Journal d'ergonomie
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Managing Change - Learnings from an Occupational Therapist

Michelle Fair

Change seems inevitable in our current world of work. Whether it is workforce restructuring, new products and services, changes to ICT, a change in leadership, new customers and staff, varied supply chains, a change in equipment used, new locations where work is performed - the change is endless. As an Occupational Therapist I have seen the impact on workers and the organisation when change is managed poorly. It can lead to an absence from work, psychological and physical injury or illness, poor workplace dynamics, reduced workplace productivity, an increase in worker and customer complaints, and the lodgement of workers’ compensation claims. The following is a summary of what I see as the key features of successfully managing a change initiative. When change isn’t managed well, unfortunately the impact on workers and the organisation can be significant.