priority.
40% say employees are usually second to profit.
14% say employee interests are often considered, but profit usually wins.
6% say employees always come first.

What this means: Trust begins to erode when employees believe business decisions consistently favor financial outcomes over people. Even difficult decisions are more likely to be accepted when workers feel leadership has genuinely considered their interests alongside the organization's priorities.

Financial Difficulties Put Transparency to the Test

Employees are also uncertain about the level of transparency provided by their employer during times of financial difficulty:

40% believe leadership is never transparent.
33% believe leadership isn’t fully honest about what’s happening.
19% believe leadership shares limited information.
8% believe leadership is fully open and transparent.

What this means: Gaps in communication can make financial uncertainty feel more unsettling for employees. Without a clear picture of what the organization is facing, workers may be left unsure about what the situation could mean for their jobs and their future with the company.

Layoffs Leave Lasting Questions

Among respondents who experienced layoffs or restructuring at their employer, just 6% say leadership clearly explained the reasons and context. Most instead report limited transparency about the reasons behind those decisions:

36% feel leadership obscured the reasons.
35% feel leadership wasn’t truthful at all.
23% feel leadership shared some information but withheld details.
6% feel leadership clearly explained the reasons and context.

What this means: The effects of layoffs don’t end when the job cuts are announced. For employees who remain, unanswered questions about why decisions are made can prolong uncertainty and make it harder to rebuild trust.

Employees Expect AI Communication to Fall Short

Most workers are skeptical that their employer would communicate openly if AI or automation affected jobs:

40% believe leadership would downplay or minimize the impact to protect the company’s image.
31% believe leadership would say nothing until employees felt the effects.
20% expect leadership to share limited information.
9% expect leadership to be fully transparent.

What this means: For workers, the concern is not only that AI could threaten their jobs, but that they may not be told what’s happening until it’s too late. This uncertainty is adding to workers’ unease about AI and what it could mean for their future at work.

Workers Doubt Employers Will Invest in Their Future

Workers have limited confidence that their employer will invest in retraining or reskilling them rather than replacing them if AI changes their role:

40% say retraining or reskilling is unlikely.
30% say it’s not very likely.
22% say it’s somewhat likely.
8% say it’s very likely.

What this means: As AI reshapes how people work, employees need reassurance that their employer is willing to invest in training and reskilling to help them adapt and grow.

Trust Concerns Extend to Employee Well-Being

Workers report limited trust that leadership would consider employee well-being and mental health when making business decisions:

42% don’t trust leadership at all to consider well-being.
30% rarely trust leadership to do so.
22% sometimes trust leadership, but feel business considerations usually come first.
6% completely trust leadership to prioritize well-being.

What this means: Workers don’t feel their health and well-being are a top priority when business decisions are made. That perception can make it harder for employees to feel supported and valued at work.

How Leaders Can Strengthen Employee Trust

Businesses will always face difficult decisions, but these findings suggest that how leaders communicate those decisions can have a lasting impact on employee trust in leadership. Financial uncertainty, layoffs, AI-driven change, and concerns about employee well-being can all create trust issues at work when employees feel leaders are withholding information or prioritizing business outcomes over their interests.

Leaders can't eliminate uncertainty, but they can be transparent about what’s changing, explain why decisions are being made, and communicate how those decisions may affect employees. Demonstrating a willingness to listen, communicate openly, and invest in employees' ability to adapt can help organizations strengthen trust—even when the answers aren't easy.

For press inquiries, please contact Elizabeth Buccianti at elizabeth.buccianti@bold.com.

Methodology

This survey was conducted by LiveCareer in July 2026 among 900 U.S. workers across industries and career levels. Respondents answered a series of multiple-choice questions examining trust in workplace leadership, employer transparency, financial communication, layoffs, artificial intelligence, reskilling, and employee well-being. The findings reflect workers' perceptions of how leadership communicates and makes decisions during periods of organizational change.

About LiveCareer

LiveCareer's online Resume Builder is designed to empower its users to get better jobs and improve their job search. A one-stop shop among AI resume builder tools, LiveCareer features cutting-edge resume templates, a powerful cover letter builder, and extensive free career resources to support job candidates in reaching their professional goals. Used by over 28 million job seekers around the world, LiveCareer has been publishing expert advice from Certified Professional Resume Writers since 2005. LiveCareer’s career tips have been featured in renowned media outlets, including Bloomberg, Forbes, and Newsweek. Follow LiveCareer as a preferred source in Google to receive more workforce trends, career insights, and labor market research in your personalized search experience.