In this episode of the Psych Health and Safety podcast, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Kate Harris of North Adelaide Local Health Network regarding the application of risk matrices to psychosocial risk. During the discussion, they talk about her experience leading a project with various stakeholders to build a contextually relevant risk matrix for psychosocial risk in healthcare. This included how to effectively consult with stakeholders, as well as the modifications required to standard 5x5 matrices to incorporate the complexities of how psychosocial hazards cause harm.

In this Expert Series expert, UK hosts Peter and Kate chat about the importance of considering exposure when understanding the risk associated with psychosocial hazards. They explore the concept of sources of exposure and whether this should have implications to organisational risk management activities.

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Megan Alderson, Founding Director The Strand Veterinarian and Creator of the Vet Thrive Wellness Programme. Megan speaks about the mental health challenges facing the veterinary industry, and shares details of a program she developed and implemented to improve wellbeing in veterinary practice - and won the HRNZ Supreme Award.

In this episode, regular co-hosts Jason and Joelle talk about the difference between technology as a solution and technology as a consultation tool. When it comes to workplace mental health, the evidence is clear that technology does not improve outcomes. So why did we develop FlourishDx? (Hint, it's not a solution, it's a consultation tool...) To find out more about our service-driven technology-enabled model, contact support@flourishdx.com

In this episode we chat with Professor Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at the University of Manchester. Cary shares from his decades of experience and research into workplace wellbeing, describing the evolution of workplace wellbeing he has observed since he began working in the field, and discusses current approaches to strategic wellbeing, its impact on employee health, and the financial benefits of strategic wellbeing to the organisation. https://www.koganpage.com/product/managing-workplace-health-and-wellbeing-during-a-crisis-9781398601222

A fireside discussion with Australian health and safety leaders regarding the introduction of WHS model regulation amendments that now include PCBU requirements to manage psychosocial risks.

In this episode, we chat with Dr Carol Hon about her research examining the relationships between psychosocial hazards and mental health outcomes in the Australian construction industry. She explains the methodology, results, and conclusions from the three phases of her research that are complete so far (a meta-analysis; qualitative interviews; and a Bayesian Network model), and shares the next steps for the project. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925753521003283

In this episode, we chat with returning guest Ian Firth, State Inspector, and first-time guest Jim Kelly, Director Health & Safe Design at SafeWork New South Wales. They update us on the progress of the NSW Mentally Healthy Workplaces Strategy and the Code of Practice for Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work. We chat about the WHS Regulations for psychosocial risk management that NSW have recently adopted, and we hear about an Enforceable Undertaking relating to occupational violence in healthcare.

In this episode, regular co-hosts Jason and Joelle introduce the FlourishDx Psych Health & Safety Catalyst Program, outline the progress of the first cohort of participating organisations, and share information about the upcoming February intake (listen out for some exciting news and a special offer). To find out more about the Catalyst Program contact support@flourishdx.com

In this episode, we chat with Bryce Ridgeway, Inspector of Mines - Mental Health and Wellbeing at the Western Australian Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS). Bryce takes us through the three recently published Codes of Practice relating to psychological health and safety. He summarises each of the Codes, explains the drivers behind their development, the decision to publish three rather than one, and why certain focus areas were chosen.

https://www.bodyguideapp.com/ https://www.sickofbeingsore.com/ https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/schools-colleges/property-construction-and-project-management/research/research-centres-and-groups/construction-work-health-safety-research/projects/how-does-construction-workers--bodily-pain-impact-their-mental-h

In this crossover episode with Neon Shed, regular co-host Jason van Schie is interviewed by Nicole Turnbull. They start by discussing why organisations don't prioritise mental health and wellbeing and the associated consequences. They then talk about the gaps that need to be addressed in order to introduce psychological health and safety. This includes some of the gaps Jason and his team at FlourishDx are trying to address for large enterprises by harnessing technology.

In this episode we chat with Peta Mercieca, Director, Occupational Violence (OV) Prevention and Management and WHS Projects at Canberra Health Services. Peta explains why OV is a complex psychosocial hazard affecting not only staff, but also patients and their families. She discusses the challenges of balancing employee safety with patient safety, then shares the approach taken by Canberra Health Services in developing and implementing an OV Strategy.

