Psych Health and Safety Podcast

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Julia Cohen, Managing Director at Catalyst Safety and Catalyst Coaching. Julia shares her experience of moving from Higher Education into a Not-for-Profit, the similarities and the differences between the two industries, and the process she undertook to help improve the organisation's understanding of the critical risks in its operations, including the psychosocial risks, how she involved members of the workforce from all over Australia in the process, and how this helped to support executive decision-making around priorities and resource allocations for risk mitigations.

This is an episode for the safety nerds, the stats nerds, and the Fight Club fans. Hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Ben Hutchinson, host of the Safe As podcast, and prolific safety science communicator. We chat about Ben's work as a science communicator, then focus in on what he has found in his exploration of the research into the relationships between psychosocial factors and health and safety outcomes (hint: rumours of a lack of evidence have been greatly exaggerated). Ben then goes on to discuss the statistical barriers to demonstrating relationships between psychosocial factors and safety outcomes.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Adrian Neal and Andrew Cooper from Aneurin Bevan University Health Board about their recently published book - Under Investigation. They talk about the current impacts of workplace investigations on individuals, wider teams, HR colleagues, and finances, and build a business case for doing workplace investigations differently.

In this episode, recorded live from the Psych Health and Safety Conference in June 2025, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Rob Briner, Professor of Organisational Psychology at Queen Mary University of London. Rob breaks down what evidence-based practice means, what it looks like, and pitfalls for HR and WHS professionals to be aware of when considering interventions. This episode includes exclusive audience Q&A, where Rob answers questions submitted by audience members.

In this live Psych Health and Safety Podcast recording from PHSCON 2025, Jason and Joelle interview world-renowned organisational psychologist Adam Grant to unpack what truly drives workplace mental health and why “wellbeing benefits” alone won’t fix broken systems. Together, they explore the power of good work design, the real causes of burnout, how toxic cultures take hold, and what leaders can do to create work that helps people thrive (without burning them out). Practical, evidence-backed, and full of sharp insights for anyone serious about psychosocial safety at work.

In the final episode of the year, hosts Jason and Joelle reflect on the highlights and challenges of 2025, and discuss what's coming in 2026. They share some behind-the-scenes experiences from the Psych Health and Safety Conference 2025, along with a sneak peek of the line-up and venue for 2026. Other highlights from 2025 include the launch of the Psychosocial Safety Playbook, along with the Quick Start Risk Assessment, and the use of technology to improve accessibility of customised eLearning.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Naomi Kemp, CEO and co-founder of Fr@nk Capability Leaders. Naomi explains what a critical business risk is, how that is different to a critical safety risk, and whether psychosocial risk belongs in either category. Naomi shares her views on how organisations can best manage psychosocial risk within a critical risk frame.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Adam Nebbs, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research. Adam discusses the recently published research that formed part of his PhD, working with six organisations in a regional part of Australia as they translated ISO 45003 recommendations into tangible actions for implementation.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Gareth Beck, Safety Wellbeing and Risk Business Partner at Z Energy, and Anton Hutton, retailer at Hattrick Services. They share their experiences in collaborating to implement a psychosocial safety management program of works within a unique working environment, with Gareth offering the perspective from Z Energy, and Anton providing his experiences as a retailer.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Michelle Smidt, Senior Research Assistant at ANU College of Business and Economics, and Queensland University of Technology. Michelle shares insights from her PhD research, where she explored whether employee perceptions about organisational wellbeing initiatives influenced whether those initiatives achieved their outcomes.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Ben Searle, an Organisational Psychologist with particular expertise in burnout and stress. Ben shares his own experience of burnout while working in academia, reflecting on the way symptoms presented that were not "textbook", and how that influenced his ability to understand what was happening. We discuss how listeners might recognise signs and symptoms of burnout in others, and how to approach a conversation. Ben then goes on to share insights and strategies for employers to consider in managing and preventing burnout.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Wen Fan, Associate Professor of Sociology at Boston College. We explore her recently published research into whether a 4-day work week impacts worker wellbeing. She gives us some answers to the big questions: How should organisations approach preparing to transition to a 4-day work week? Does a 4-day work week lead to better mental and physical health outcomes? Does a 4-day work week lead to worse organisational outcomes?

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Monique Crane, Founder of the Research Resilience and Training Systems team at Macquarie University. Monique joins us to talk about the research she has been conducting with the Australian Navy, exploring mental health trajectories across Navy deployments. We discuss the role of job design as a determinant of mental health, and the aspects of job design that appear to be more important for the mental health of Navy personnel.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Megan Tranter, CEO and Founder of Purpose Pathfinders. We chat about her latest book, Clarity in Chaos - Lead with purpose in disruptive times. We explore the intersection between psychosocial safety and human sustainability, connection to purpose, and the role that leaders and employers can play in redesigning work to be a force for good.

