WhyWork Podcast

WhyNOT Wisdom Shot: Season 02 Episode 06: Manual task risk management - this wisdom shot extends Season 02 Episode 06: Mi Casa es su Casa. It challenges subscribers to get back to basics and be a sleuth to follow the evidence (whether assessing workers in a brothel, on the moon, on the sports field, or in an industrial environment).

Season 2 Episode 14: The river otter, the wise owl, and the transformation of a deer to a stag and back again. When ‘fuzzy science’ can be meaningful in terms of personality profiles, values, and our behaviours. Why not have fun and reflect on who we are, how we are, and why? This episode reveals more intimate details about the mugs from backwater Brissie: Trajce, Alan, and Sara.

Season 02 Episode 13: This episode is dedicated to our teaching community. The podcast crew acknowledge that generalised stress can lead to dissociated behaviours and odd events can arise, like it did in the story of salmon stuffed in the professor’s pocket in a grocery store. Stress froths over in funny ways. Sara discusses the ‘God complex’ that might be needed to be successful in demanding role...

Season 02 Episode 12: Worker health and wellbeing on the moon and in outer space: Can you dream it? "You can't escape the iron cage of health and wellbeing," says Trajce. "Not a cage, an opportunity," Sara implores, as she imagines working on the technical requirements for the astronauts during their extra vehicular activity ('EVA') suits. The podcasters envision Jamie from 'The Outlander' in his...

Season 2 Episode 11: WARNING: A fatality is discussed in this episode. “Back to your techno days, Trajce,” says Alan. “I have a friend who organises amazing movie stunts,” says Sara. “Are you up for a ‘burn’?” asks Trajce. “With gel lathered all over the body and you light yourself on fire?” queries Sara, “I’ll try anything once!”she proclaims. Music videos and movie sets: the team debate a case r...

Season 02 Episode 10 explores psychosocial impacts when naming and shaming go too far. "Cottage cheese thighs!" yelled the yoga guru, "You're obviously not vegan!". "The Matryoskha dolls keep opening," explains Trajce, as a metaphor. ‘Don’t push the envelope, don’t say it,” warns Trajce. ‘But if you say the regretful words, and you can’t wind it back, acknowledge it, and apologise,” says Alan. Thi...

Season 02 Episode 09: “No more shoddy light fittings in hotel rooms!” exclaims Alan, “(I guess that) for any accommodation provider, there may be some bedroom activities (and) the bed must be strong.” “Honeymoon suite,” says Trajce. Sara laments the boundaries that erode during work travel and shares some stories about fruit and chocolate left at her door while travelling overseas. She reflects on...

Season 02 Episode 08: Trajce ruminates over his fascination (read: obsession) with reality TV. He's even written a book on it! The crew, Alan, Trajce, and Sara discuss reality TV and the phenomena of naming and shaming. "I can see how the camera person may be considered a worker (under current health and safety legislation)," says Sara, "but I would never have considered the contestant as a worker...

WARNING: This episodes discusses confronting issues about sleepwalking and a urination faux-pas. The inequality of gender-based compensation is addressed in a round-about-way. S02 E07: Explores work travel antics and the constraints when an employer expects workers to share a room. Sara reminds Trajce and Alan about a past state government jingle, “4 Men and Women 2,” and the culture of acceptable...

WARNING: This episode has SEXUAL OVERTONES. Season 2 Episode 6: How are you going to risk assess the work of sex workers? “Sometimes the legal structure is too good for it’s own good,” says Alan. When you operate with blurred lines in the structure of employment, you can be subject to full employment laws as a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking and a worker can be eligible for compensatio...

WARNING: WORKPLACE AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE are mentioned. This episode has SEXUAL OVERTONES. Season 2 Episode 5: Alan annunciates 'C-o-u-g-a-r,' in honeyed tones. "Silicon chip inside her head" (not 'inside her hip'), Trajce finally realises the lyrics in Bob Geldof and the Boom Town Rat's song, but he laments that 'hip' would rhyme better with 'chip'! Traumas with psychosocial injuries are explor...

Season 2 Episode 4: The crew discuss the work-from-anywhere phenomenon when the enforcement of regulations is a reluctant approach in sport, and we (society) want the fighting spirit exhibited on the field. “This is food for thought”, says Trajce, “criminal law (sanctions) can still apply to illegal acts occurring on the football field… (we must explore) the idea that those involved in the sport,...

