Under the Rug at Work

The wellness industry is booming, yet burnout, stress and exhaustion continue to rise. So what if we've been focusing on the wrong solution?Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. In this episode, our Founder and Chief Courage Officer, Nicole Turnbull, chats with Amy Green, speaker, author and wellbeing strategist, about her latest book, The Wellness Paradox, and why workplaces need to rethink how they approach wellbeing.Drawing on her background as a teacher, school leader and wellbeing expert, Amy explains why workplace wellbeing isn't about asking workers to be more resilient or adding another wellness initiative. Instead, it's about having the courage to identify what's really causing stress, burnout and overwhelm, then redesigning work to address those root causes.In this episode, we discuss:- Why wellbeing programs treat symptoms instead of causes- How leaders can uncover the real causes of burnout- The three questions every leader should ask- Why changing the conditions of work matters more than changing the workerThis conversation challenges many of the assumptions we've made about wellbeing at work and offers practical ways for leaders and organisations to build healthier, more sustainable workplaces.You can subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this episode with someone who's ready to rethink how wellbeing is approached at work.Connect with Amy 👇LinkedInInstagram Facebook YouTube Website

Change doesn't fail because people resist it. More often, it fails because people are left out of the process.Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. In this episode, our Founder and Chief Courage Officer, Nicole Turnbull, chats with Lata Hamilton about why so many workplace change initiatives fall short, and what leaders can do differently to bring people with them.Lata Hamilton is a Change Leadership and Confidence Mentor, author of the best-selling book Pioneer Your Career Change, creator of the Leading Successful Change program, and Founder and CEO of Passion Pioneers. Having worked on major organisational change across some of Australia's largest companies, Lata shares why successful change is about more than processes and project plans. It's about engaging both the head and the heart.Together, Nicole and Lata discuss why change so often feels like it's being done to workers instead of with them, why leaders play a critical role in helping people navigate uncertainty, and how organisations can build greater acceptance of change in a world where transformation is constant.In this episode, you'll learn:💠Why change initiatives often fail💠Why involving workers leads to better outcomes💠The critical role leaders play in change💠Practical ways to build change acceptanceSubscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to stay up to date with new episodes. Then share this episode with someone who's leading change, navigating uncertainty, or looking to create more human-centred workplaces.Connect with Lata: LinkedIn InstagramInsight TimerFacebookRead Lata’s “Pioneer Your Career Change” book

When safety failures end up in court, the consequences extend far beyond legal penalties. Investigations, leadership scrutiny, personal liability and years of disruption can have a lasting impact on organisations and the people within them.Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. On this episode, our Founder and Chief Courage Officer, Nicole Turnbull, chats with Tony Morris from SafeTM about what happens when safety ends up in court.Tony is an ex-workplace safety prosecution lawyer for WorkCover NSW, an ex-police prosecutor and former detective in the NSW Police Force. Having spent 40 years working in law and related fields, he brings a unique perspective on workplace safety, psychosocial risk and leadership accountability. He is also an ambassador of the Psychosocial Safety and Leadership Institute. In this episode, Nicole and Tony discuss:💠Why good organisations still end up in court💠The difference between having systems and maintaining them💠What really happens after a serious workplace incident💠What officers need to know about their legal responsibilitiesThis episode unpacks what regulators look for, how accountability is determined and why the strongest safety systems are the ones that are consistently maintained.You can subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this episode with someone who is responsible for creating safer workplaces.Connect with Tony ⬇️LinkedIn, Tony MorrisSafeTM Website

Sometimes the harm isn’t the original issue - it’s what happens after someone speaks up.Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. On this episode, our Founder and Chief Courage Officer, Nicole Turnbull, chats with Jo Tarnawsky about workplace harm, organisational justice and the power of a genuine apology.Jo Tarnawsky is a former diplomat, senior executive to the Governor-General and former Chief of Staff to Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister. Across a 25-year career in government, Jo worked at the highest levels of leadership and decision-making, witnessing firsthand how power, silence and workplace culture shape people’s experiences at work.In this deeply personal conversation, Jo shares her own experience of raising concerns about workplace behaviour in Parliament House, the fallout that followed and why the organisational response caused more harm than the original issue. Together, Nicole and Jo discuss why organisations often move into protection mode when concerns are raised, how poor organisational justice escalates harm and why a simple apology can make a powerful difference.They also unpack what leaders, HR teams and organisations can do differently to respond with empathy, fairness and humanity before issues turn into long and damaging battles.In this episode, we cover:💠Why organisational responses can create a “second injury”💠The role of apology, dignity and acknowledgement in workplace conflict💠How fear and reputation management drive poor workplace responses💠What leaders can do to create safer, more trauma-informed workplacesYou can subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this episode with someone who’s navigating workplace conflict, leading teams or trying to create a safer workplace culture.Connect with Jo:Instagram LinkedInSubstackWebsite

Grief at work is often avoided, rushed or handed off, but the way we respond can shape whether someone feels supported or alone.Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. On this episode, our Founder and Chief Courage Officer, Nicole Turnbull, chats with Sally Healey and Jessie Williams, founders of Grief First Aid, about why workplaces fall flat on grief and what better support can look like.Sally and Jessie share how their own lived experience, research and workplace backgrounds led them to create an Australian-based model for grief support at work. They explain why grief is not something to fix, why it should not be automatically treated as a mental health condition and why workers often need trusted colleagues and leaders who know how to respond with care, choice and clear boundaries.In this episode, we explore:💠Why grief is so often swept under the rug at work💠What leaders can say and do when a worker is grieving💠Why silence, avoidance and “fixing” can cause harm💠How Grief First Aid helps workplaces build grief literacyThis episode is a powerful reminder that grief is part of life, and workplaces need the skills, processes and courage to respond with humanity.You can subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this episode with someone who’s ready to better support workers through grief.Connect with Sally & Jessie 👇Grief First AidLinkedIn, Jessie WilliamsLinkedIn, Sally HealeyLinkedIn, Grief First AidInstagram, Grief First Aid