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

In this clip, we catch up with repeat guest Dr Rebecca Michalak to discuss a recent article published in HRD Magazine titled "HR is Not Your Friend". Bec shares her thoughts on how the HR Function typically positions itself within an organisation, argues that this positioning is actually detrimental to both the business and its employees, and offers some suggestions about how HR can "get a seat at the table". https://www.hcamag.com/au/news/general/hr-is-not-your-friend/416868 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bystanders-rule-bullshit-cultures-voice-psychological-michalak/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-lies-beneath-why-psychological-injury-claims-tip-michalak/

In this EXPERT SERIES episode, co-hosts Jason and Joelle chat about a new workplace mental health benchmarking tool that will be launched in October. They discuss the drivers behind the benchmarking tool, the methodology used to develop the tool, and how organisations can get involved in the first round of benchmarking. https://mentalhealthbenchmark.com/

In this episode we chat with Brian Henderson, Founder at Whole Business Wellness. Brian shares some insights into the workplace mental health space in Hong Kong. He offers advice on how to encourage boards and executives to think more systematically about mental health at work, and we discuss the psychological benefits of creating a more inclusive culture in the workplace.

In this episode, we chat with Graeme Cowan, Board Director of RUOK? and co-founder of WeCARE365. Graeme shares with us the origins and objectives of RUOK? Day, how companies typically engage with it, and offers advice for organisations to have a greater impact through their RUOK initiatives. He takes us through his new product, WeCare365, and we chat about practical steps organisations can take to provide accommodations to keep employees in work while reducing the risk of further health issues. https://www.ruok.org.au/ https://wecare365.com.au/

In this episode, we chat with Dr Tristan Casey to understand the concept of workplace injury and illness stigma. Tristan takes us through the findings of a research project exploring the causes and impact of injury and illness stigma in the workplace. We discuss the drivers behind stigma and the consequences of stigma for the injured or ill worker. Tristan shares examples of protective workplace factors that can destigmatise occupational injury and illness, and offers some advice about the first steps organisations can take in addressing injury and illness stigma. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-10/Research%20on%20the%20causes%20and%20impact%20of%20stigma%20in%20workplaces_0.pdf https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58661569-the-shadow-glass

In this episode we chat with Antony Malmo from Allos Australia about the role of the psych health and safety professional now and into the future. Antony explains the concept of the wicked problem and why he believes psych health and safety is an example of this, and we discuss the confounding role of individual preferences in psychosocial risk. Antony shares his thoughts on what psych health and safety might look like in 5 years time, and we explore whether there is a need for a new profession to tackle this field. https://www.allos.com.au/ https://tidsskrift.dk/njwls/article/view/26673 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC123629 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43183121-the-science-of-storytelling

In this episode we chat with Stephen Davison, Chief Customer Officer at FlourishDx. Steve discusses the role of the company board and executives in relation to psychological health and safety, we talk about the impact of increasing interest in ESG reporting on adoption of psychological health and safety measures in organisations, and Steve shares some useful tips for listeners tasked with preparing a business case or presentation to their board or executive on why the organisation should take action on psychological health and safety.

In the second of our EXPERT SERIES episodes, Jason and Alicia discuss the rising popularity of Mental Health First Aid and other Peer Support programs, and the challenges associated with implementing these programs well. This conversation focuses on issues of peer supporter visibility, utilisation rates, and the vicarious trauma risk that peer supporters are often exposed to. We also provide listeners with a sneak preview of a new FlourishDx feature designed to address some of these issues.

In this episode we chat with Jo Newman, wellbeing practitioner and winner of the 2022 'Breaking the Silence' award in the Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards. In this practical case study episode, Jo takes us step-by-step through her wellbeing initiative. From generating leadership commitment, to engaging the workforce, to understanding workforce needs, to selecting the right interventions, to evaluation and reassessment. Oprahs Bees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImDj57VeaC0

In this episode we chat with Daniel Gaebler, author of 'The Centred Tradie' and owner of Laser Plumbing Caringbah. We chat about Dan's book, why he wrote it, and how it's been received so far. Dan shares his experiences as a small business owner in recognising when employees might be struggling. He gives examples of the types of accommodations a small business can provide to employees when needed, and discusses the business benefits of doing so.

In this episode, UK hosts Peter and Kate chat with Stavroula Leka, Professor of Organisations Work and Health at Lancaster University. Stavroula shares her recollections from her time as the convenor of the working group for ISO 45003, and offers insights into global policy and legislative changes in relation to psychological health and safety.

