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Published by Alan Girle, Trajce Cvetkovski, & Sara Pazell
The WhyWork Podcast is an organisational strategy session and legal dissection of workplace events that are laced with humour. Your bloggers, Alan, Trajce, and Sara, explore the contemporary and uncomfortable realities of work and the boundaries that are tested. Alan and Trajce dismantle case law and Sara pushes all to consider how to redesign the world of work so that business objectives are realised and that people thrive. Good stories are told. The WhyWork team throws shade on some of the stories and the people involved as they consider defensible and remarkable work design strategy. When you listen to the WhyWork Podcast, you realise that no skeleton in the workplace closet is too sacred to unearth. It’s like listening to the water cooler gossip but then shit gets real, and it all becomes serious – fast. This is a must-listen for executive and emerging managers, work design strategists, human factors specialists and ergonomists, work health safety and law specialists, organisational scientists, occupational health academics, and anyone humoured by office and workplace antics! Get ready to exclaim, “She said WHAT...?” and “He DIDN’T! OMG!”. Laugh along with us while you learn lots.
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S10 Trailer 05: WhyWork: Why Silent? The WhyWork crew - Alan, Trajce, and Sara - are on extended break. But the world of work is as crazy as ever. We encourage In the meantime, Check out Sara's afternoon keynote presentation on Good Work Design at the Work Well Conference 2026 , 7th Oct, Brisbane Conference Centre, sponsored by the Office of Industrial Relations, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. She will also present on a similar topic for WorkSafe Tasmania in their Safe Work Month, " Good Work Design for Sustainable Futures: Curating Better Work, by Design.' Subscriber's can also check out Sara's disarming, growing, library of 1-min ViVA health at work video recordings-- Work Design Instagram Provocations. While Alan remains content taking a break, walking the dog, and sunning himself across the Tasman seas (oh, yes, he is still working around Australia - contact Alan directly for expert WHS law advice and defense strategy), Trajce is taking a hiatus helping to produce work, health, and safety legal reflections for The Safety Verdict by Longton Blackwell. Watch this space - 2027, here we come again. In the meantime, we remain available to provide keynote address podcast special recordings and work re-design workshops - reach out to design your best work education experience yet!
Season 10 Episode 06: The Circular Saw Case: A Labour Hire Blind Spot Warning: This episode references workplace injuries and fatalities - we advise listener discretion. In this subscriber-exclusive episode, the WhyWork team, Alan, Trajce, and Sara, examine a real labour hire incident involving a serious circular saw injury to explore where responsibility begins—and where it ends. “Nothing to see here,” says Alan, “or, at least, that is what some organisations might hope to explain.” The discussion considers due diligence obligations across recruitment agencies, host employers and supervisors, including verifying competence, ensuring workers understand instructions, selecting appropriate equipment, providing effective supervision and communicating critical safety information. The hosts also discuss migrant workers, language barriers, visual communication, verification of competency, PPE obligations, and the danger of assuming that everyone shares the same understanding of risk. Sara drifts into her recollections of scuba diving while massively pregnant, “like a beached whale wriggling in my tight scuba outfit,’ she humours. Trajce giggles at her Eastern European underground mining experience, likening her experience to the ‘Compare the Market’ meerkat mascot, Viktor. Combining legal analysis with human factors and practical operational experience, this episode demonstrates why effective safety depends not simply on assigning responsibility, but on designing systems that make safe work possible. Acknowledgement: This episode is part of our Subscriber Case Study Series and was inspired by a real case submitted by Desai Link , Principal Consultant at Dynamic HSE. We thank Desai for contributing this case to encourage practical discussion and shared learning across the safety profession.
S10 E05: The Convergence: Nothing is Out of Bounds Warning: This episode includes tribute to the life and death of one of the podcast hosts' father. We advise listener discretion if this is a sensitive topic for you. This episode explores why the management of modern work demands integrated thinking. Rather than separating psychosocial hazards, manual handling, critical controls, environmental conditions, and organisational performance into independent programs, the hosts argue for a whole-of-system approach to designing work. Drawing on legal cases, operational experience, contemporary events, and personal reflections, the discussion examines how workplaces can move beyond siloed thinking to understand the interaction between people, tasks, technology and organisational systems. Along the way, Alan, Trajce, and Sara’s conversation touches on leadership, performance management, work-life boundaries, resilience, and the personal experiences that shape our understanding of meaningful work, including Sara’s tribute to her father and his influence on her systems-design thinking. This episode is a reminder that every workplace challenge exists within a broader human system—and effective solutions rarely come from a single discipline.
