WhyWork Podcast

WhyWork Podcast

di Alan Girle, Trajce Cvetkovski, & Sara Pazell
Stagione 8

S08 Bonus: WhyNOT? A Wisdom Shot: To SWMS or not to SWMS?!

Bonus
Season 08 Bonus: WhyNOT? A Wisdom Shot: To sink or to SWMS?! The Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) debate is hot and Trajce summarises his research while giving it to us straight: SWMS or no, they have made little difference in organisations, and with or without one, fatalities may still arise in organisations. Listen to Season 06 E12: It's going SWM'ingly to learn more about this finding!

S08: Trailer 01: Faux Paus and Flummoxes

Trailer
Season 08 Trailer 01: Faux Paus and Flummoxes: life is like a maze, listen to the WhyWork Podcasters recording mishaps as they prepare to release Season 08 - we're back!
Stagione 7

S07 E11: From ‘Command & Control’ to ‘Customer Service’ – Beyond ‘hazard salad’ in psychosocial risk management

Season 07 Episode 11: From ‘Command & Control’ to ‘Customer Service’ – Beyond ‘hazard salad’ in psychosocial risk management. The team revel in debate about the new Queensland state and Commonwealth government literature on psychosocial risk management. Sara is relieved to see updates to regulations on psychosocial risks (Work Health and Safety [Psychosocial Risks] Amendment Regulation 2022) because of their focus on work design. Trajce explains aspects of The Commonwealth Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work (Dec 2023) which includes “intrusive surveillance” as a psychosocial hazard, requiring employer risk management and interventions. The team reference Season 01 Episode 05: Kozorov and The Need for Purpose – an episode devoted to discussions on vicarious trauma in the workplace. Much to Alan’s amusement, Sara reveals her anthem song, “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” by the Spin Doctors, while lamenting common central office approaches to operate like ‘command and control centres.’ “That might work in times of conscription,” she says, “but it fails to incorporate service design to recognise employees as internal customers to the work experience.” She references Dart Lindsey in his view of “Work as a Product,” an idea populated in his recent Harvard Business Review publication.

S07 E10: That old chestnut –Pets & work from home

Season 07 Episode 10: That old chestnut –Pets & work from home Pets at home or in the office are a ‘thing’ in modern workplaces. Alan explains, “Some organisations host ‘dog for the day’ events.” Trajce shares his faith-based workplace perk, a ‘Blessing of the animals,’ whether the animal is a police horse, a guinea pig, a dog, or cat. In response, Sara dreams of being blessed which prompts the boys to imagine Sara in all kinds of ‘furry’ dress-up costume scenes. In response to Sara’s protests, Alan concedes, “Sara is just a party animal.” Trajce describes a Work Cover claim involving a female worker in her home, her puppy, a bunny, and a segregation fence which caused her to trip and sustain an injury. “Outta sight, outta mind,” Sara says as she refers to company policy on safe environments for home-based work. Trajce flashes back to Season 01 Episode 03: Pets & Airfryers, with discussions on the ol’ Bluey and the Bees. Alan teases Sara again with her explanations of her post-surgical work ethics, “How Spartan of you,” he remarks cattily. He also teases her about snakes in her bedroom, a result of a feisty kitty delivering gifts from his hunting jaunts. In a final story, Sara recalls stunts that make an advertising impact, like the launch of Lululemon in Australia. The team use this opportunity to try to wrangle some free gifts (anyone listening from Lululemon? If so, drop us a line!)

S07 E09: Gilmore versus Blue Care: A hankering for sex

Esplicito
Season 07 Episode 09: Gilmore versus Blue Care: A hankering for sex WARNING: This episode includes discussion on a workplace sexual assault – we advise listener discretion. Alan introduces the case, Gilmore versus Blue Care, a community home care provider. In this case, a personal carer submitted her claim against her employer because of her report of sexual assault when providing daily living support to older men living in a group home. These men each had various forms of mental health disorders and daily living support needs, necessitating their care provision. However, Alan paints the scenario of collective vulnerability when a female worker is left to work solo in a home with men. He extends the discussion on sexuality and sexual drives, at any age. “We are the only workplace podcast to descend into conversations on sex,” remarks Trajce. “We do more than descend – we embrace this,” says Sara. She continues, “I’ve got an itch, a hankering for sex.” Trajce jests, “When I am hankering, I yearn for a marshmallow or a burger.” “Some people hanker for very different things, Trajce,” Sara educates. Alan jibes, “You’re safe with Trajce as long as you offer an all-you-can-eat buffet!” and advises “If you’re an employer, imagining that no one seeks sex in your workplace or your care facility, you’re misled.”

S07 E08: Bollywood & The Digital Footprint

Season 07 Episode 08: Bollywood & The Digital Footprint This episode starts with Sara reflecting on the nature of her spirit animal and the symbols of her brand identity: a mix of frivolity and banditry. For more on spirit animals, tune in to S02 E14: Spirit Animals. Trajce introduces a case on an injured worker who submitted a claim against her employer, a national grocery chain. The claim arose from her experience of heel pain. However, the employer discovered that the injured worker enjoyed dancing and maintained this activity throughout her claim period. In fact, she danced "with great gusto," Bollywood style, “Putting her back into it,” said Alan. When the employee tested the limits of her claims compensation, the grocery chain funded a private investigator to monitor the injured worker. The investigator discovered her social media dance profiles replete with videos of her dancing escapades. “Instagram had a seat at the legal table,” Trajce deliberates. “The digital footprint,” agrees Sara. The team talk about organisational decision making. Sara elaborates on these ideas with a detailed, simple and common case example to apply multi-criteria decision making.

