Overview

• The research, published June 1, 2025 in Human Resource Management, surveyed about 1,400 people recruited via CloudResearch.
• The study focuses on employees who meet contractual duties without taking on extra work, which the authors distinguish from full disengagement.
• Evidence points to two channels connecting lower control to the behavior: feeling easily replaceable and reduced affective commitment to the employer.
• The authors say uncertainty in politics, the economy, health, or climate can shrink perceived control and help explain the resurgence.
• They recommend giving employees voice, autonomy, and ownership of meaningful projects, and coverage cites Gallup’s finding that about half of U.S. workers fit the pattern.