Employee engagement has been falling since 2022, yet the latest Edelman Trust Barometer suggests most employees still trust their employer.

So how can both be true?

In this first episode of Track Changes On, Caroline Warnes explores the difference between institutional trust and the psychological contract, and why employees may be spending more mental energy trying to reconcile the organisation they believe they work for with the one they experience every day.

In this episode

- Why one Instagram Reel sparked an unexpected conversation about trust

- What Gallup and Edelman reveal about the modern workplace

- The difference between institutional trust and the psychological contract

- Why conflicting workplace signals create invisible cognitive work

- What psychological contract breach might explain about declining engagement

Companion article

This episode is accompanied by a full article on Track Changes On, where the ideas, research and practical reflections are explored in greater depth.

Content and research referenced in the episode

- Caroline's Instagram reel on trust

- Gallup employee engagement data

- 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer

- Research on corporate employee burnout

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