To expect my employer to let me know about major changes while I'm on ML?

[Buckette]

So,last week I heard from a colleague via text that my line manager (top person on the site where I work) had 'parted company' with the organisation and 2 other people have been made redundant. Would you expect the regional manager to contact me and let me know what's going on? (My Dc is 3 months so I'm not exactly in he throes of childbirth / new baby). Have been waiting for a call / letter but have had nothing - am I expected to ring myself - or ring my staff and find out 2nd hand what's happening?

no, I would expect Keep In Touch to be about process changes not staffing IYSWIM

Since I have been on ML, my employer has restructured, restructured me out of a jobshare, put me in a job I have never done and moved office. Got a new line manager in the restructure. Old one was brilliant at KIT, new one is rubbish.

I would absolutely expect to be kept informed of anything directly relevant to my role. Your line manager leaving is a pretty important issue - surely they are the one meant to be keeping in touch with you whilst you're off?

I wouldn't necessarily expect to be told about other redundancies if they don't affect you, but they should certainly have told you about your own manager.

I know when I was on ML I was only officially notified of changes that affected me personally (department closure and where I was being moved to). I was only informed of a manager moving elsewhere as I spoke to her directly about something else and she chose to tell me as we got on really well.
It was not an official notification, nor would I have expected it to be.
Maybe you could ring just to "touch base" and find things out that way?
They probably didn't think to bother you over staff changes.

I am currently covering the role of someone on a sabbatical - she travelling round the world. Our organisation has made around 60 people redundant since she left 9 months ago. No-one has informed her & she is due back in a couple of months. Is that different?

I think the onus is on you tbh
Some staff on ML will pop into work regularly for a coffee and chat (with managed/ collegues)
Others (me) like to forget about work, untill forced to go back.
You carnt expect hr to know you want an update letter!
Yabu

*my manager moving to a seperate department (we had thought we were all going together, so was a shock when she went elsewhere).

well, our place didn't tell me I'd be going back to a different site, about 6 miles away, which we didn't own when I went on ML.

I expected to be told, and heard on the grapevine. I played dumb with HR, and think they were quite shocked I hadn't been told - but then they hadn't told me!

No, if you want to know what is happening it's up to you to get in touch. They will be busy keeping the company running.