In this episode we chat with Candice Schaefer, Head of Employee Health & Performance at Spring Health. We start out with a chat about the current state of workplace mental health in the US, and the impact of the pandemic on employer attitudes to worker mental health. Candice talks about the tech industry's approach to workplace mental health, the framing of mental health supports as an employee benefit in the war for talent, and the changing expectations of employees about their mental health and the subsequent impact on employment decisions.

In this episode we chat with Dr Chris Doyle, Group Head of Environment, Health & Safety at Lendlease. Chris shares his experiences in creating a values-driven transformational change in a global organisation and discusses the realities of the intersection between safety and ethics in operations. He describes Lendlease's approach to project scoping in considering worker lived experience, and shares his thoughts on the role of emerging technologies in psych health and safety.

In the first episode of Psych Health and Safety USA, we’ll be talking to a group of global psych health and safety podcast hosts about the world of work and what it looks like in their respective countries. We’ll discuss their experiences and their perspective on how the U. S. compares and what can be done to bridge any gaps. We’ll talk about the various standards and policies that have been implemented to improve psych health and safety.

In this episode we welcome back Jennifer Low from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to chat about the newly published Psychosocial Amendments to the Model WHS Regulations. As an employer representative on the Safe Work Australia National Committee, Jen shares some insights into the discussions and decision-making leading up to the published Amendments. She gives us a run-down of new definitions, and the approach to managing risk and identifying control measures. We discuss what these Amendments mean for the existing Codes of Practice published in different jurisdictions, and what additional guidance employers can expect to see from Safe Work Australia in support of the Regulations.

In this special episode we invite back six of our past guests to help us celebrate our 100th episode. Dr Rebecca Michalak provides an update on the business response to sexual harassment in Australia, Wade Needham discusses how psych health and safety contributes to corporate sustainability goals, Peter Kelly shares some insights on the future of psych health and safety regulation in the UK, Hayley Farrell offers hints and tips for organisations considering becoming certified to ISO 45003, David Burroughs sheds some light on mental health facts and fictions, and Mary Ann Baynton foreshadows a revision to the Canadian Standard on its upcoming 10th birthday.

In this episode we chat with Brian Long, General Manager Health Safety and Environment at Mirvac. Brain shares his observations of the current and emerging state of psychological health and safety in the construction industry, and the main differences between construction and retail when it comes to workplace mental health. We discuss the idea of adaptive capacity at an individual level and its relationship to psychological health. Finally, we chat about some of the barriers to health and safety practitioners becoming more involved in psych health and safety and discuss how these barriers can be addressed.

In this episode we chat with Catherine Dunlop, Partner at Maddocks lawyers. Catherine takes us through the recent High Court Kozarov decision upholding a workers compensation claim for vicarious trauma. She discusses the implications of the decision for employers, and shares her thoughts on the upcoming psychological health and safety regulations.

In this episode we chat with Liam O’Brien, Australian Council of Trade Unions Assistant Secretary. Liam shares some background on the past efforts of workers and unions to drive reform for psychological health and safety. We discuss the improvements in psych health and safety already achieved in workplaces, along with the opportunities for improvement that remain. Liam shares his views on current regulatory reform efforts in Australia, along with a perspective on the next areas of legislation requiring reform to ensure that psychological health and safety achieves parity with physical health and safety.

In this episode we chat with Rob Briner, Professor of Organizational Psychology at Queen Mary University of London. He shares his views on the growth of employee wellbeing and workplace mental health initiatives, and explains why organisations should focus on problem identification and diagnosis before seeking solutions. We discuss what evidence-based practice looks like when conducting organisational diagnosis, and the benefits for organisations who choose diagnosis first rather than purchasing a popular solution. He shares advice on how to select an intervention, following diagnosis, in the absence of good evidence of efficacy. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12347339_Psychosocial_Risk_Assessment_Problems_and_Prospects https://cebma.org/

In this episode we chat with Tom Holliss, Chief People Officer at Zappi. He shares Zappi’s ‘agile-HR’ approach to People policies grounded in compassion and trust, provides examples of how these approaches can work at scale and across industries, and discusses some of the challenges or barriers organisations might face when attempting to shift to a more compassionate culture.

