Absence of Restitution and Change Prevents Trust Restoration

Cheyenne Hunt-Majer, J.D., big tech accountability advocate at Public Citizen

Most leaders want apologies to be accepted yet they might not be doing what is necessary to achieve the goal, meaning the intent of the apology can become little more than a wish, says a big tech accountability advocate.

Cheyenne Hunt-Majer, J.D., of Public Citizen talks about this conscious error executives are making that is costing them restored trust and respect.

“In the workplace, apologies from leadership tend to fall flat are those that fail to include either clear restitution to an employee or a substantive change in policy or procedure to ensure that at the very least, that the mistake is less likely to happen again,” Hunt-Majer says.

“We've all been in a situation where a boss has made a decision or failed to take action in a situation that impacts us negatively, but if their apology is not backed with concrete action to make it right, trust is inevitably lost.

“This is particularly true among Gen Z workers who look for a sense of justice, equality, and accountability in the workplace.”