Fewer U.S. employees feel respected at work, returning to a record low reported in 2022, according to Jan. 13 report by Gallup.
In a survey of workers, 37% said they strongly agreed that they’re treated with respect at work, dropping from 40% in 2023 and 44% in 2020 and 2021.
“People come to work expecting to receive respect. It is a requirement for collaboration. In the presence of mutual respect, team members can communicate openly and constructively,” wrote Ryan Pendell, a senior workplace science editor at Gallup.
“Disrespect, by contrast, damages workplace relationships,” Pendell wrote. “When employees report a lack of respect at work, there’s a strong chance that ethically and legally questionable behavior is present.”
For instance, a 2018 Gallup study found that 90% of employees who disagreed or strongly disagreed that they were respected at work reported experiencing at least 1 of 35 discrimination or harassment behaviors during the previous 12 months.
In 2022, workers reported a decline in respect across industries, job levels and demographic characteristics. This occurred during the Great Resignation period, when employers required workers to come back to the office and historically high quit rates occurred.
In 2024, during the Great Detachment, workers reported a decline in respect due to broader discontent at work, including low engagement, well-being, job satisfaction and uncertainty around worker expectations.
Employee engagement, in particular, appears to play a big role, Gallup found. For instance, engaged employees are five times more likely to say they’re treated with respect at work.
Good management, in turn, boosts engagement, Gallup said. Employees with a great manager who provides weekly, meaningful coaching are four times more likely to say they’re engaged, regardless if they are remote or in-office.
To improve respect at work, managers should hold weekly conversations with team members, Gallup said. Managers who know their people well can communicate expectations, explain policies and make meaningful individualized changes to show employees they’re heard and valued.
Notably, toxic workplaces tend to drive out leaders of color more quickly, according to The Courage Collective. Instead, creating psychological safety and belonging takes an ongoing effort among managers and leaders.
Women are also much more likely than men to experience a toxic workplace culture and describe it as disrespectful, noninclusive and unfair, according to MIT Sloan Management Review. HR pros can help shift ingrained cultural issues, though, by looking at managerial behavior and employee feedback.
