We are Drs. Keaton Fletcher & Maryana Arvan, two Industrial-Organizational psychologists who care about how to make work a healthier experience for everyone. We run a bi-weekly podcast to bring the science directly to your ears. Please tune in and learn how you can make your work life a healthier experience. Email us at HealthyWorkPodcast@gmail.com healthywork.substack.com
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August 24, 2026Episode 12522 min
Laws and Injuries
In episode 125 of Healthy Work , we explore a whether a law designed to protect companies from shareholder lawsuits affect whether workers get injured on the job? Our guest, Dr. Ke Michael Mai, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at CEIBS, shares research examining how changes in corporate accountability laws produced unintended consequences for worker safety. Changes in the law that were intended to reduce burdensome litigation and allow leaders to focus on growing their businesses were linked with increases in severe workplace injuries. Find the paper here: https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2027-94883-001.html Find Dr. Mai here: https://www.ceibs.edu/ke_mai This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
August 10, 202616 min
Curiosity at Work as a Mental Health Intervention
In episode 124, we sit down with Dr. Phoenix Van Wagoner, Assistant Professor of Management at California State University, Fullerton, to discuss an fun workplace resource for mental health: curiosity. Mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression affect millions of employees, yet organizations often struggle to understand what helps people manage these experiences during the workday. This study found that employees who experienced greater curiosity and interest while performing their work reported lower symptoms of anxiety and depression. Even more encouraging, these benefits were strongest for employees who were already most likely to struggle with anxiety and depression. Find the paper here: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2027-87739-001 Find Dr. Van Wagoner here: https://weldresearchlab.com/phoenixvanwagoner This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
July 27, 202618 min
Small Goals, Big Results: Improving Health at Work
In episode 123, we explore a fascinating new study on physical activity, unhealthy snacking, and workplace health habits . We chat about a paper published by Völker, Koch, and Sonnentag in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology . This paper presents a field experiment that tested whether a simple goal-setting intervention could help employees become more active and make healthier choices during the workday. Participants focused on increasing physical activity, reducing unhealthy workplace snacking, or both over a two-week period. One of the most important takeaways from this conversation: The episode also offers practical tips for managers and organizations, including creating opportunities for movement during the workday, supporting employee health goals, and designing work environments that make healthy choices easier rather than harder. Watch a video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel. Find the paper here: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/ocp0000428 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
July 13, 202618 min
Navigating Medical Leave
In episode 122 of Healthy Work , we sit down with Dr. Liza Barnes , Assistant Professor of Management at Drexel University, to discuss a critical but often overlooked workplace issue: medical leaves of absence . When employees face a serious health challenge, whether it’s cancer treatment, a mental health crisis, an autoimmune disease flare-up, or a major injury, medical leave should provide the time and security needed to recover. Yet, many employees find themselves navigating a confusing system of policies, financial uncertainty, and workplace pressure while trying to heal. Dr. Barnes shares insights from interviews with employees who took medical leave and HR professionals responsible for managing those leaves. The findings reveal that having a leave policy is not enough—the way leave is implemented can dramatically affect employee well-being and recovery. You can find Dr. Barnes here: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/people/liza-barnes-phd You can find her paper here: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2027-54690-001 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
June 15, 202620 min
Patient Aggression in Healthcare: Effects on Stress, Burnout, and Turnover
In Episode 121, we turn our focus to a critical issue in healthcare: patient aggression and its impact on worker well‑being . We’re joined by Dr. Lisa Kath , Associate Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, to discuss new research on how healthcare workers are affected not just by direct exposure to aggressive patient behavior, but also by witnessing and hearing about it . Drawing on data from pediatric healthcare settings, this conversation highlights how repeated exposure to patient aggression shapes stress, burnout, and turnover —and why the effects extend beyond the individual directly involved. We discuss: * Why frequency of exposure , not just extreme incidents, drives psychological harm * The surprising impact of witnessing or hearing about aggression , and how it increases stress and turnover intentions * Why nurses face higher risk due to constant bedside exposure * How workplace context (e.g., ER and behavioral health units ) shapes exposure levels * What these experiences signal about organizational support and safety culture * Practical solutions, including peer support programs and post‑incident recovery strategies You can find Dr. Kath here: https://psychology.sdsu.edu/people/lisa-kath/ You can read the paper here: https://www.pediatricnursing.org/article/S0882-5963(26)00173-9/fulltext This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
June 1, 2026Episode 12025 min
Workplace Grief: Reproductive Loss and the Problem with Silence