In this special crossover podcast episode, the tables are turned as Bronwyn Milkins of the Mental Work podcast interviews normal co-host Jason van Schie on the topic of psychosocial hazards. In this lively conversation aimed at early career psychologists, they discuss what psychosocial hazards are and why they are important to manage. Jason provides practical guidance relevant for this group of workers (and a more general audience) on what can be done at an organisational-level and individual-level to protect psychological health from psychosocial hazards that can’t be eliminated, including consideration of the hierarchy of controls.

What really makes work meaningful? In this episode, Jason and Joelle sit down with Dr Mark Fabian, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Warwick and author of Beyond Happy. Together, they explore how work shapes our sense of purpose, the difference between self‑actualisation and self‑optimisation, and the often overlooked character traits that truly matter in the workplace.If you’ve ever wondered whether work can (or should) be more than just a way to earn a living, this conversation will challenge your thinking and offer fresh insights into finding fulfilment beyond productivity.Learn more about Dr Mark Fabian:Find his book Beyond Happy here: harpercollins.com.au/9781835010501/beyond-happyLearn more about him via his website: sites.google.com/view/markfabian/homeContent Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Liz Payne, Chair of the ACT/NSW College of Organisational Psychologists, and returning chair of the Psych Health and Safety Conference (PHSCON 2025). During this conversation, Liz, Joelle and Jason recap highlights from the PHSCON 2025. This included going over the live podcast recordings with Rob Briner and Adam Grant, the conversations had with thought leaders and trailblazers including Mary Ann Baynton, Chris Jones, Wade Needham, Dr I. David Daniels, Kanae Dyas, Dr Anna Cody, and Elizabeth Broderick, and case studies on international approaches to psych health and safety, and bringing HR and WHS together. Missed the conference but wish you didn't? Don’t worry, you can catch up on every session and experience PHSCON 2025 on demand - See our website for details: psychhealthandsafetyconference.com/post-conference-access/

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with returning guest Dr John Chan, managing director of Infinite Potential. John joins us to discuss the latest iteration of his annual publication, The State of Workplace Burnout. He shares what's similar and what's different to previous year's findings, and the main trends emerging in 2025. https://infinite-potential.com.au/the-state-of-burnout-2025

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Jason Rawding, founder of MyBeast. Jason shares the different ways that humour can be used in workplaces to create or enhance psychological safety. He talks about different types of humour and the elements that contribute to humour, and emphasises that humour is a skill that can be developed and refined. https://www.mybeast.life/

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with returning guest Sandra Lam, Organisational Psychologist and Managing Director at FIFO Focus. We chat about a recently published WHS Undertaking between Cobar Management and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. Sandra shares her views on the remedial measures outlined in the published Enforcement, and suggests alternative measures that may have more impact.

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Louise Deacon, psychological health and safety consultant at Thought:Process. Louise shares insights from her PhD research exploring how Officers conduct their due diligence duties in relation to psychosocial risk.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains references to suicide In this episode, UK hosts Peter and Kate chat with Kelly Nicoll, President and Chair of Council for the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). She shares her observations on generational differences in perspectives on mental health and stigma, and discusses the importance of mental health within the safety profession.

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Joana Faustino, Chartered Psychologist and Principle Health and Wellbeing Specialist at The Rail Safety and Standards Board. Joana takes us through the RSSB's 'Mental Wellbeing in Rail: Achieving Change' project and shares learnings and next steps.

This episode is the second episode in a two-part series. Host Kim MacDonald and guest Dr. Leah Ringwald discuss the Conference Board's study into social connection in Canadian workplaces, titled, Real Connections in a Virtual World: Designing Remote Workplaces for Social Connections. Dr. Leah Ringwald is the Conference Board of Canada's associate director of health and human capital and research lead on workplace mental health and well-being.

In this episode Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Luka Campbell, Director National Regulatory Programs, and Kathy Naumczyk, Assistant Director Psychosocial Regulation at Comcare. Luka and Kathy take us through Comcare's recently published psychosocial Code of Practice and talk about their psychosocial inspection program. https://www.comcare.gov.au/scheme-legislation/whs-act/comcare-inspections/psychosocial-inspections

CONTENT WARNING: The conversation in this episode mentions suicide In this episode, UK host Peter Kelly chats with Sarah Ambrose, Business Psychologist. They talk about recent trends in how UK businesses have been perceiving and prioritising worker wellbeing, and Sarah shares her reflections as a member of the drafting panel establishing a standard for suicide prevention.

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with returning guest Dr Michelle Tuckey, Professor of Work & Organisational Psychology at the University of South Australia. Building on her bullying research, Michelle gives us the inside scoop into her latest research project focused on cultivating systemic safety to prevent workplace sexual harassment. She shares the three-year plan for the project, early hypotheses, and intended outputs.

