Why Workplaces Feel Grumpier in 2026—and How to Turn Things Around

Just about two years ago, I wrote an article with this exact same title. Grumpiness still seems to be on the rise. Are the reasons the same or different? Are old reasons still causing problems, and have new ones added to the burden? Let’s take a look and reexamine the advice I gave back then and see if it’s still useful.

Last time, the list of “What’s Making People Grumpy at Work?” included remote/hybrid work, social media, political speech and events, lowered social barriers and relaxed boundaries, economic stress and artificial intelligence technology. Some have changed and some not so much.

Economic stress is probably one of the biggest reasons. Even when other pressures come and go, concerns about pay, job security, inflation and the cost of living have a way of showing up at work.

The remote/hybrid work arrangement situation seems to have hit a relative peace. Workers remain widely dissatisfied with return-to-office mandates with a 2024 survey suggesting many would consider leaving their jobs if remote work options disappeared, though policies and transitions seem to be more stable across industries.

Social media remains a powerful force. Powered by AI, these platforms employ algorithms designed to keep users locked into self-reinforcing loops. For many people celebrity news and wealth worship haven’t disappeared so much as become a constant presence that can be easy to tune out at times but hard to fully escape.

Political speech has changed and continues to be divisive. The presidential election was over a year ago, and the midterm elections campaigns are just months away. Even if one is agnostic about politics, it’s hard to ignore historical trends that show that the voters for the party out of power are energized and voters for the party in power are less energized and perhaps slightly disillusioned. Political discussion currently seems to be more about events than philosophies, and the general level of political heat in the workplace seems lower than it was last year.

The AI era feels like the dot-com era of the late 1990s. There was a huge surge of interest and investment, and when that investment got a little bit ahead of the market, there was a crash. Years later, that period was followed by sustained tech growth, which has continued to today. I hear some retrenchment with regard to the “all in on AI” mindset, and while I can’t predict the future, I do expect that we are in the early days of this AI era. If investment ebbs somewhat from its peak, it’ll likely come roaring back in the next wave. Tech moves forward, and AI is a game changer. However, it may take a while for us to feel the full effects.

Now let’s think about what we can do.

Tip No. 1: Energize people.

An effective manager creates a sense of belonging and makes employees feel valued. A manager or leader can use the beginning of a new year as an opportunity to reflect on the mission of the organization. They should ask themself, “Why are we here?” In an educational environment, it’s about student success and employment offers. In a health care setting, it’s about patient outcomes or perhaps advancing the field through research. In a manufacturing plant, it may be about creating new products or refining processes to streamline production. Put simply, the task of a leader is to inspire employees to work together to accomplish the organization’s goals and achieve its overarching mission.

Tip No. 2: Educate yourself and others.

I strongly encourage any manager to learn the principles of interest-based negotiation and how to defuse positional bargainers. That includes borrowing mediator skills when disputes arise, recognizing different conflict styles, working effectively with neurodivergent individuals or those with high-conflict personalities, communicating more clearly and running better meetings. There is a vast sea of resources, including books, classes, trainings and workshops that can help a new or seasoned manager become better at recognizing conflict at its earliest stages, preventing conflict and, when that’s not possible, resolving it quickly and effectively.

In addition, it’s a smart idea to offer these trainings and resources to as many members of the workforce as possible. The more conflict resolvers there are in an organization, the better.

Tip No. 3: Commit to better communication.

Be transparent. Describe your communication strategy; that is, when and how people will hear about next steps in a project. Indicate the best ways for members of the group to provide input and ask questions. And be clear about what you can’t say. Everyone knows that some matters are confidential, so it won’t hurt, and it might even help, if leadership acknowledges the limits of its ability to disclose.

Workplace grumpiness in 2026 is the result of a buildup of pressure from economic uncertainty, rapid change in the workforce and ongoing communication breakdowns. While leaders can’t control all of these, they can shape daily work by energizing people around a purpose, strengthening conflict skills and communicating clearly. I still stand by this advice: Listen more than you talk, replace judgment with curiosity and model the good behavior you want others to bring to work.

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Richard Birke is the chief architect behind JAMS Pathways. Drawing from his leadership experience within the JAMS Institute, Mr. Birke will leverage his wealth of wisdom and knowledge to ensure JAMS Pathways delivers industry-leading service to help clients navigate conflict. A 30-year veteran in the field and in the classroom, Mr. Birke is a hands-on leader and has won two national writing awards for his work in the psychology and neuroscience of mediation and negotiation. Additionally, he has taught dozens of innovative courses around the world, given hundreds of lectures and speeches, and mediated complex disputes involving such matters as an international child abduction, civil rights and the creation of national wilderness areas.