Season 10 Episode 04: Turn Down the Chilli in My Con Carne 'Turn Down the Chilli in My Con Carne' explores the tension between compliance and operational excellence. Alan, Trajce, and Sara discuss why workplaces often become consumed by paperwork, while the realities of work continue to evolve much faster than legislation and codes of practice. This episode extends discussion on safety paperwork, introduced in Season 6 Episode 12 – It’s going SWM’ingly . The conversation examines the distinction between mandatory legal duties, codes of practice, guidance material, and safe work method statements, and asks an important question: are organisations managing work, or managing documentation? Drawing on legal principles, human factors and operational practice, the team explores "fantasy documents", the objective behind compliance, and why understanding how work is performed remains fundamental to creating safer, more adaptive and innovative workplaces. “That’s why there is expressionistic dance,” says Trace much to Alan and Sara’s amusement, “no fixed foxtrot here!” Whether you're a safety professional, operational leader or business owner, this episode challenges the assumption that more paperwork automatically delivers better safety.
Season 10 Episode 03: Predicting Risk: Why Psychosocial Safety Needs a New Playbook WARNING: This episode refers to sexual harassment and occupational psychosocial risks – we advise listener discretion. Meep-meep. The roadrunner—an analogy for the rapidly changing occupational sociocultural landscape. What happens when psychosocial risk management, industrial relations, human rights, and WHS law intersect? In this episode, Alan Girle, Trajce Cvetkovski, and Sara Pazell explore the evolution of psychosocial risk management—from the decommissioning of PAWS to the development of PRAiSE (Psychosocial Risk Assessment and Integrated Solutions for Employers) and the PRA (Psychosocial Risk Analyser) feature in ErgoAnalyst, an integrated task-based risk assessment and work re-design decision support software system. The discussion examines survey bias, the challenges of measuring psychosocial risk, acute versus cumulative exposures, predictive analytics, and the shift from lag indicators to leading indicators. This is a practical discussion about moving beyond compliance to build organisational capability to design better, healthier, productive work. Along the way, the team reflect on favourite childhood cartoon characters and their ‘on the edge’ antics, recent industry forums, WhyWork workshops , and Trajce's "rockstar" days. Alan compares Trajce’s 80’s music genre pursuits with the current phenomenon of the precariat, casualised worker whose livelihood depends on wages and tips (“That’s ‘tips’ with a ‘P’ for our listeners who may have lost that pronunciation,” reminds Alan, in his cheeky but dry wit style). The team take a few more nostalgic detours featuring past Coyote Ugly podcast chatter, the Road Runner's "Meep Meep!", and the cartoon character, Marvin the Martian. This episode builds on last week's release: S10 E02: Coyote Ugly: Scandal Upon Scandal For more on the changes impacting industry approaches to psychosocial risk management, download ViVA health at work 's flyer on, " Rethinking Psychosocial Risk ."
Season 10 Episode 02: Coyote Ugly - Scandal upon Scandal WARNING: This episode refers to sexual harassment and cultural prejudice at work – we advise listener discretion. Trajce laments, “We’ve never mentioned the UK Royals in our podcast – that is fodder for scandal upon scandal, where do we begin? However, we have a good case from the UK involving a Brazilian woman, a bar, and cultural prejudice – it’s juicy.” Sara is ready to dig into the discussion feeling positive after discovering an omen before the recording session – “It’s an Otter!” she exclaims while showing a glittering otter charm to the boys. The crew reflect on their spirit animals, the Deer (Trajce), the Owl (Owwwlin’ – aka Alan), and The Otter (Sara), before circling back to discussions about Coyotes, Cowboys, and a novel UK experience – bar work, dancing, and claims about theft. Alan is aghast that the employer in this instance may have shifted truth to frame a Brazilian worker for unsubstantiated theft, relying on cultural typecasting in their defence.
WARNING: This episode refers to sexual harassment and prejudicial treatment at work – we advise listener discretion. Alan presents an extract from a complicated UK case—he is focussed on a particular passing comment rather than a binding ruling. In this comment, the aggrieved person complained that a alleged perpetrator labelled him, ‘bald.’ The defendant viewed this as discriminatory and a form of sexual harassment. While reflecting on workplace harassment by teasing others about their appearance, culture, sex, gender affiliation, or accent, the crew, Alan and Trajce, can’t help but make fun of Sara and her American accent. “They’re not confident and BOLD, they are BALD!” exclaims Trajce. They descend into discussions about man-boobs, sexually suggestive body parts cross cultures—like wrists and earlobes, and hairiness versus baldness “Follically challenged!” chimes Trajce. Sara talks about the trend in legal cases following contemporary issues, where the pendulum swings based on what is making news and the regulator’s focus. She also discusses the messiness of determining prejudicial treatment in the workplace when legal pundits must dissect both intention of harm by the perpetrator and perception of harm by a defendant. For more on sexual harassment and prejudicial concerns, listen to: Season 7, Episode 5 – Tickle versus Giggle for Girls and Safety on the Footy Field Tickle v Giggle for Girls Pty Ltd (No 2) [2024] FCA 960 Season 9, Episode 3 – “Top o’ the morning to ya!”
