More American workers cite company culture as the reason they distrust their employer

Almost 1 out of every 5 working Americans — or 17% — say the trust between employees and employers has eroded since the start of the pandemic. On the other hand, about 1 in 10 believe trust has improved.

The TELUS Health LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ for September reveals that those employees reporting a decline in trust have a mental health score more than seven points below the national average of 62.8. The Index is based on a response scoring system that then turns individual responses into point values. Higher point values are associated with better mental health and less mental health risk. Scores between 0 and 49 correspond with distress levels, scores between 50 and 79 correspond with strain levels, and scores between 80 and 100 correspond with optimal levels of mental health.

The Index finds that the mental health of U.S. workers remains significantly strained. The September score was 70.2 points out of 100, a modest improvement from August’s score of 69.4, but still below the September 2021 score of 71.0.

Workplace culture has a large impact on employee responses. Among workers who report lower trust, 38% blame a change in workplace culture. For the past six months, both factors have represented the lowest sub-scores of the seven-factor Mental Health Index, with 22% of Americans who feel alone having a mental health score nearly 25 points below the national average.

Here are other highlights of September’s index:

• 1 in 4 respondents fault a change in how employers handle employee wellbeing.

• Nearly one-quarter (22%) say that perceived changes in employee commitment led to decreased trust.

• The 12% of people who say trust has improved give credit to positive changes in communication, culture, and employer support for employee health and wellbeing.

• American workers who say there has been no change in trust with their employer have the most favorable mental health score (72.1).

• The mental health of those with a positive view of how the return to work/reopening is being handled was 75.1, nearly five points higher than the national average.

“The data is clear,” Paula Allen, global leader and senior vice president of research and total wellbeing for LifeWorks, says in a statement. “Workers who report trust in their employer have higher mental health scores and higher productivity. It is difficult to trust anyone or any entity that does not care about your wellbeing. Demonstrating support for employee wellbeing could not be more important than it is now, given the tenuous nature of relationships at the moment.”

Related: Mental health care must become standard operating procedure in employee benefits

“Trust is particularly important when navigating cultural change, such as new hybrid work environments,” adds Michael Dingle, TELUS Health’s chief operating officer. “When employers manage these changes to positively affect employee commitment and effort while on the job, trust is strengthened. Enhancing mental health supports not only demonstrates commitment to employee wellness but also acts as an inflection point for employees who are looking for an indication of a company’s culture into the future.”