Most American workers are checked out, and like 'The Office,' their bosses are the last to know - UPI.com

In the U.S., only about 30% of part-time and full-time employees say they are engaged at work, according to an annual Gallup survey. File Photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI | License Photo

Michael Scott, the hapless regional manager at the center of the American version of The Office played by Steve Carell, believed he was the world's best boss. He even had the mug to prove it.

Meanwhile, for most of the show's 2005-2013 run, his employees endured pointless meetings, cringed through his speeches and quietly counted the hours until they could leave. The joke worked because so many viewers recognized something universal: the gap between how bosses sees themselves and how workers actually experience them.

That gap is no longer just a sitcom premise. It may be the central reason American workplaces are in trouble.

In the U.S., only about 30% of part-time and full-time employees say they are engaged at work, according to an annual Gallup survey. That's the lowest level in more than a decade.