In this episode Ian Lewis interviews Megan Hunter to explore the dynamics of being an internal or external consultant to an organization and modelling psychological safety while doing psychological health and safety. It seems intuitive but one needs to be reminded organizations need to have pre-requisite trust and psychological safety to do the work required to gather, disclose, and contextualize their data. They also go on a short rabbit trail about why Canadians often begin events and episodes with a land acknowledgment and honour indigenous people.

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Leanne Faulkner, entrepreneur and small business owner. We chat about Leanne's PhD research exploring the psychosocial safety of micro-business owners and sole-traders.

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Jacqueline Drew, Associate Professor with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Griffith Criminology Institute, at Griffith University. Jacqui shares findings from her research into the interactions between job demands and health outcomes in policing. She explains the concept of embitterment, and discusses the role that this plays in the development of, and recovery from, PTSD. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/pijpsm-05-2024-0082/full/html

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr William Fleming, Research Fellow at the Wellbeing Research Centre in the University of Oxford. William shares insights from his research that shone a light on the ineffectiveness of individual-level interventions for mental health outcomes in workplace settings.

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Catherine Dunlop, Partner and Board Member at Maddocks. Catherine explains the recent Australian High Court case involving Vision Australia. The Court awarded the plaintiff $1.5 million in damages following a "sham" disciplinary process resulting in psychological injury. Join us as Catherine breaks down the facts of the case and shares her views on what employers should learn from this case. A supplementary note from Catherine: In the interests of brevity and getting to the learnings, my explanation of the case wasn’t a fulsome account of all aspects of the findings. So, to address some questions and to assist those who want those details (without getting into the nitty gritty of whether the headnote to the decision in Addis v Gramophone Co Ltd is correct), the following may assist: The High Court decision and the new precedent The High Court affirmed the findings of the Victorian Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal in holding that the law permits an employee to recover damages in breach of contract for psychological harm resulting from a termination of employment. This overturned precedent that exempted damages arising from termination. The employee was awarded $1.4m in damages. The finding of the Court on the breach of contract issue is likely to have limited application to employers given: the breach arose from incorporation of policies in the employment contract in this instance, not a common practice; and the workers compensation legislation in some jurisdictions may act as a bar for recovery of damages arising from breach of contract. The majority of the High Court held that it was unnecessary to consider whether an employer could be liable in negligence in such circumstances. A decision to that effect would have represented a significant change in law. The decisions Justice O’Meara in the Victorian Supreme Court made findings of fact and accepted the employee’s version about the interaction with the hotel manager. He held that the employer did not comply with its Disciplinary Policy, and that an earlier deed of release in related unfair dismissal proceedings was not a bar to recovery, given the specific wording of that deed. The Supreme Court held that: The policy was incorporated into the employee’s contract of employment That contract was breached The damage was not too remote and therefore the employee was able to recover The Victorian Court of Appeal upheld the employer’s appeal finding that: There was no error in the Supreme Court’s (relevant) findings of fact The policy was incorporated into the employee’s contract of employment That contract was breached it was not a recoverable breach as the damage was too remote (applying past precedent that such damages are only recoverable when they are consequent on a physical injury) The High Court held that: The policy was incorporated into the employee’s contract of employment Liability for psychiatric injury arising from termination of employment is not beyond the scope of a contractual duty (and will depend on the wording and context of the contract) (with one dissent) The damage was not too remote.

In this episode, Canadian host Kim MacDonald sits down with Steven Mah, a seasoned keynote speaker, instructor, counselling therapist, and safety professional, to explore the critical role of workplace culture as a psychosocial factor. Steven shares his insights on how workplace culture influences employee well-being, engagement, and overall mental health. From leadership behaviors to team dynamics and organizational norms, he unpacks the hidden forces that shape the daily experiences of workers.

In this special live recording episode of the Psych Health and Safety podcast from PHSCON 2024, Australian co-hosts Jason van Schie and Joelle Mitchell chat with Professor Christina Maslach about her foundational research on burnout. They talk about the initial inspiration for why Christina chose to focus her research on the topic and how the understanding of burnout has evolved since she first coined the term. They discuss burnout misconceptions, and the best ways to prevent burnout at work from the evidence-base.

In this episode, UK hosts Peter and Kate chat with Nancy Hey, Director of Evidence & Insight at Lloyd's Register Foundation. Nancy shares her broad strategic perspective on workplace wellbeing and psychosocial safety within the wider context of social determinants of health. She speaks to the significant role of leaders and in particular middle managers, and emphasises the importance of upskilling these roles appropriately to set them up for success.