Season 10 Special-Release Bonus 6: Kidney Bean Reflection Series: The Conclusion O–100 km/h in 3.5 Seconds. But Did You Die? WARNING: This episode includes discussion about the confronting topic of live organ donation. Trajce, CJ, and Sara use this episode to conclude the special 6-part reflection series on kidney donation. Alan continued to sun himself in Tassie. Part 5 of the reflection series ended on a cliffhanger before describing the acute hospital experience. There are a few things that nobody tells you about the realities of live kidney donation and this episode delves into those hidden treasures.... "Where is the organ donation speciality centre in Australia?" asks Sara. Trajce describes the contrasts between the donee (kidney recipient) and the donor hospital ward experience, "Oh, so CJ was in the executive lounge, and you were in the back of the bus on the aluminium seats." Sara recounts some of the confusion and complications associated with her acute post-surgical hospital ward experience. She connects these reflections with her training in and understanding of complex, dynamic systems management. CJ contextualises these ideas by highlighting the conflict between what someone expects in healthcare versus the realities of their experiences. "But did you know that all your bits go blue? Smurf or Smurfette when bloodflow returns," laughs Sara, "These are more realities that you simply discover as a donor or donee, and did not receive education on or know to expect!" Trajce jokes, "the is the real lived experience. You experienced it and you really lived it, with chills that were multiplying...". Yet, aligned with the theme of this part of the series, Sara asks "But did you die?” because here she is, and CJ, able to live a life and tell the story of the miracle of kidney donation. They give thanks to the many people in the inner circle who helped them during this time. CJ appreciated, "I think I had a Gold Pass, I think I've done all right through all this," while Trajce reflects, "Yeah, he was on speed dial for priority care."
Season 10 Special-Release Bonus 5: Kidney Bean Reflection Series O–100 km/h in 3.5 Seconds. But Did You Die? WARNING: This episode includes discussion about the confronting topic of live organ donation. This episode discusses the gamification of kidney donation—when the 'shut down phase' intersects with another person's incessant curiosity. More than a Facebook or TikTok challenge, CJ reflects on this incredible journey and his daily gratitude rituals after receiving Sara’s live kidney donation. Trajce remarks that he is witness to two productive people acting now as business as usual. ‘But did you die?” asks Sara, a carryover from last week’s episode. CJ describes his textbook recovery yet the need to finely tune the health factors that influence the body’s sustained acceptance of a donated organ. Sara philosophises on the idea of positive medical care outcomes coexisting with system gaps. Her sentence begins, “We’ve talked about the gaps in the system …” and ends with a cliff hanger. Wait for next week’s final bonus series episode to complete this discussion on kidney donation.
Season 10 Special-Release Bonus 4: Kidney Bean Reflection Series O–100 km/h in 3.5 Seconds. But Did You Die? Kidney x 3. Friendship x Infinity. Perspective x 1000 WARNING: This episode includes discussion about the confronting topic of live organ donation. Sara donated a kidney. CJ received it. Trajce joked about it. Alan sunned himself in Tassie. Months after a life-changing transplant, the WhyWork® team reunites to reflect on friendship, fear, mortality, recovery, and what happens when someone literally gives a part of themselves to help another person live. Sara shares the reality of becoming "Kidney x1," CJ explains what it's like carrying three kidneys around, and Trajce provides his usual blend of legal commentary and provocation. From confronting death and challenging assumptions about risk, to navigating recovery, return-to-work, and life with three kidneys, this episode is equal parts inspiring, insightful, and unexpectedly funny. A conversation about courage, gratitude, and discovering what really matters when life accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 3.5 secs.
S10 Trailer 4: Travel Back in Time with WhyWork - 10 Seasons of salacious tales, 100's of episode recordings with case law dissection and work re-design gems. Like homemade cooking leftovers - tasty!
S10 Trailer 03: We've got it all - from baldness to Brazilian accents We spread like a new disease... you want a war by the same TV ... We come in via back force entry, the mugs from Backwater Brissie. Why are you talking shit about the underdogs who never quit? WhyWork underdog caselaw dissection is returning to the airwaves soon. Check out our special-release episodes until then.
S10: Trailer 2: Turn Down the Chiles in the Con Carne We're talking about being a good-time girl, when documentation only goes so far, Swimmin' to safety or when SWMS ain't swimmin' upstream at all. Stay tuned, the full episodes for S10 will release soon.
S1o: Trailer 1: Receding hairlines, lap dance moves, and culture clash: Welcome to work. Are you upset because people are making fun of you at work? Listen to S10 WhyWork - full episode releases coming soon. Hear about how work becomes all-to-human when collegues exploit personal issues like receding hairlines, Coyoto nightclub dancing, and accented variations of spoken English.
