Gaps in workplace communication are putting employees at risk of information overload and burnout
Organisations across the world don't have a formal approach to change communication, leaving a disconnected strategy that puts employees at risk of being overwhelmed by information in the workplace.
This is according to Gallagher's 2026 Employee Communications Report, which polled over 1,300 communications and HR professionals and revealed a major gap in change communication strategies at work.
It found that 57% of the respondents believe that change management communication will be the most critical skills and competencies in their organisation in the next 12 months.
Despite this, 61% of teams said their organisation does not have a change communication approach within their strategy, leaving a significant gap.
"Many noted that while change is now 'business as usual,' the systems supporting change communication have not evolved," the report reads.
"Teams are often asked to respond without the tools they need like a defined change narrative and channel strategies or measurement models that track adoption rather than activity."
Without these frameworks, the report noted that internal communications and HR professionals are forced to "backfoot" communication, where they are reacting to change rather than shaping it and driving adoption.
"The result is communication that can feel inconsistent and disconnected from the broader transformation agenda," the report read.
Information overload risk
The lack of tactical execution on workplace communication is also contributing to information overload among employees, according to the report.
The majority (83%) of the report's respondents said this is an emerging problem in their organisation.
The issue is made worse by workplace communicators who are sending more messages to employees amid rapid changes and a lack of strategy to communicate them.
But the impact of sending more messages is counterproductive, according to the findings, as it raises leader trust risk by 30% and burnout risk by 24%.
"Without a structured approach, internal teams are increasing their volume, but if every message carries a sense of urgency, employees begin to tune out rather than listen closer," said William Ziebell, Global Chief Executive Officer of Gallagher's Benefits & HR Consulting Division, in a statement.
Supporting workplace communicators
Addressing the problem requires providing further support to internal communications and HR teams, according to Ziebell.
The report noted that 69% of organisations have fewer than six people in a comms role, whether they support 500 employees or 50,000.
This limited capacity pushes these teams towards "transactional work," such as publishing, distributing, and responding, because their workload does not give them room for strategic planning.
Budget is also an issue, with just one in five teams receiving less than $20,000 and one in three teams not having a dedicated budget.
These issues limit investment in tools, training, and management, according to the report.
"Ultimately, effective communication relies on giving IC and HR teams the resources to deliver the right message at the right time," Ziebell said.
"The value of the human insights cannot be underestimated when seeking to improve engagement. Employees want to know their feedback is being heard and in-person events and townhalls are the best venue for this."