WARNING: A FATALITY IS DISCUSSED. Season 2 Episode 3: What do you do when the sporting field or tennis court is your workplace? "Aggression and the will to fight is part of the game," says Sara. "We love our sport," says Alan. In football, a shoulder charge has caused a fatality. The athlete's condition was determined to be 'incompatible with life'. Tragic. Listen as Trajce presents the inquest. W...

WARNING – A FATALITY IS DISCUSSEDSeason 2 Episode 2: The wheels are slow to turn in the Hollywood industry to minimise risk on the set of television or movies. Harrison Ford is injured on a Star Wars set in the Millennium Falcon. Alec Baldwin was involved in an on-set fatality, and there are challenges with work events that are designed to be thrilling. Movie making can be volatile, uncertain, com...

Season 2 Episode 1 describes how the podcasters, Alan, Sara, and Trajce met. The crew discuss the vulnerabilities of the human experience through storytelling. Trajce reflects on his career love of music production, Sara talks about her yoga practice, and Alan reveals his interest in agriculture and his vintage tractor operations. During these reflections, the crew debate joy work (or ‘unwork-work...

Season 02: Extended Trailer 11: Sit down, buckle up, and 'put your listening ears on' as the school marm once instructed. This Season 02 Extended Trailer will keep you curious as our executive producer, Trajce, introduces this jam-packed, event-filled season with 14 episodes to tickle your curiousity and cojole your inquisitive and sometimes outraged mind. Listen to this overview and stay excited!...

"There are subtle ways of doing things," says Trajce. "You are an agent provocateur," he labels. Alan loves the label attributed to Sara, though she protests, ".... It is in the media!"... "Oh man, cut-cut-cut-cut," says Alan. This one might be a no-go. The crew struggle with containing their merriment when it comes to juggling the boundaries around discussions about the tough stuff.

'You're almost not in the 'in crowd' unless you spit fire... ," explains Sara. When you are in the right setting, it all bubbles forth, and there are exclamations around what happens during field work. "Cut that one out," commands Alan. Trajce is struggling to envision it all and finds himself laughing during the clamour of explanations. Season 2 will take you to new places - watch out and listen...

"Take us to the stars, Sara", says Alan. In Season 2, the WhyWork Podcasters, Sara, Trajce, and Alan, explore what it means to drift from expected social norms and how a 'new normal' can be established because we blend into the milieu of the times. That can be dangerous, "I'm not proud to admit it, but I'm going to tell you anyway," says Sara. Trajce braces for more trouble...

WhyWork Season 2 Trailer 7: "In what situation would you say the other expression...?" asks Alan. What mishaps happen when you are nervous at work? Like during public speaking - even when presenting a conservative topic on police work and random breath testing. Learn more about this in The WhyWork Podcast.

PSYCHOSOCIAL WELLBEING AND DESIGN FOR DIVERSITY Episode 12 challenges our cultural approaches to conflict. Our emotional experiences are our reality, and we are emotional beings. In workplace law, Alan reminds us that workers may not realise that they are triggering emotional responses among workmates. Sensory processing is yet another facet of understanding the reality of our experiences and if o...

WhyWork Season 2 Trailer 6: "I was thinking of 3D printing. I could print a version of myself. I could take it to work so that I don't have to work," says Trajce. We discuss extended reality and artificial intelligence in The WhyWork Podcast.

INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT AT WORK In Episode 11, Trajce and Alan probe perceptions among workers and the impacts on workers in toxic workplaces. Camera footage tells one story but cannot reveal worker vulnerabilities and perceptions that arise when toxicity has eroded interpersonal relationships. Trajce and Alan unpack the conflicts that can occur at work, even interpersonal difficulties arising from...

WhyWork Season 2: It's a laugh, it's a lark, and sometimes its confronting too, the www.whyworkpodcast.com.au: Trailer 5

WORKPLACE DESIGN FOR PERFORMANCE In Episode 10, we pursue the end game of good work design. We suggest that workplaces build purchase, agency, and capability in work design throughout their organisation, propped by conventional designers and the lawyers to help predict and defend against safety-critical events. Sara prompts listeners to thing about work design – it does not solve the problems for...