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This Working Life

This Working Life

ABC Australia 248 Episodes Aug 10, 2026

This Working Life explores ways to improve your experience at work, challenging the status quo with expert advice, research, and practical hacks. Host Lisa Leong and guests delve into policy issues like hybrid workplaces, remote work, employee wellbeing, organizational culture, AI, surveillance, engagement, diversity, and inclusion. They also discuss work-life balance, organizational change, restructures, casualization, performance management, and career advice. The podcast focuses on the people side of work, including culture, individual experiences, and personal development.

Episodes

We're too tired to work!
We're too tired to work! Aug 10, 2026 0:25:16 Are you just too tired to work? Australians feel exhausted. Eighty two per cent of Australian knowledge workers reported being on the verge of burnout last year, and businesses are scrambling to catch up with the cost of mental fatigue. But sleepiness can be a killer too and a major shift is underway in how Australian industries treat tiredness in the workplace. It's not a new ph
Is Gina Rinehart right about cash bonuses?
Is Gina Rinehart right about cash bonuses? Aug 3, 2026 0:25:16 Australia’s richest person and long time supporter of Australian Swimming Gina Rinehart has been offering cash bonuses for Aussie swimmers at the Commonwealth games, $20,000 for a gold medal! It can be a nice to have after a huge challenge or a drawcard to make people work harder, but there can be a danger to motivating your team with extra dollars.So, Is Gina Rinehart right, do
The dangers of silence at work
The dangers of silence at work Jul 27, 2026 0:25:16 Speaking out at work is hard. It's even harder in a culture of silence. To take the decision to break the quiet is an act of bravery, ands it's one many of us are unwilling to risk. But the dangers of a culture of silence are many, and they impact employers and employees alike. While it can be a scary thing to do, research has found that people staying silent to protect their own
Is it getting harder to find a job?
Is it getting harder to find a job? Jul 20, 2026 0:25:14 After the 100th email auto reply, the AI application screening and writing the umpteenth cover letter of the week, the job hunt can feel like a real drain. If you're feeling like it's harder to find a job now than last time you were looking you are not alone. A combination of people staying put, international forces and a tight economic market have all impacted the white collar w
Is being good at your job holding you back?
Is being good at your job holding you back? Jul 13, 2026 0:25:16 Are you being asked time and again to be the one who gets everything done, is your reward for crushing it, just more “it” to crush?  You might be paying a competence Tax!  Research consistently shows that people who are seen as high achievers are stacked with more of the same rather than being given pathways to doing new things. it's a story a lot of people can relate to but it c
Take a break!
Take a break! Jul 6, 2026 0:25:16 When you’re under the pump, it can feel like taking a break at work is impossible. But that can be habit forming, and bad for your physical and mental health. Learn the benefits of building breaks into your workday, and how to do it in a way that feels manageable. 
How to avoid "Wellness Washing"
How to avoid "Wellness Washing" Jun 29, 2026 0:25:15 You may have heard of greenwashing, now experts are worried about wellness washing where workplaces paper over the cracks with wellbeing measures but leave the chasms underneath.  
Why are we so bad at onboarding?
Why are we so bad at onboarding? Jun 22, 2026 0:25:15 You're starting a new job but you don't have what you need, or you certainly feel like you don't!Why is this such a universal experience and why are employers so happy to leave people to sink or swim? We dive in to the good, the bad and the ugly of onboarding and try to figure out how we can be doing it better, for bosses and for workers. Lisa also checks in with the Australian H
What your boss is getting wrong about AI  
What your boss is getting wrong about AI   Jun 15, 2026 0:25:15 AI usage is on the rise, but its implementation within jobs and workflows is causing problems. Research shows there is a capability gap amongst Australian workers, and a lack of AI fluency and context-poor AI use is creating job strain. What can leaders do to turn this around?Guests: Dr Rebecca Hinds, head of the Work AI Institute at Glean Dr Sean Gallagher, founder of Humanova a
Don't be left out in the cold: why you should care about your organisation’s strategy
Don't be left out in the cold: why you should care about your organisation’s strategy Jun 8, 2026 0:25:15 Tying together what your team does within your organisation’s strategy is a key skill for middle managers and something workers at all levels can benefit from.  Learn how a strategy is put together and ways you can work towards it. Guests:Brandon Lee, Associate Professor at Melbourne Business School, consultant, researcher and executive educator   Rebecca Murray, principal of str
Tackle overwhelm with the 'Teamwork Doctor'
Tackle overwhelm with the 'Teamwork Doctor' Jun 1, 2026 0:25:16 If you’re always busy but feel as though you’re not getting on top of things, you may be experiencing cognitive and emotional overload. Liane Davey, the ‘Teamwork Doctor’, calls this “thoughtload” and offers ways to manage overwhelm and focus attention, to improve productivity and wellbeing in individuals and teams. Guest:Liane Davey PhD organisational psychologist and author Tho
Try This: how to quit
Try This: how to quit May 27, 2026 0:16:00 Once you’ve made the decision to quit your job, it’s worth considering how to do it in a way that fits the situation. The researcher who coined the term, “The Great Resignation” shares his insights on different resignation styles, from the “grateful goodbye” to “bridge burning” and what managers can learn from the way employees quit.  Guest:Professor Anthony C. Klotz, UCL School

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