The goal of the psych health and safety podcast is to rapidly advance the practice of psychological health and safety in companies worldwide. Featuring a guest each episode from the fields of health and safety, psychology and academia who are leading the way in their corner of the globe. Hosts: Jason van Schie and Joelle Mitchell
In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Keith Govias, Workplace Safety and Risk Principal at EML Group. Keith joins us to chat about three items from EML’s Research program for mental health. The PIEF Award winning 2025 Mental Health White Paper with Monash University, Workplace Microaggression research with Griffith University from last year and a 2026 Superannuation White Paper which revisits the Monash and Melbourne Uni work from the Collaborative Partnership for Improving Return to Work Participation.
In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle welcome Megan Hunter, Senior Advisor for Psychological Health and Safety at ACCO. They explore differences in approach to PHS between Canada and Australia. They discuss the challenges and opportunities in promoting mental well-being at work, with insights into how different regions are adopting standards and practices. Anyone interested in the bike movie Megan mentioned can view it here: https://www.ridetoresilience.ca/
In this episode, this group of some of the world’s foremost experts on psychological health and safety are back to share their observations about the field. This reunion is intended to serve as a check to see what has changed in the past four years across the four countries represented, and also as a send-off as Dr. Daniels transitions the podcast to its new name, “Psychological Safety USA podcast.”
In this episode hosts Jason and Joelle welcome back Dr Kat Page, a workplace mental health expert and Chair of the upcoming Psych Health and Safety Conference (PHSCON 2026). Kat shares with listeners insights from her new book “Good Work”, a multi-year project that is now available to purchase. They then preview the key discussions that will take place at PHSCON on the themes of consultation, collaboration, culture and compliance. https://amzn.asia/d/03Beqh7o
In this episode of the Psych Health and Safety podcast, hosts Jason and Joelle welcome back Wade Needham, a leader in investment governance and stewardship. The discussion focuses on the recent New Zealand High Court ruling on officer due diligence, exploring its implications for psychosocial risk management in Australia. Wade shares insights on integrating psychosocial safety into business operations, emphasizing the importance of understanding financial pressures and organizational context. The conversation also touches on the role of legal judgments in shaping compliance and performance strategies, offering practical advice for executives and board members.
In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Graeme Cowan, Founder of WECARE365 and author of the recently published book Great Leaders Care. Graeme takes us through the key themes of his new book, drawn from the stories of people he has interviewed on his podcast, The Caring CEO. He shares practical steps that leaders can take to champion a culture of care and high performance. https://graemecowan.com.au/great-leaders-care/
In this episode hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Rev. Dr. Mark Layson, Director, Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network at Charles Sturt University. They discuss a recent Industrial Relations Commission hearing involving an internal investigation into conduct, a Safe Work investigation into the investigation process, and improvement notices targeting the systems of work relating to the management of conduct and performance. They talk about conduct investigations as a psychosocial hazard, and how the presence or absence of organisational justice can significantly impact mental health outcomes for people under investigation. https://www.routledge.com/Unexpected-Poison-Betrayal-and-Moral-Injury-in-Your-Workplace/Layson/p/book/9781032803067
In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Peter Kelly, former UK podcast host and Founder of Being Real Workplace Mental Health Solutions. Peter was the Chair of the Drafting Committee for BS 30480 - Suicide in the workplace - Intervention, prevention and support for people affected by suicide, which was published in November 2025. Peter takes us through the drivers behind the Guide, how it was developed, its key content, and the response from employers and stakeholders since its publication. https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/insights-and-media/insights/brochures/bs-30480-suicide-and-the-workplace/
In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Tim Bednall, Organisational Psychologist and Head of Data Science at FlourishDx. Tim takes us through a recent validation study he conducted for FlourishDx's latest risk assessment tool, the Psychosocial Impact Assessment. Listen to this episode to understand what the new tool is, how the validation study was conducted and its findings, and other interesting insights we discovered about how positive work factors interact with psychosocial risk.
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.
