Invisible Worker

For the working majority, financial uncertainty is not an abstract concept—it is a daily reality. Yet research shows that 90% of senior leaders would choose a guaranteed bad outcome over an uncertain good one. Sam Conniff, creator of Uncertainty Experts and bestselling author of Be More Pirate, joins us to dismantle how fear dysregulates our brains and bodies, clouding rational financial choices....

54,000 women a year are pushed out of their jobs for getting pregnant. That's a woman every ten minutes. Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, joins Emily to expose the motherhood penalty — the career and financial setback that makes the Invisible Worker a mother. From the marriage bar to the modern pay gap, they make the case for affordable childcare, shared parental leave reform, and...

FinTech pioneer Nigel Morris (Capital One, QED Investors) joins the show to discuss the double-edged sword of frictionless digital payments and the challenge of low financial literacy. He explores how data-driven strategies democratized credit, the psychology behind modern debt, and the potential for "Agentic AI" to help the working majority make better long-term financial decisions. Show notes fr...

The "Invisible Worker," who powers society, is often trapped in bad jobs lacking dignity and fair pay. MIT's Professor Zeynep Ton unveils her Good Jobs System, showing how operational choices—like cross-training and slack—create high productivity and dignity. She argues that making service jobs the next middle class jobs is an urgent necessity. Notes from our host, Emily Trant: Has a business book...

The median US worker retires with just $25,000 set aside for the rest of their lives. Harvard economist David Laibson argues our financial system favors the sophisticated, leaving the "Invisible Worker" in distress. He makes the case for forced savings and behavioral design solutions like automatic enrollment to overcome human procrastination and ensure financial security. Show notes from our host...

What truly drives performance at work? It's not just workload. Dr. Eileen McNeely, Executive Director of the Harvard SHINE Program, reveals a groundbreaking finding: a caring culture is six times more associated with performance than an employee's workload. This leads to the system changes needed to better serve employees. Show notes from our host, Emily Trant: Wow, if you haven’t figured it...

When we talk about wealth, we often imagine investment portfolios or property ownership — not hourly wages and unpredictable shifts. Yet for millions of working Americans, income volatility defines their financial lives. Tim Flacke, CEO of Commonwealth, explains how small policy shifts and behavioral design can help turn instability into security. Show notes from our host, Emily Trant: A huge than...

What does it mean to be financially healthy in America today? Jennifer Tescher, founder of the Financial Health Network, joins us to trace the roots of financial inequality, unpack the data behind money and wellbeing, and explore how employers, policymakers, and institutions can rebuild the promise of the American dream. Notes from our host, Emily Trant: I can’t recall exactly when I first became...

Of those raised in the lowest income bracket, only 4% reach the top 20% of earners . Jason Desentz, CHRO of Toshiba, is one of them. Desentz explains his philosophy: "Listen, Learn, Lead," and how he leads his people based on his lived experiences. Show notes from our host, Emily Trant: I first met Jason in early 2025 when he was speaking about HR leadership at a conference in Atlanta. As I listen...

We’re wrapping up Season 1 of the Invisible Worker podcast with a very special Live Episode, brought to you from the annual Financial Wellbeing Forum. From barrister to restaurateur, Nisha Katona MBE traded the courtroom for the kitchen and built Mowgli Street Food. But this isn't just another restaurant story. We delve into the secret ingredient behind Mowgli's success: a workforce that thrives....

A huge thank you to my guest Adam Kay for coming on the show to talk about his experience being a junior doctor in the NHS. I highly recommend reading his breakout novel, This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor . It paints a vivid picture of life on the frontline of the NHS. If you’re curious about some of the historical and financial information we discussed, here are some of the...

Join our community to access bonus content, the full episode archive, and exclusive opportunities to get involved with the show. A huge thank you to my guest Owain Service for coming on the show to talk about the behavioural science of money and to unveil the new research we did together. Here are some of the links to topics we discussed on the show. Use the Institute of Fiscal Studies tool to che...

Join our community to access bonus content, the full episode archive, and exclusive opportunities to get involved with the show. Thank you to Sara Davies, Senior Research Fellow at Bristol University Personal Finance Research Centre. Sara has been hands on developing the framework for measuring the poverty premium and in my day job I use her research to calculate and report impact. 💪💪💪 Although...

Click here to join our community and access bonus content, the full episode archive, and exclusive opportunities to get involved with the show. When you think of an illegal money lender, perhaps you think of a shady figure in a dark alley, or a faceless contact on a phone screen. You may not picture your next door neighbour, your work colleague, or even your friend. More than one million people in...

Join our community to access bonus content, the full episode archive, and exclusive opportunities to get involved with the show. This episode is around savings, and how saving into a pension was made easier through one small, but significant change in process. Less than 50% of UK workers were saving in a pension prior to 2012, and more than 80% now do - and our guest played a role in helping this...

Join our community to access bonus content, the full episode archive, and exclusive opportunities to get involved with the show. A huge thank you to my guest Nye Cominetti, Principal Economist at the Resolution Foundation for coming on to talk about all things related to the Real Living Wage.  Here are some links to the research, reports and organisations we covered on the show: Living Wage F...

You might see them as ‘frontline’ or ‘essential’ workers…or you might not see them at all. A podcast exploring the lives of more than half the working world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.