This Working Life

Australians are constantly told the only way out of rolling lockdowns is vaccination. So why aren't most workplaces mandating COVID-19 jabs so everyone get back to business? We dig into tricky legal, ethical and practical issues with workplace relations lawyer Michael Byrnes (partner at Sydney firm Swaab) and infectious diseases social scientist Dr Holly Seale (UNSW).

Producer: Maria Tickle

How deliberate are you about the way you make decisions at work? Bad decisions can result in wasted time, money and jobs. For example, when a company restructure goes badly, or when there is investment in a “sexy app” that ultimately no one uses. Dan Markovitz says that the number 1 reason that bad decisions are made are because people leap to a solution - what he labels the “conclusion trap”.

Dan explains how we can all make better decisions by slowing down and paying more attention to the problem itself before we leap to the conclusion. He shares his four-step method to avoid the conclusion trap.

And author Carolyn Tate has used daily journaling for the past ten years, she explains how this free association style of writing has supercharged her output as a writer.

Do more of what matters without burning out. In Effortless Greg McKeown implores us to move away from the cult of busy and overwork.

He argues to achieve breakthrough results, we need to save our energy by inverting the question “How can I work harder?” to become “How can I make this easier?”

Producer: Maria Tickle

Are you feeling absolutely exhausted at work right now? What you are feeling may be uncertainty fatigue.

For ideas on how to work through the overwhelming and heavy feelings that come with yet another lockdown, psychologist Dr Shanta Dey from the University of Sydney Business School and leadership expert and coach Julia Steel share what they’ve learned through the COVID chaos.

Producer: Maria Tickle

Researcher: Kara Jensen-McKinnon

On the verge of burnout or feeling disconnected from your workmates? Don't underestimate the power of working music into your workflows and even meetings.

Psychologist and classical musician Greta Bradman explains how our brains respond to music and runs through research-backed ways we can use music to connect, help focus and manage stress.

Greta consults on culture with organisations across technology and creative industries. She also hosts ABC Classic weekend mornings. Hear the playlists from her series Music For Wellbeing.

Producer: Maria Tickle