In Episode 120, we explore a topic that is incredibly common, but rarely talked about at work: reproductive loss . We’re joined by Dr. Katrina Brownell , Assistant Professor of Management at Virginia Tech, who uses an autoethnographic approach to examine her own experiences with pregnancy loss and what happens when organizations lack the language, policies, and support to acknowledge it. Reproductive loss—including miscarriage, stillbirth, and other forms of pregnancy loss—affects a significant number of people. Yet in many workplaces, silence is the default response . We talk about how silence at work doesn’t mean nothing is happening. It often means employees are carrying more than we can see. This episode challenges organizations to rethink how they approach grief, privacy, and support, and whether current workplace norms are truly serving employees in their most difficult moments. You can find Dr. Brownell here: https://management.pamplin.vt.edu/faculty/directory/brownell-katrina.html You can find her paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gwao.70158 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
May 18, 2026Episode 11915 min
Work Stress Makes Couples Eat Their Feelings
In episode 119 , we dig into a question many of us have experienced firsthand: Why does a stressful day at work make us (and our partners!) devour cookies, takeout, or comfort food. We’re joined by Dr. Wiston Rodriguez , Assistant Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, to explore new research on how workplace stressors, specifically illegitimate tasks , shape employees’ eating behaviors after work. Illegitimate tasks are assignments that fall outside your role or feel demeaning (like being asked to do work that “isn’t your job”). Dr. Rodriguez’s research shows these experiences don’t just impact your mood—they can trigger negative emotions that lead to unhealthy eating behaviors , and those effects don’t stop with you. We discuss: * What illegitimate tasks are and why they feel so stressful * How workplace stress drives emotional eating and poor food choices * The surprising finding that these eating behaviors spill over to partners and families * How broader systems—like income, access to food, and work conditions—shape health outcomes * Why workplace stress doesn’t just affect performance—it affects physical health and long‑term well‑being * Practical steps managers and organizations can take to reduce harm, from clear communication to supportive workplace culture This episode highlights how everyday workplace decisions—like how tasks are assigned—can ripple outward into employees’ homes, relationships, and health behaviors. You can find Dr. Rodriguez here (https://psychology.sdsu.edu/people/wiston-rodriguez/) . You can find the paper here (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41542-025-00247-w) . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
May 15, 20261 min
ANNOUNCEMENT: Graduate Student Research Contest
We are excited to introduce the Healthy Work Graduate Student Research Contest. If you are currently a graduate student (Masters or PhD) engaged in research on the intersection of employment/work and health/wellbeing, please consider submitting your research for consideration for this contest.Winners will be invited onto the podcast to share their research, and will receive a certificate and small gift (a book).The research need not be published, nor does it need to be your thesis or dissertation. But, it does need to be primarily the work of the graduate student. If an advisor or other authors are included in the research, they must approve of your submission to this contest. Applications are due August 16, 2026. Decisions will be made in the following month with episodes to air by January 1, 2027. https://colostate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cUPoJWM55Mfduom This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
May 4, 202618 min
Identity Signaling at Work: To Stand Out or Blend In?
In episode 118, we’re joined by Dr. David Arena to explore how people decide whether, when, and how to reveal important parts of their identity at work , especially in environments that feel unwelcoming or hostile. Much of the research on workplace identity assumes disclosure is a simple yes‑or‑no choice. But Dr. Arena’s work shows that identity management is far more nuanced. Through two studies of lesbian, gay, and bisexual employees in the U.S. and U.K., this research highlights identity signaling : subtle, strategic behaviors people use to “test the waters” before deciding whether to stand out or blend in. We get a little personal and discuss: * What identity signaling looks like in everyday workplace interactions * How employees scan their environment for cues about safety and belonging * Why hostile work environments and everyday incivility push people to hide who they are * The emotional exhaustion that comes from blending in and suppressing identity * Why some employees respond to hostility by doing the opposite— standing out more defiantly * What coworkers, managers, and leaders can do to create climates where authenticity is truly optional, not risky Find Dr. Arena here: https://www.uta.edu/academics/faculty/profile?user=david.arena This is the paper we discussed: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/job.70073 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
April 20, 202616 min
When Work Comes Home: Why Some Job Stress Helps or Hurts
In episode 117, we explore a question many working parents and professionals experience daily: Why do some demanding workdays leave us energized and fulfilled at home, while others leave us completely drained? Drawing on a recent daily diary study published by Junker and colleagues in Work & Stress , we unpack new research on workload, work‑related rumination, boundary control, and work‑to‑home spillover . The findings help explain why workload has long shown mixed and confusing effects in the research: sometimes it’s harmful, and sometimes it actually enhances life outside of work. We discuss: * Why high workload isn’t always bad —and when it can lead to positive work‑to‑home enrichment * The critical difference between work‑related rumination (stressful, tense replaying) and problem‑solving pondering (energizing, creative thinking) * How these two mental processes shape whether work stress helps or hurts family life * Why boundary control matters, and why it helps amplify positive spillover but doesn’t eliminate negative rumination * Practical implications for managers : how framing, autonomy, and prioritization can reduce harm when workloads increase * What individuals can do on high‑demand days to protect their energy and relationships at home We have a video version of this podcast available on our YouTube: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healthywork.substack.com
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