Hybrid and remote employees in organizations adopting AI experienced the sharpest declines.
U.S. employee engagement fell to 29% in the third quarter of 2026, its lowest level since 2011 and down two percentage points from the previous quarter. The share of actively disengaged employees rose from 17% to 18%, while 53% were not engaged.
The latest decline was sharpest among remote and hybrid employees, particularly those in organizations that have adopted artificial intelligence. Employees also reported less clarity about what is expected of them at work and were less likely to feel that someone at work cares about them as a person. These findings raise questions about whether communication and manager support are keeping pace with AI integration.
If you like me didn’t know what this means: Employee engagement is a subjective measure of how committed Employees feel to their jobs.
What’s the metric that measures a company’s commitment to its employees? I’m sure that one is way worse and would probably explain this one
Unless you’re on the executive team (or a Baby Boomer who doesn’t realize that we’re all being exploited), what kind of stupid asshole is committed to their job in this day and age?
The last job I had was nearly five years at Colonial Williamsburg as a scheduler. My work directly impacted the happiness of about fifty people working at the museum. Scheduling them well meant hopefully nobody had too much to do and nobody had too little. It was a constant dance trying to make it all not only work, but work well.
I also derived personal satisfaction from a job well done.
I also like the mission of Colonial Williamsburg. They are the largrest outdoor museum in the Americas, about a mile wide and half a mile tall, with historic and recreated houses and buildings from the colonial era. But not only can you talk to people portraying Nation Builders like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson et cetera, in the 1980s they started a focus on the less savory aspects of our nation’s founding by including people portraying enslaved people, with programming educating about those experiences. And about 25 years ago, the American Indian Initiative brought Native Americans into the mix as well.
There’s a lot of struggles - as a nonprofit, funding is always a difficult task. And people are people, and people in organizations act like you think they do.
But I absolutely put effort into that job, not only for the sake of the mission of Colonial Williamburg, but also in the hopes of making the lives of the folks I scheduled easier.
But I’ve always tended to want to do a good job wherever I’ve worked. Sure, some of the places I’ve worked I really haven’t cared much about, but I still had personal pride.
Now, as I’ve gotten older, I think I’ve gotten wiser in general about balancing how much I care to somewhat match how much my employer cares. Were I to find myself in a corporate job today doing stupid corporate things in an environment where nobody ask the employees what changes might make employee lives better while also making the company more efficient… sure, I’ll put in less effort and care.
But your comment was about putting any committment to one’s job, and I’d definitely say it absolutely quite depends.
People that have reasonable pay and benefits work conditions and holidays. Here in Denmark that is not entirely uncommon.
They need to pay more and hire more for the work and give more profits to the workers. Since they won’t, have to buy your freedom, learn to spend less, earn more, DIY when possible, eat healthy, etc. is all possible, step by step, with agency and autonomy, knowledge is power! Financial independence is possible check Mr. Money Mustache and livingafi blog, among others, you can do better with some help!
So telling everyone they had to return to the office after COVID actually did jack shit then?
Right, got it.
This survey shows the biggest drop in engagement among remote workers. This is going to be just another justification for more RTO.
Alienation from one’s work and eventually from society, is an inevitable outcome of capitalism.
Sounds about right. Rewards seem to have no relation to contributions in my workplace, and I’m guessing I’m not alone. Might as well try to give them as little as possible of yourself. You’ve seen so many people work hard and end up looking like fools for it.
It’s kinda crazy to me that it’s this high.
