Poor organisational change management is a psychosocial hazard. When change is poorly communicated, it can increase workplace stress and exacerbate other psychosocial hazards.
There are some telltale signs that your workplace suffers from poor organisational change management:
Signs of Poor Organisational Change Management
- not consulting on changes (e.g. not talking to workers or genuinely considering their views)
- not thinking about how a change may impact WHS risks or workers’ performance (e.g. not allowing extra time to do things while workers learn a new process)
- poorly planned changes (e.g. changes are disorganised or do not have a clear goal)
- changes are poorly communicated (e.g. information about the changes isn’t provided or is unclear), or
- not enough support for the changes (e.g. not training workers on how to use new tools).
The key to addressing poor organisational change management is for employers to consult with HSRs properly, for every change being made in the workplace that affects workers health and safety. For more information, see our page on consultation.
For resources on how to address poor organisational change management, see:
- WorkSafe's guide on addressing poor organisational change management
- Safe Work Australia's page on poor organisational change management. Keep in mind that this forms a part of the state of knowledge, but is not Victorian law.