Written by Dr. Bill Howatt, in partnership with Crisis-Ready Workplace Premier Partner, Excellence Canada
If there is one thing most employees can agree on today, it is that work rarely stays the same for long. New technology is introduced. Teams are reorganized. Priorities shift. Budgets change. New leaders arrive. Expectations evolve. For many employees, adapting to change is no longer an occasional event. It has become a regular part of work.
While organizations often focus on managing the operational side of change, the human experience of change is equally important. When change is frequent, unclear, or poorly supported, it can affect how people think, feel, and perform. Psychological health and safety matters because people need clarity, support and practical ways to respond as work changes around them. The challenge is not only that change exists. The challenge is when change outpaces a person's ability to adapt and cope.
Awareness: How Change Is Managed Matters
People are better positioned to adapt when they understand what is happening, why it is happening and how they will be supported. Problems often arise when uncertainty begins to replace clarity.
Imagine an employee who learns that their department is being restructured. At the same time, a new technology platform is being introduced, staffing levels are stretched, and expectations continue to increase. Any one of these changes may be manageable on its own. Together, however, they can create confusion, frustration, and fatigue.
Employees may begin asking themselves:
What does this mean for my role?
Do I have the skills needed moving forward?
Will my workload increase?
What am I supposed to prioritize?
How much more change is coming?
These questions are not signs of weakness. They are normal human responses to uncertainty. My applied research and experience consistently show that people respond differently to change. Some adapt quickly. Others need more time, information, support, or reassurance. Neither response is right or wrong. What matters is recognizing that people may need time to process both the practical and emotional implications of change. Organizations sometimes encourage employees to be more resilient during periods of change. Resilience certainly matters. However, resilience alone cannot compensate for a lack of communication, role clarity, support, or healthy workplace conditions. Wellness during change is not simply a personal responsibility. It is also influenced by the environment in which change occurs.
During change, a colleague may be the first to notice someone becoming withdrawn, frustrated or overwhelmed. A manager may recognize that a team is struggling but feel unsure how to respond. Healthy workplace conditions matter, and so does having people with the confidence and capability to notice concerns, start respectful conversations and connect others with appropriate support.
Accountability: Adaptation Requires Shared Responsibility
Creating psychologically healthy and safe workplaces during periods of change requires clear organizational responsibilities and opportunities for employees to contribute. Employees play an important role. This includes maintaining healthy habits, seeking support when needed, staying connected to others, and focusing on what they can influence. However, it would be unfair to suggest that wellness during change rests entirely with individuals.
Leaders influence how change is experienced. Employees look to leaders for information, consistency, direction, and reassurance. When communication is absent, rumours often fill the gap. When priorities are unclear, stress often increases.
Organizations also have responsibilities. They must consider whether employees have the resources, training, support, and capacity needed to successfully navigate change. They must ask whether expectations remain realistic and whether potential impacts on employee wellness are being monitored.
Psychological health and safety is strongest when organizations avoid placing the burden of adaptation entirely on employees. The goal should not be to ask, "How can people become tougher?" The better question is: How can we help people adapt successfully?
A healthy workplace recognizes that people need both personal coping strategies and organizational support.
“A healthy workplace keeps listening as change unfolds. Regular check-ins throughout the change provide Asking how people are experiencing change, and acting on what they share, helps organizations adjust their approach and give employees the support they need.”
Jennifer Elia, Head of Partnerships & Growth and Organizational Performance Advisor, Excellence Canada
Action: The CARE Framework for Navigating Change
One practical way to think about supporting wellness during change is through the CARE Framework.
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People do not need every answer, but they do need as much clarity as possible.
· What is changing?
· What is staying the same?
· What are the expectations moving forward?
When people have clarity, uncertainty often becomes more manageable.
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Not everyone experiences change the same way. Some employees will be excited. Others may feel concerned, overwhelmed, skeptical, or exhausted. Acknowledging these differences helps people feel heard rather than dismissed.
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Periods of change are not the time to disconnect from healthy routines and relationships. Employees may benefit from reconnecting with:
Trusted coworkers
Managers
Wellness resources
Employee assistance programs
Family and social supports
Healthy routines such as sleep, exercise, and recovery
Connection helps reduce isolation during uncertainty.
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Change should not be viewed as a one-time event. Leaders and organizations should regularly ask:
What is working?
What is not working?
What feedback are we hearing?
What adjustments are needed?
Learning and adapting are important parts of healthy change management.
What Can Leaders and Employees Do Today?
One Action for Leaders
During significant change, clearly communicate:
What employees should continue doing
What employees should stop doing
What employees should start doing
This simple practice can reduce confusion and increase clarity.
One Action for Employees
Identify:
One healthy habit you want to maintain
One person you can turn to for support
One thing within your control that you can focus on
Small actions can create stability during uncertain periods.
One Question for Everyone
Ask yourself: Are we asking people to adapt to change, or are we helping them adapt to change? The answer may reveal a great deal about the health of the workplace.
Change is now a normal part of work.
Organizations cannot eliminate every uncertainty, restructure, new technology, or shifting priority. What they can influence is how change is experienced.
Employees benefit when they develop healthy coping strategies, maintain connections, and seek support when needed. Organizations benefit when they provide clarity, resources, healthy workplace conditions, and leaders who communicate consistently. Psychological health and safety includes anticipating how change may affect people, addressing the conditions that create unnecessary strain and building the capability to respond when someone needs support. That capability needs to be sustained through accessible resources, clear responsibilities and regular opportunities to learn and improve.
When personal responsibility is supported by healthy workplace practices, people are more likely to remain engaged, productive, and well, even when the workplace around them continues to evolve. This Healthy Workplace Month, remember: change may be inevitable, but feeling unsupported during change should not be.
Build the capability to support people through change.
The Crisis-Ready Workplace® Program helps organizations put these principles into practice. Crisis-Ready Interventionist® Certification builds employees’ confidence and practical skills to recognize concerns, start supportive conversations and connect colleagues with appropriate help. Crisis-Ready Compass sustains that capability with ongoing guidance and resources, while the Program helps organizations implement, sustain, measure and improve workplace readiness.
This Healthy Workplace Month, take the next step for your team. Start with a pilot and build from there.
Build your readiness to respond → Crisis-Ready Workplace
For more ideas on creating workplace conditions that support people through change, download Bill Howatt’s complimentary e-book.
Download your complimentary e-book → Psychological Health and Safety By Design
