The percentage of U.S. employees who agree that they are treated with respect at work has returned to a record low of 37%, which was previously reported in 2022, according to a new poll from Gallup. In 2022, respect had declined for workers across industries, job levels, and demographics. At the time, remote workers saw the largest decline, from 46% to 35%.
Things are not so different now, the poll finds. Employees’ sense of being treated with respect has returned to the levels observed during the Great Resignation. Employees are less likely to know what is expected of them, less likely to feel connected to their organization’s mission, and less likely to feel satisfied with their job. On-site workers who are not capable of working remote experience the lowest levels of respect (32%) compared with 37% of all workers.
Disrespect in the workplace can be damaging. A 2018 report from Gallup finds that 90% of employees who feel disrespected at work report having experienced at least one of 35 discrimination or harassment behaviors over the previous year.
When employees feel engaged at work, they are five times as likely to feel like they are being respected. Additionally, employees with a great manager who provides weekly, meaningful coaching conversations are four times as likely to be engaged and thriving in their well-being, regardless of their work location.
When it comes to improving respect in the workplace, Gallup finds that employees fall pretty evenly into two categories regarding how they approach work-life balance: splitters and blenders. While blenders enjoy getting work calls outside of regular business hours, splitters hate it. People are less likely to feel respected when their work routine doesn’t align with their expectation of work-life balance.