In this special live recording episode of the Psych Health and Safety podcast from PHSCON 2024, Australian co-hosts Jason van Schie and Joelle Mitchell chat with Dr Michael Leiter about his book ‘The Burnout Challenge’. In the fun and revealing conversation, they discuss the importance of the design of work as the fundamental way to prevent burnout. Michael also provides suggestions for how to address burnout symptoms personally, and for leaders, he gives examples of what can be done at a team level to support the mental wellbeing of staff.

THIS IS A REPLAY OF EPISODE #207 The Psych Health and Safety Podcast will be returning 14th January 2025! In this episode Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr John Fitzgerald, Mentally Healthy Work Lead at WorkSafe New Zealand. We explore a research report recently published by WorkSafe examining the role of work factors in suicide. John details the research purpose, methodology, and findings, and shares his key takeaway messages arising from the research. https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/research/work-related-suicide-examining-the-role-of-work-factors-in-suicide/

THIS IS A REPLAY OF EPISODE 213 The Psych Health and Safety Podcast will be returning 14th January 2025! In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Benjamin Ostrowski, Senior Behavioural Researcher at Atlassian. Ben shares insights and findings from his ongoing internal research with Atlassian's Team Anywhere, exploring a range of outcomes in distributed work teams including productivity, innovation, and mental health. https://www.atlassian.com/blog/distributed-work/distributed-work-report

THIS IS A REPLAY OF EPISODE #85 FROM THE PSYCH HEALTH AND SAFETY PODCAST CANADA The Psych Health and Safety Podcast will be returning 14th January 2025! In this episode Ian speaks with Dr. Sandra Moll and they discuss why and how the peer support apps PeerOnCall (https://www.oncallapp.ca/) and Beyond Silence (https://www.beyondsilence.ca/) can provide game-changing early intervention for public safety personnel and healthcare workers. Early intervention can prevent a significant degree of harm and suffering. Sandra describes the design, implementation, and function of the apps. Currently the apps are in a research phase where they are researching "what works for whom in what context" to optimize efforts. In the podcast we review how peer support fits in the continuum of workplace mental health recommended by the WHO and why apps and the real people they connect can have a great impact. Peer support is one of many tools and having the right service at the right time can be critical to obtaining early support. PeerOnCall evaluation research was funded by Movember, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Beyond Silence research was funded by CIHR and PHAC. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Government of Canada.

THIS IS A REPLAY OF EPISODE #192 The Psych Health and Safety Podcast will be returning 14th January 2025! In this episode Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr. Cynthia Mathieu, Author and Professor of Organizational Behavior at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. We chat about her book, Dark Personalities in the Workplace, and her ongoing research into dark personalities in the workplace. https://cynthiamathieu.com/en/

In this episode of the Psych Health and Safety podcast, Australian co-hosts Jason van Schie and Joelle Mitchell discuss highlights from 2024 in a ‘Spotify Wrapped’ inspired episode. Top 5 highlights from the year include the inaugural PHSCON conference (and a lookahead to the 2025 edition), new colleagues at FlourishDx, turning customer problems into new software features, delivering 3 professional practice cohort-programs for about 100 HSE and P&C professionals, and recognising the contributions of the amazing Psych Health and Safety podcast team.

In this episode, UK hosts Peter and Kate chat with Elizabeth Bachrad, Population Health Strategist. Elizabeth discusses the application of nudge theory to mental health, and reflects on the quality of data about the conditions that enable good health and how to leverage them.

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In this conversation, co-host Erin O'Byrne and guest Ryan Hopkins, Chief Impact Officer of jaaq.org discuss the critical importance of data-driven approaches to help psychological health & safety. They explore the paradox of well-being and how a Turkish phrase can help transform a workplace culture through small, actionable changes to create a positive impact. Ryan shares his personal journey with mental health challenges and outlines the cumulative business impact of 1% better each day. This discussion also highlights the importance of creating space in our workloads and the challenges faced by employers. You will learn some key resources available to you and your workplaces, and be inspired by a future vision beyond bikes and bananas and into a fully integrated way of working where everyone can thrive.

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Karina Jorritsma, Professor of Practice at Curtin University's Future of Work Institute. Karina shares insights from a recent project developing toolkits to assist first responder organisations in preventing psychological harm.

In this episode, UK hosts Peter and Kate chat with Treena Reilkoff, Trauma Informed Conflict Management Specialist at TLR Solutions 4 Conflict. They discuss the importance of psychological health and safety within mediation, the impact of trauma, and how psychosocial controls can be applied to protect the health and safety of all parties involved in mediation.

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Anna Dawson, Organisational Psychologist and Board Director. Anna shares her views on the role of the Board in relation to psychosocial safety, and offers guidance on what good governance looks like, with tips for WHS professionals who want to make psychosocial safety simple for the Board.