Trust is one of the most fundamental aspects of being human. Whether in personal relationships, society, or the workplace, trust lets us interact with others in a way that helps us to feel safe, build a昀케nity, and be productive, whether in personal relationships, society, or the workplace. At work, trust is a necessity — setting the bar for culture, communication, and collaboration. Unfortunately, today’s workplaces — like today’s society — are facing a crisis of trust. Prior to the global pandemic, a trust de昀椀cit had eroded con昀椀dence in many institutions and organizations. However, according to trust trackers like Gallup and the Edelman Trust Barometer, employers are among the most trusted relationships people have. Since the pandemic years, however, Gallup has found a decrease in trust in organizational leaders — with workplace trust levels in 2022 reaching their lowest ebb since 2014. Our 昀椀ndings from the Betterworks 2023 State of Performance Management Report show a trust de昀椀cit among employees toward their leadership, organizations, and even HR departments that also correlates with concerns about fairness. As Gallup warns: “The red lights are 昀氀ashing on America’s business leadership dashboard” as “Leaders are losing trust with their employees.” If leaders are going to foster a productive work environment with a truly engaged workforce, they are going to need to address the trust gap — and quickly. 2 Focusing on Fairness to Close the Trust Gap