Employees Trust Their Employers More Than Anyone—But Not Their CEOs

The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 78% of employees trust their employer to do the right thing (the highest of any institution), yet only 44% trust their CEO to bridge divides—a 29-point credibility gap that shows up in disengaged town halls and skeptical Q&As.

Trust is growing more insular: just 22% of people trust someone meaningfully different from them, and trust-building now requires openness and transparency about differences (49% and 46%, respectively)—not just sending the same memo to everyone.

The productivity cost of distrust is real: 42% of employees say they'd put in less effort if their leader held different political beliefs, and 34% would switch departments to avoid reporting to a manager with different values. Internal comms must normalize collaboration across differences, not smooth them over.