40% of Workers Have Quit a Job Due to Distrust of Their Manager

Trust isn’t just a workplace buzzword — it’s the foundation of a thriving, productive team. What happens when trust between employees and employers starts to crumble? A new survey of 1,000 U.S. workers highlights employees’ growing lack of trust in their employers and how these feelings differ across generations. The report found that one in four (25%) don’t trust their manager to act in their best interests, and 43% of respondents said that Gen Z is the most likely to challenge leadership decisions openly.

Key takeaways:

• 40% of workers have quit a job due to distrust in their manager.
• 53% have felt misled or lied to by their manager.
• 25% do not fully trust their manager to act in their best interests.
• 45% believe Gen Z has the least trust in corporate leadership.
• Over half (54%) believe baby boomers are the most trusting of corporate leadership.
• Regardless of generation, two-thirds say that their leaders do not understand the priorities and challenges of their specific generation.

Trust in Leadership: Navigating Manager-Employee Relationships

Trust between employees and their managers is a critical element of workplace success. However, many workers report varying levels of trust in their managers’ ability to act in their best interests.

• 25% do not fully trust their manager to act in their best interests
• 53% have felt lied to or misled by a manager

What this means: These findings highlight a significant trust gap between employees and managers, which can impact workplace morale, communication, and overall job satisfaction.

Trust on the Line: What Undermines Confidence in Leadership

Trust between employees and managers is built through communication, fairness, and accountability. However, certain leadership behaviors can erode that trust, making it difficult for employees to feel fully supported or valued in the workplace.

• Respondents report that favoritism (23%), unethical behavior (18%), and poor communication (17%) are the top three factors that most damage employees’ trust in their managers.

The report also found a lack of accountability among those in management positions:

• 48% say their manager acknowledges mistakes but downplays them
• 29% report their manager takes full responsibility for mistakes
• 23% have managers who do not admit fault when they make a mistake

The bottom line is that poor relationships between managers and employees can have serious consequences. 40% of respondents reported that they have left a job because they did not trust their manager.

What this means: When trust in leadership is compromised, employees feel undervalued, disengaged, and unsupported in their roles. Strengthening communication, accountability and fairness is essential to fostering a workplace where employees feel confident in their leaders.

Generational Divide: How Different Generations View Workplace Leadership

Workplace trust isn’t universal — it shifts across generations. The report found older generations place more confidence in corporate leadership, while those newer to the workforce remain skeptical about their company’s top brass. 

• Nearly half (45%) of workers believe Gen Z has the least trust in corporate leadership.
• A majority (54%) say baby boomers trust corporate leadership the most.

What this means: Different generations have varying levels of trust in corporate leadership, with younger employees expressing more skepticism while older generations demonstrate greater confidence in workplace leaders.

Gen Z Empowered to Speak Out

Gen Z is redefining workplace dynamics by challenging leadership more openly than previous generations. With a strong willingness to voice concerns and question decisions, they are pushing for greater accountability and transparency in the workplace.

• 40% of workers believe Gen Z is the generation most likely to raise concerns when they disagree with leadership
• 43% of respondents say Gen Z is the most willing to push back against leadership choices
• 34% feel baby boomers are least likely to voice their concerns about company leadership

What this means: Gen Z is vocal about addressing workplace concerns, and that level of transparency will help older generations learn how to best collaborate with Gen Z.

The Majority of Workforce Feels Misunderstood

The one common thread across age groups is a significant gap in understanding between themselves and leadership. Regardless of generation, most respondents (63%) say that leaders do not understand the priorities and challenges of their specific generation.

In today’s dynamic workplace, where trust can fluctuate, and generational differences exist, employees must take charge of their career paths by focusing on writing a great resume and proactive career planning.

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For press inquiries, contact Elizabeth Buccianti, senior manager public relations, at elizabeth.buccianti@bold.com.

Methodology

The findings presented were obtained by surveying 1,000 American respondents on February 11, 2025. Participants were queried about their experiences with the trustworthiness of their managers and how different generations view trust in the workplace. They answered different types of questions, including yes/no, open-ended, scale-based questions where respondents indicated their level of agreement with statements, and multiple-choice where they could select from a list of provided options.