Poor organisational change consultation

Information for employers and workers about managing the risk of poor procedural justice.

What is poor organisational change consultation?

Poor consultation during an organisation process involving workplace change can create risk of harm to workers if they are not:

  • adequately informed of the change and how the change impacts them
  • supported during the change, and
  • involved in the change.

This may happen when there is:

  • poor consultation or communication with other relevant duty holders or affected workers about significant changes
  • insufficient consideration of the impact of changes on work health and safety (WHS), workers, teams and performance
  • poor practical support for affected workers during change implementation.

Communication is the most important strategy in achieving successful change. Failure to effectively communicate changes in the workplace can increase the risk of worker distress.

Risks related to poor organisational change consultation

Impacts can include:

  • emotional and cognitive reactions such as feeling undervalued, anxiety, frustration and increased stress
  • low morale, poor teamwork, conflict from an ‘us vs them’ culture and a lack of motivation amongst teams
  • behavioural changes such as withdrawal from work activities and performance issues
  • rumours and misinformation further contributing to stress
  • burnout, fatigue and depression.

It can also have social and economic costs for workers, their family and the business.

How to manage the risks

Employers/PCBUs

Under WHS laws, a person conducting a business of undertaking (PCBU) must take proactive steps to prevent risks associated with poor organisational change consultation, where it is reasonably practicable.

PCBUs must:

  • Eliminate health and safety risks at work, including psychosocial risks. If PCBUs are unable to eliminate risks, they must be minimised so far as is reasonably practicable.
  • Manage risks associated with poor organisational change consultation and consider applying the risk management process (PDF, 556.72 KB) to assist in meeting their duties. This process involves consulting with workers to identify, manage, control, and review risks related to the hazard.
  • Identify and adopt effective control measures.  Find information about how to do this on our psychosocial hazards page.

The Managing psychosocial hazards at work code of practice will help you meet your responsibilities under WHS laws in NSW.

Workers

While at work, workers must:

  • take reasonable care for their own psychological and physical health and safety
  • take reasonable care not to adversely affect the health and safety of other persons
  • comply with reasonable health and safety instructions, as far as they are reasonably able, and
  • cooperate with reasonable health and safety policies or procedures, for example, reporting workplace hazards and incidents.

Workers should report concerns to their employer if they experience harm related to poor organisational change consultation. This will ensure they get support and the PCBU can take action to address the risk.

If you have raised concerns about harmful workplace behaviour internally and no action is being taken, read our ‘Dealing with a psychological health and safety issue at work’ section for further assistance.

Examples of controls and actions

PCBUs must use the hierarchy of controls (PDF, 46.87 KB) and consider all relevant matters within Section 55D of the WHS Regulation 2025 when identifying appropriate control measures to eliminate and minimise the risk of poor organisation change consultation.

When choosing control measures you must consider all hazards present and how they may interact and combine.

Here are some examples of controls that can help minimise harm.

  • Implement robust consultation and engagement practices to provide updates and timely planned information on any workplace changes. For example, group information and/or feedback sessions.
  • Develop clear and organised approaches for thinking about, planning, carrying out and evaluating changes.
  • In consultation with workers, develop change impact and risk management plans to determine any other risks and hazards that may impact worker health and safety, prior to any workplace change.
  • Develop a communication plan and process for the workplace changes, ensuring workers understand the change and provided with reasons behind the changes.
  • Provide workers with opportunity to take part in the change process where reasonably practicable. For example, encouraging workers to provide feedback and developing mechanisms to give feedback (anonymous options).
  • Plan any changes to duties, tasks, objectives and reporting arrangements to ensure they are reasonable and fair such as ensuring workers will not have too much to do or utilise a role mapping process to identify and assist workers in redeployment within the PCBU if any workers are displaced during periods of change.
  • Provide information about upcoming changes and options being considered as soon as possible. For example, provide updates at team meetings or on notice boards.
  • Provide workers with relevant training and supervision to assist with change management adjustments.
  • Provide adequate support to help workers manage the challenges and frustrations resulting from change and uncertainty. For example, psychological support.

Note: These are examples only. You must consult with workers to identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Resources

  • Psychosocial hazards – SafeWork NSW. Information about what psychosocial hazards are, their effects and how to manage them.
  • Managing psychosocial hazards at work code of practice – SafeWork NSW. Practical guidance on complying with WHS laws, including how to identify and manage psychosocial risks in the workplace.
  • Designing work to manage psychosocial risks – SafeWork NSW. Practical support and information for PCBUs on using work design to manage the risk of psychosocial hazards.
  • Poor organisational change management – Safe Work Australia. This resource explains how poorly planned or communicated workplace changes can create psychosocial risks, and outlines strategies to manage them through consultation, support and clear planning.
  • Psychosocial hazards request for service form – SafeWork NSW. Use this form to request assistance from SafeWork NSW. This can be useful if your business/workplace doesn’t have processes for you to report workplace conflict or you have reported it internally and no action is being taken.
  • Psychosocial hazards service standards – SafeWork NSW. Information about what you can expect from SafeWork NSW, and what we expect from you when you raise a psychosocial hazard issue.
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