The level of trust between business managers and staff has been seriously damaged by the difficult economic climate, according to research by Ceridian.

The survey of over a 1,000 employees revealed that a quarter of respondents felt that the level of trust they have in their manager has deteriorated and 20% are less engaged in their job than previously.

"As a key factor in employee motivation and engagement, trust between employees and their managers is crucial. If employees' trust in their managers continues to deteriorate, businesses could become weaker because of the knock on effect to productivity and engagement," said Steve Joyce, head of marketing at Ceridian.