For a growing number of American workers, the biggest source of stress at work isn’t the job. It’s the person running it. A new survey from The Harris Poll, conducted in April 2026 among more than 1,300 employed U.S. adults, found that 6 in 10 workers say they currently have a toxic boss. Seven in 10 say they’ve had one at some point in their career. The fallout is significant: nearly half report stress, burnout, or declining mental health, and two-thirds have left a job because of it.
Six in 10 workers say their boss is toxic. Experts aren’t so sure