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Mike Hagan, HR and WHS Consultant at Mike Hagan Consulting Services. Mike shares insights from his experiences working across Safety and Human Resources to implement psychological health and safety in a large multinational. Key issues and challenges include implementing psychosocial surveys, accessing organisational data, managing resources and capacity, and navigating internal territorial or political issues.

In this episode we chat with Siusan MacKenzie, CEO of the Emergency Services Foundation in Melbourne, Australia. We discuss the current state of mental health within emergency services personnel. She describes the different programs being run by the Foundation to prevent psychological injury in emergency services through a focus on leadership, along with programs to assist frontline personnel in recognising warning signs and seeking help when required.

In this episode we chat with Dr Jacqui Wilmshurst, Chartered Applied Psychologist. Jacqui shares her experiences in working with neurodivergent clients and her own experiences as a neurodivergent woman. We discuss the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce, and Jacqui shares some tips on how employers can improve the experience of work for neurodivergent employees.

In this episode we chat with Dr Simon Albrecht, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of the Masters of Organisational Psychology program at Deakin University. We talk about the elements of good quality applied research and how it supports the scientist-practitioner approach, then get into more detail about employee engagement, its organisational drivers, and how it relates to wellbeing.

In this episode we chat with Dr Helen Kelly about burnout in teachers and school principals. Helen shares some of the statistics about burnout and attrition rates in teachers, the commonalities and differences in psychosocial hazard exposure between teachers and principals, and the reasons behind the ever-increasing workload for both groups. She offers suggestions for how schools can better manage psychosocial hazards, and shares examples of novel approaches that different schools have taken to improve the wellbeing of their teachers and principals. https://www.schoolmanagementplus.com/heads-governors-school-leadership-governance/teachers-are-not-to-blame-for-their-own-burnout/ https://drhelenkelly.com/

In this episode we chat with Dr Keaton Fletcher. As the 2022 SIOP Trend Champion for Employee Mental Health, Keaton explains the Top 10 Work Trends initiative, then shares the research he has been doing as Trend Champion to produce his first quarterly round-up for 2022. He gives us an overview of the main themes that have emerged this quarter, along with his observations about what is missing from current conversations about employee mental health. He shares insights from his work with a group of CEOs, along with some practical tips for building a strong business case for upstream employee mental health interventions. https://www.siop.org/Business-Resources/Top-10-Work-Trends

In this episode we chat with Dr David Anthony, Co-Founder and CEO of Mantle Health. We chat about how his experiences working in male-dominated industries led him to co-found Mantle with a focus on men’s mental health. Dave shares his views on the current state of mental health provision for men, particularly within EAPs. We discuss whether the current approach to EAP use in organisations is an effective use of resources, and consider what a more effective model of support might look like. https://mantlehealth.com.au/

In this episode we chat with Mark Layson, NSW Ambulance Chaplain and Doctoral Candidate at Charles Sturt University. Mark defines moral injury for us, and explains how it relates to trauma response and how it is different from PTSD. We discuss the non-trauma related psychosocial issues that can contribute to moral injury in first responders, and Mark speaks to the application of systems theory in preventing moral injury.

The last time we spoke with Louise Hosking, she was President Elect of IOSH. Now that she is well into her presidency, we caught up with Louise again to chat about the themes and campaigns of her presidency so far. We explore how to encourage more women into the safety profession, and how the safety profession can maintain the momentum and reputation it has achieved throughout the pandemic as a business-critical function. We discuss the intersection of sustainability and psych health and safety, and how the OHS profession can help organisations to meet their sustainability goals in relation to their employees. https://iosh.com/resources-and-research/our-resources/sustainability/catch-the-wave/

In this episode, UK hosts Peter and Kate chat with Sara Flanagan, Global Wellbeing Director at Boston Consulting Group. Sara shares from her experiences in implementing psychological health and safety internally within professional services firms, both at a national and at a global level.

In this episode we chat with Dr Libby Brook, Principal Psychological Health and Safety Specialist at WorkSafe Victoria. Libby takes us through the Exposure Draft OHS Amendment (Psychological Health) Regulations, providing more context on the objectives, employer duties, control of risk, prevention plans, and complaint reporting. A useful episode for anyone who will be affected by the introduction of these Regulations! https://engage.vic.gov.au/proposed-psychological-health-regulations