In a search on the Internet, the term TrustedEmployee occurs and is related to embezzelment, theft and dishonest dealings more than 90 of the first 100 times. While we know what the term is supposed to mean, it is used often as a contrasting term, indicating that it is much easier for the trusted employees to violate the trust invested in them. Trust is usually placed in individuals when they have shown they can be trusted. But sad to say after that threshold is crossed, some who were trustworthy can become less than that. The desire to be treated as a TrustedEmployee who can be counted on to do the RightThing in all circumstances exists in most if not all employees. Instead, the one in a thousand who violates trust, forces employers to treat those who can be trusted as though they were not trusted. It is perhaps less stressful to merely be trustworthy than to strive to be thought of as trustworthy. Being trustworthy is something you as an individual can control. What others think and how they act is not something you can do much about. ---- Perhaps there is also a problem with the employers are trusting people they shouldn't - maybe they are using the wrong metric, or deciding trustworthiness on fluff. '' what do you mean by "fluff"? '' ''Fluff may be college attended, membership in the same country club/church, race, etc.'' ---- Trust is a two way street. A trustworthy employee who is taken advantage of by what they thought was a TrustedEmployer, will think twice before extending that trust again. ---- Trust problems generally are caused by differing expectations. We all have different pictures of AcceptableBehavior, and we all have different values (i.e., things that are important to us). We trust people who demonstrate that the matters that we consider important are also important to them. As an example, a trustworthy Mafia member is probably not going to be a trustworthy public servant.