S10 Special-Release Bonus: Early Intervention Under Cross Examination – Band-Aids, Bureaucracy, and Better Design Welcome to this special episode release recording during the launch of the Phoenix Occupational Medicine Early Intervention Done Right Symposium 2026 . This episode promises nudity, sex, drugs, and almost rock & roll. The WhyWork Podcast - Alan Girle, Trajce Cvetkovski, and Sara Pazell - examine both serious and salacious work-related tales. The flagrant disregard for the law, mishaps, and egregious failures, capture our imagination. This episode discusses invisible, hidden hazards, like dust exposures, nudity as a workplace norm, and recreational drug use intersecting with work readiness tests. The target audience for this show centres on occupational rehabilitation providers, medical teams, and operational leaders. Tune in if your work makes you confront nudity, recreational drug use, or health and safety standards. For more on the team's discussion of a dusty scneario, refer to this NSW Dust Diseases Tribunal Worker's Compensation case law: Bennett v Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer and Ors [2025] NSWDDT 5
The second trailer for the Launch of the Phoenix Occupational Medicine Early Intervention Done Right Symposium 2026 - Special Episode Release - promising nudity, sex, drugs, and almost rock & roll. Of course, Sara must shamelessly promote the podcast - voluntarily recorded, produced, and promoted - listen in, subscribe, download, and submit your 5-star rating to keep the @WhyWorkPodcast in the charts!
The second trailer for the Launch of the Phoenix Occupational Medicine Early Intervention Done Right Symposium 2026 - Special Episode Release - promising nudity, sex, drugs, and almost rock & roll.
The first trailer for the Launch of the Phoenix Occupational Medicine Early Intervention Done Right Symposium 2026 - Special Episode Release.
S10: Special-Release Bonus 3: How Far Would You Go For a Workmate? WARNING: This episode discusses the difficult journey of organ donation, which may confront some listeners – we urge listener discretion before tuning in to this special three-part series. In this deeply personal and provocative three-part special, Sara, Trajce, and Alan traverse beyond the usual boundaries of work dynamics leading to work health and safety case law. They enter the territory in which values, courage, relationships, healthcare institutions, and government frameworks intersect in messy fashion. In the latter episodes, the series is joined by Clinton “CJ” Harding, the kidney recipient, whose presence reframes the experience from sacrifice to shared humanity. Together, they explore what it really means to care at work, in friendship, and in life when the stakes are life and death – very real. After all the confrontations of poor service design in the public healthcare setting, Sara would still do it again if tested on repeat. “That’s not really an option, now,” jokes Trajce. This series invites listeners to reflect: What do we owe one another at work in life? How do organisations respond when employees make values-based decisions that don’t fit neat policy boxes? And how far would you go for a workmate? If this series prompts questions or curiosity about organ donation, we strongly encourage you to visit DonateLife and speak with your state or territory kidney transplant centre. For more healthcare insights, check out 'Healthcare Insights: The Voice of the Consumer, the Practitioner, and the Work Design Strategist.'
S10: Special-Release Bonus 2: How Far Would You Go For a Workmate? WARNING: This episode discusses the difficult journey of organ donation, which may confront some listeners – we urge listener discretion before tuning in to this special three-part series. In this deeply personal and provocative three-part special, Sara, Trajce, and Alan traverse beyond the usual boundaries of work dynamics leading to work health and safety case law. They enter the territory in which values, courage, relationships, healthcare institutions, and government frameworks intersect in messy fashion. Also, in this episode, the podcast crew invite discussion by special guest, Clinton "CJ" Harding, the organ donor recipient. At the heart of the series is Sara’s experience as a living kidney donor and CJ's opportunity to marvel at transitioning from accepting then moving from death's edge to a second lease on life. Sara reviews her nine-month decision-making journey that tested her resolve and made her confront both her values and capabilities. Unexpectedly, her decision confronted many of her friends, colleagues, and family, while testing the institutions, providers, and government support designed to support people through extraordinary choices. This series doesn’t romanticise donation. It sits honestly with the discomfort: Being confronted by strong opinions and projected fears, Navigating a public hospital system under strain, Discovering the near absence of employer, insurer, or structural financial support, And learning, sometimes the hard way, who can hold space, and who cannot. Sara laments the challenges she faced, unexpectedly, beyond her immediate biological and psychological sphere of live organ donation - the impositions that others placed upon her when projecting their own fears. If this series prompts questions or curiosity about organ donation, we strongly encourage you to visit DonateLife and speak with your state or territory kidney transplant centre. For more healthcare insights, check out 'Healthcare Insights: The Voice of the Consumer, the Practitioner, and the Work Design Strategist.'
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Apple Podcasts rankings via the Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed September 7, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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