Less than a third of UK employees have complete trust in their manager, with 78% believing that their manager has let them down in the past, according to research by Investors in People.

The research also reveals that 55% of employees believe that their manager only has their best interests at heart when it suits them.

The YouGov research reveals that managers are most likely to let down employees by failing to provide the support they need to do their job (49%), failing to respond to concerns expressed by employees (48%) or withholding information which impacts on them (45%).

Sharing information in confidence with another member of staff was cited by 55% of employees as the worst possible type of betrayal by their manager.

The research found that this lack of trust in managers can have serious consequences, respondents said it can lead to lowered employee morale (68%), destroy team spirit (46%) and result in people looking for a new job (42%).

Simon Jones, acting chief executive at Investors in People UK, says:  “Lack of trust in UK workplaces is a major concern. Trust is fundamental to building and maintaining effective relationships between managers and teams, and the bedrock of success.

Managers must take heed and redouble their efforts to build trust among their people, understanding their concerns, communicating more regularly and being more honest with employees. Employers must also take responsibility for equipping managers with the skills needed to build more trusting relations with their employees. Without this, management practices threaten rather than enhance employee commitment, wasting opportunities, investment and resources as they do so.”