Workplace data highlights how unmanaged change and unclear roles are affecting employee experience
As artificial intelligence, automation and rapid organisational change reshape Australian workplaces, occupational rehabilitation specialists are urging leaders to consider how evolving job design can impact employee health and safety.
Rehab Management, a national workplace rehabilitation provider, supports employers and employees across Australia following physical and psychological injury. Working at the intersection of workplace health, risk and return to work, the organisation says that as roles evolve, the way change is introduced matters just as much as the change itself.
“Job design is not just an operational decision,” said Renee Thornton, CEO of Rehab Management. “It is part of an employer’s responsibility to provide a safe system of work. When responsibilities shift quickly, systems are introduced without adequate training, or expectations change without clarity, the risk profile of a role can also change.”
Under Australian workplace health and safety laws, employers are required to manage psychosocial hazards. These can include high job demands, low role clarity, inadequate support and poorly managed organisational change. As businesses adopt new technologies and adjust to market pressures, these factors can become more pronounced if not carefully considered.
According to Safe Work Australia’s latest data, mental health conditions now account for around 12% of all serious workers’ compensation claims nationally, up nearly 15% in just one year, and mental health claim rates have increased more than 160% over the past decade - far outpacing physical injury claims. The median time lost from work for mental health injuries is almost five times greater than for other types of workplace injury, underscoring both human and economic costs.
Research in cognitive psychology shows the human brain has limits when it comes to processing new information, managing uncertainty and sustaining high levels of mental effort. Rapid change increases cognitive load, particularly when employees are required to learn new systems while maintaining existing performance expectations. Over time, sustained overload can contribute to fatigue, reduced concentration and increased risk of error or injury.
Without clear visibility of how employees are coping during periods of change, these pressures can remain hidden until they manifest as burnout, disengagement or injury.
Workplace data reveals hidden pressure points
Data from organisations using PeopleCompass, which captures employee feedback on workload, role clarity and support, shows that even in workplaces with strong leadership and culture, underlying job design issues can still undermine how employees feel about work. Employees reporting higher psychosocial risks, such as unclear roles, high workload or poorly managed change, are significantly less likely to recommend their workplace to others.
The data also highlights gaps in how workplace change is communicated. Around one in four employees say they are not given enough notice or information when major changes occur. Middle managers report the poorest experience, despite often being responsible for implementing and explaining change to others.
Employees who have been with an organisation for four to six years report the highest levels of change fatigue, suggesting that repeated waves of change without adequate reset or support can wear people down over time.
These insights highlight the value of having clear visibility of employee experience during periods of change. The PeopleCompass platform, developed by OneRedDoor, combines structured employee feedback with analytics to track how factors like workload, clarity and support are shifting over time, helping employers identify emerging pressure points before they escalate into injury or disengagement.
According to Ms Thornton, the pace of organisational change can sometimes outstrip the capacity people have to adapt safely.
“Change itself is not the problem,” she said. “The risk arises when organisations focus on speed and output without redesigning workloads, expectations and support structures alongside the new technology or structure. People need time and clarity to build competence and confidence. The organisations doing this well are those that are actively listening to their people and using data to understand where pressure is building before it becomes a safety issue.”
Through its workplace assessments, early intervention programs and return to work support, alongside tools such as PeopleCompass that surface early indicators of psychosocial risk, Rehab Management works with organisations to identify practical adjustments that help employees remain productive while reducing the risk of injury. This can include reviewing job demands, clarifying functional requirements, supporting graduated transitions into new responsibilities and advising on safe systems of work during periods of change.
The organisation says that integrating a health lens into organisational redesign not only reduces the likelihood of injury but also strengthens retention, engagement and performance outcomes over time. This includes using tools that provide real-time insight into employee experience, allowing organisations to act earlier and more effectively.
Ms Thornton said organisational change should be treated as a workplace safety issue, not just an operational or productivity decision.
“When you introduce new technology, restructure teams or expand responsibilities, you need to ask the same questions you would have of any safety risk,” she said. “How will this affect workload? Are expectations realistic during transition? Do people have the time and support to build competence before performance pressure increases?”
“Work will continue to evolve. The organisations that manage change well are those that recognise job design as a health and safety consideration, not just a productivity lever.”
For more information on Rehab Management visit: www.rehabmanagement.com.au
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Media contacts:
Greg Townley | [email protected] | 0414 195 908
Fleur Townley | [email protected] | 0405 278 758
About Rehab Management
Rehab Management is an award-winning, nationally accredited and industry-leading occupational rehabilitation and corporate health services provider. Our multidisciplinary team delivers a wide range of client-centric, tailored services to people with injury, illness or disability and integrated rehabilitation and workplace health solutions. For over 27 years, we have worked with some of Australia’s largest organisations, including multi-national corporates, insurers, government departments and agencies. For more information visit: www.rehabmanagement.com.au
