When Work Changes

Change often arrives in pieces. Some of it is announced, some of it is felt before anyone names it, and some of it is still being decided.

• What has actually changed for me — my duties, my team, my manager, my hours, my location?
• What has changed in how work feels — the mood, the pace, who I can talk to?
• What is still unknown, and when (if ever) have we been told we’ll find out?

Uncertainty is tiring. Naming what is settled and what isn’t can make it a little easier to hold.

If it helps, jot a few words below. This box is only on your screen — nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere, and it disappears when you leave the page.

If people around you were made redundant, moved on or saw their team dismantled, you may be carrying something people don’t often talk about. Relief and guilt can sit side by side. You may miss people you worked with every day, feel uneasy about why you stayed, or wonder whether you are next.

This is sometimes called survivor impact. It is a common, human response to losing a working community — not a sign that you are ungrateful or not coping. You can be glad to still have your job and grieve what was lost at the same time.

If someone comes to mind who has left, you might quietly acknowledge what they meant to your working days.

Work is often part of how we know ourselves: the expertise we built, the role others relied on, the way we fit into a team. When that shifts, it is natural to feel a kind of grief — for the old way of working, for a role you were good at, or for a version of the workplace that no longer exists.

You don’t have to pretend the new arrangement is better if it doesn’t feel that way yet. And you don’t have to decide it is worse. Your skills, judgement and integrity came with you; they were never only the property of your old position.

In times of change, information travels fast and not always accurately. It can help to gently sort what you are carrying into three piles:

• Confirmed: what has been formally communicated to you, in writing or by someone with authority to say it.
• Heard: what is circulating — corridor talk, guesses, things “someone said”.
• Feared: what your mind is preparing for, often to protect you.

Fears deserve kindness, not dismissal. But it is worth noticing when a rumour or a fear has started to feel like a fact. Where it matters to you, you are entitled to ask for clarity.

If it helps, jot a few words below. This box is only on your screen — nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere, and it disappears when you leave the page.

Much about a restructure is decided elsewhere. Some things still belong to you:

• how you look after your body and rest outside work hours
• which questions you choose to ask, and when
• who you talk to — trusted colleagues, family, friends, your GP or an EAP
• how you treat the people around you who are also adjusting
• whether you stay, adapt, speak up or begin quietly exploring other options — in your own time

It is reasonable to want clear information about changes that affect you. Depending on your situation, you might want to understand:

• your current duties, reporting line and who you go to now
• any changes to hours, location, pay or conditions, and whether they have been confirmed in writing
• training or handover for new responsibilities
• what support is available, such as an Employee Assistance Program

If you are unsure about your rights or entitlements, you can seek independent advice — for example from the Fair Work Ombudsman, your union, or a lawyer. This resource can’t tell you what applies to you.

Conversations go more easily when you have a few calm questions ready. You might jot down two or three, such as:

• “Can you help me understand what my role looks like now, and what’s expected of me first?”
• “What has been decided, and what is still being worked through?”
• “Who should I go to with questions about the new arrangements?”
• “What support or training is available while I adjust?”

You don’t need to share every feeling to ask a good question. You may also ask for important answers in writing, or bring a support person if your workplace allows it.

If it helps, jot a few words below. This box is only on your screen — nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere, and it disappears when you leave the page.

After change, workloads sometimes expand quietly as people leave and their tasks remain. It is okay to notice that, and to ask about priorities rather than silently absorbing everything. Saying “I can do this, or that, by Friday — which matters most?” is a boundary, not a complaint.

You are also allowed to take time before deciding how you feel about your future here. Staying is a choice. Adapting is a choice. Looking elsewhere, later, is a choice. None of them need to be made today.

Before you close this page, you might choose one small, kind next step: a question to ask, a conversation to have, a walk at lunchtime, a message to a former colleague, or simply an earlier night.

If your sleep, mood or sense of hope keeps getting harder rather than easing over the coming weeks, please talk with your GP, your EAP or a counsellor. Needing more support is never a failure.

Take one slow breath for what has been lost, and one for what is still yours.

An independent educational resource by Sharon Mackenzie, Spirit Led Institute. It is general information only — not counselling, clinical treatment, emergency or crisis support, legal advice, a formal workplace risk assessment or a WHS compliance service. Non-accredited.