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 ...
Psychosocial Safety in Micro Businesses - with Dr Leanne Faulkner
In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Leanne Faulkner, entrepreneur and small business owner. We chat about Leanne's PhD research exploring the psychosocial safety of micro-business owners and sole-traders.
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49:34
The role of embitterment in first responder PTSD - with Jacqueline Drew
In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Jacqueline Drew, Associate Professor with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Griffith Criminology Institute, at Griffith University. Jacqui shares findings from her research into the interactions between job demands and health outcomes in policing. She explains the concept of embitterment, and discusses the role that this plays in the development of, and recovery from, PTSD.
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/pijpsm-05-2024-0082/full/html
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1:01:18
Do Individual-Level Interventions Work? with William Fleming
In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr William Fleming, Research Fellow at the Wellbeing Research Centre in the University of Oxford. William shares insights from his research that shone a light on the ineffectiveness of individual-level interventions for mental health outcomes in workplace settings.
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58:24
What can we learn from Elisha vs Vision Australia - with Catherine Dunlop
In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Catherine Dunlop, Partner and Board Member at Maddocks. Catherine explains the recent Australian High Court case involving Vision Australia. The Court awarded the plaintiff $1.5 million in damages following a "sham" disciplinary process resulting in psychological injury. Join us as Catherine breaks down the facts of the case and shares her views on what employers should learn from this case.
A supplementary note from Catherine:
In the interests of brevity and getting to the learnings, my explanation of the case wasn’t a fulsome account of all aspects of the findings. So, to address some questions and to assist those who want those details (without getting into the nitty gritty of whether the headnote to the decision in Addis v Gramophone Co Ltd is correct), the following may assist:
The High Court decision and the new precedent
The High Court affirmed the findings of the Victorian Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal in holding that the law permits an employee to recover damages in breach of contract for psychological harm resulting from a termination of employment. This overturned precedent that exempted damages arising from termination. The employee was awarded $1.4m in damages.
The finding of the Court on the breach of contract issue is likely to have limited application to employers given:
the breach arose from incorporation of policies in the employment contract in this instance, not a common practice; and
the workers compensation legislation in some jurisdictions may act as a bar for recovery of damages arising from breach of contract.
The majority of the High Court held that it was unnecessary to consider whether an employer could be liable in negligence in such circumstances. A decision to that effect would have represented a significant change in law.
The decisions
Justice O’Meara in the Victorian Supreme Court made findings of fact and accepted the employee’s version about the interaction with the hotel manager. He held that the employer did not comply with its Disciplinary Policy, and that an earlier deed of release in related unfair dismissal proceedings was not a bar to recovery, given the specific wording of that deed.
The Supreme Court held that:
The policy was incorporated into the employee’s contract of employment
That contract was breached
The damage was not too remote and therefore the employee was able to recover
The Victorian Court of Appeal upheld the employer’s appeal finding that:
There was no error in the Supreme Court’s (relevant) findings of fact
The policy was incorporated into the employee’s contract of employment
That contract was breached it was not a recoverable breach as the damage was too remote (applying past precedent that such damages are only recoverable when they are consequent on a physical injury)
The High Court held that:
The policy was incorporated into the employee’s contract of employment
Liability for psychiatric injury arising from termination of employment is not beyond the scope of a contractual duty (and will depend on the wording and context of the contract)
(with one dissent) The damage was not too remote.
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Workplace Culture from a Psychosocial Factor with Steven Mah
In this episode, Canadian host Kim MacDonald sits down with Steven Mah, a seasoned keynote speaker, instructor, counselling therapist, and safety professional, to explore the critical role of workplace culture as a psychosocial factor. Steven shares his insights on how workplace culture influences employee well-being, engagement, and overall mental health. From leadership behaviors to team dynamics and organizational norms, he unpacks the hidden forces that shape the daily experiences of workers.
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, Joelle Mitchell, Hayley Farrell & Peter Kelly
Listen to Psych Health and Safety Podcast, The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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