Copyright Forbes
Mentions of “misalignment” in employee reviews about senior leadership surged 149% from 2024 to 2025, while “disconnect” rose 24% and “distrust” climbed 26%, according to Glassdoor’s newly released 2026 Worklife Trends Report. At the same time, small layoffs affecting fewer than 50 workers increased from 38% of all layoffs in 2015 to 51% in 2025. Together, these workplace trends signal a major realignment in how employees view leadership and organizational trust. After years of transformation, 2026 is emerging as a reset year—one defined by new expectations, tighter budgets and evolving power dynamics between employers and employees. Professionals who understand what’s driving these changes will be better equipped to navigate what’s next. Here are the top six workplace trends to watch. 1. The Great Employee-Leader Disconnect Trust in leadership has hit a breaking point. Glassdoor ratings of senior management have dropped well below their pandemic peak as mentions of “misalignment,” “disconnect” and “distrust” surge in reviews. “Workers are feeling whiplash from the emotional rollercoaster of the last six years,” says Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor’s chief economist. “At the height of the pandemic, leaders were transparent and vulnerable. Now many have reverted to corporate-speak, and workers no longer feel like their leaders have their backs.” With less leverage than they had during the Great Resignation, employees are watching how leaders handle layoffs, return-to-office mandates and AI adoption—often at the expense of trust and morale. This workplace trend underscores a growing need for leadership transparency in 2026. 2. The "Forever Layoff" Sets In Small but steady layoffs are becoming the new normal. One of the most striking workplace trends is the move from large-scale cuts to continuous smaller reductions, a pattern Glassdoor calls the “forever layoff.” These rolling cuts may not make headlines, but they create ongoing uncertainty and anxiety. Mentions of layoffs and job insecurity in late 2025 were already higher than in early 2020. While companies may view these cuts as a subtle way to manage payroll, the cultural cost is significant. The “forever layoff” fuels burnout, disengagement and distrust, and its impact is likely to persist into 2026. 3. The Slow-Motion Return To Office Continues Career growth is becoming harder to achieve from home. Average career opportunity ratings on Glassdoor fell from 4.1 in 2020 to 3.5 in 2025 for remote and hybrid workers. Despite high-profile return-to-office mandates in 2025, the share of remote workdays remained mostly unchanged. Still, a subtler force is at play, the fear of being out of sight and out of mind. MORE FOR YOU Glassdoor found clear differences among employees who mentioned remote or hybrid work in their reviews: Overall ratings declined compared with those who didn’t mention remote or hybrid work Career opportunity ratings saw the sharpest drop Work-life balance ratings remain higher, though the gap is narrowing As employers prioritize in-office employees for promotions, professionals may need to choose between flexibility and visibility in 2026. This workplace trend highlights the trade-offs that continue to define hybrid work. 4. AI Impact Remains Limited For Now AI anxiety is high, but real disruption is still limited. Glassdoor's analysis found that employee satisfaction in jobs with high AI exposure declined only slightly since 2022. Some jobs, like translators and software engineers, have seen sharper declines, but they represent a small portion of the workforce. While most organizations are experimenting with AI, few have figured out how to integrate it effectively. Expect 2026 to bring a gradual rather than dramatic AI transformation, shaping one of the most closely watched workplace trends of the year. 5. Job Seekers Are Taking What They Can Get Selectivity is giving way to caution in the job market. According to Glassdoor, job applicants were 12% less likely to reject offers in 2025 than in 2023. With hiring rates at a 10-year low, more professionals are saying yes to roles they might have once declined. Roughly three out of four offers reported on Glassdoor were accepted, and decline rates fell to their lowest level since 2020. The result is a growing sense of stagnation. Workers who feel stuck in jobs that aren’t a good fit may struggle to stay engaged, slowing both career and income growth in 2026. 6. Early-Career Wages Finally Recover There’s one bright spot as pay for new graduates is finally catching up. After inflation eroded purchasing power from 2020 to 2022, wages for early-career workers are projected to surpass 2020 levels in 2026. Real wages were down 4.1% from 2020 to 2022 but have since rebounded as wage growth (4.3%) outpaced inflation (3.0%) over the past three years. However, the recovery isn’t uniform. Cities leading the way in early-career wage growth since 2020 include: Provo, Utah: +40.2% Boise, Idaho: +30.5% Orlando, Florida: +30.3% By contrast, traditional high-salary markets like San Francisco saw only 19.9% growth. For young professionals, smaller cities may now offer better opportunities to earn and advance—a positive workplace trend in an otherwise uncertain economy. Navigating The Challenges Ahead The workplace trends shaping 2026 point to ongoing change and a growing divide between employees and leaders. Persistent job insecurity and trade-offs between flexibility and advancement are forcing professionals to rethink what success looks like. “Leaders need to pay attention to the widening gap between themselves and workers,” says Zhao. “That disconnect risks stoking a worsening crisis of disengagement in 2026.” Still, there’s reason for optimism. Wages are recovering, new cities are emerging as opportunity hubs and AI’s negative impact, at least for now, remains modest. For professionals, the key will be to stay adaptable by building new skills, developing AI literacy and proactively managing career growth in a rapidly changing environment. Enjoyed this article? I share weekly tools and inspiration to help professionals escape burnout, make confident career changes and design work that feels purposeful.