S07 E07: AI Ethics: A Beautifully Shambolic Disaster

Esplicito
Season 07 Episode 07: AI Ethics: A Beautifully Shambolic Disaster WARNING: This episode includes discussion on a workplace fatality – we advise listener discretion. “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is off its tree!” protests Trajce. “This stuff is dangerous. Its hallucinogenic – a beautifully shambolic disaster. Society must put the rails on it.” “Are you going to try to reign in Sara?” asks Alan, “Impossible!” he follows. Trajce explains his experiencing on using AI to research case law. Tested three times, the AI spit out a different version of events. He warns against the implications to legal practitioners on relying on such inconsistent data and poor research. In contrast, the team reflect on the benefits of closed-domain decision-support systems that are vetted and validated by domain experts, like they’ve learned through Sara’s association with Livemind AI, Lachlan Phillips. The case in question, poorly tested by AI, is one from the rail industry. It involves the dismissal of a long-standing employee who tested positive for a banned substance upon his return to work from his leave. The rabble rousing team, Alan, Trajce, and Sara, can’t help but descend into Cheech and Chong and other such movie references. “Say ‘hello’ to my little friend,” mimics Trajce from Al Pacino Scarface movie nostalgia. The crew turn this upside down on their debate and wagers on the case outcome – listen in for more!

S07 E06: Free to air - The blue channels and digging in the trenches

Esplicito
Season 07 Episode 06: Free to air - The blue channels and digging in the trenches WARNING: This episode includes discussion on both sex and serious workplace fatalities and injuries – we advise listener discretion. “Have you guys heard about the airline kerfuffle?” nudges Sara, as she shares a media report, “There was a flaw in the movie selection technology.” “It was a bit romantic, maybe a bit too romantic,” agrees Alan. “Bare boobs and prosthetic penises, or so the story goes,” Sara elaborates. She asks the boys, Trajce and Alan, to consider the impacts on workers and the potential for a workplace claim of trauma if exposed to this during work travel. Trajce shares more on his Solvenia experience and the never-ending blue channels in his rental villa. Alan and Trajce share more stories about their accidental graphic movie downloads while viewing in public spaces. Trajce channels “Funky Town,” lyrics while Alan tries to get serious about case law. Alan shares stories about moving plant, reversing mobile plant in tight spaces, and trenching issues. “The weight and unpredictability of working in trenches is worrisome,” Alan explains as he describes the prosecution based on a trenching collapse incident in which a worker was seriously injured. Alan measured 1.6m in the recording studio to dramatically demonstrate the depth of a trench that was a subject of one case. Trajce and Alan share more work health and safety prosecution stories arising from trench collapses. “Just don’t do it,” says Sara. Trajce shares more on the harrowing reality of victim impact statements. To link this back to work re-design, Sara explains a fundamental aspect of design strategy, articulating the challenges and crafting a problem-based design statement.

S07 E05: Tickle versus Giggle for Girls

Esplicito
Season 07 Episode 05: Tickle versus Giggle for Girls WARNING: This episode discusses a fatal incident – we advise listeners to use their discretion. Alan shares a human right’s case on 'Tickle versus Giggle for Girls,' an alleged case of discrimination from joining a ‘club’ via a service App based on gender identity. “This is squarely political,” says Trajce, “each party has a strong interest group behind them as this case enters into appeal. Trajce shares more stories on these issues and his experience on managing the allocation of toileting facilities (loos and showers) based on gender identify, before this was a ‘mainstream thing’ to consider. Sara reflects on her experiences on roadworks projects when no female loos are provided while working remotely. “The boys just whip it out behind the truck, but….” She says, “we have a powerful social need to belong, but it is very complex challenge to design for diversity.” “Hit me with your rhythm stick, hit me,” Trajce raps between recording takes, while Alan shares a second case that highlights the considerations on recreational venues as a workplace. In this case, a scaffolding tower that was left at a football field blew over during a match and it hit and killed a father of a footballer.

S07 E04: Cheap and nasty: The unintended consequences of workplace interventions

Season 07 Episode 04: Cheap and nasty: The unintended consequences of workplace interventions This episode extends the discussion from Season 07 Episode 02 on workplace incentives. Thank you, Michael Grima, who shared a media report on paid Tinder leave benefits. “You get paid to go out on a date?” Alan marvels. “Love me, Tinder…” Trajce croons. “I guess being in love is supposed to make you productive,” Sara reasons. Trajce digs in, “Coffee, Botox, I’ll take it all. I’ll buy in I’m cheap and nasty!” Sara needles the boys to consider the legal implications of a workplace incentive gone awry, like a horrible App-connection date gone wrong if that were funded and supported as paid leave by the workplace. In that vein, Alan shares a case about a young boy who’s hand sanitiser ignites when in contact with a museum plasma ball. Trajce comments, “When you introduce one control you often create new hazards.”
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