Healthy Work

In episode 127, we sit down with Natalia Bagnoli, a PhD candidate at Politecnico di Milano, to talk about whether you can be too connected at work?

In a study of more than one million internal emails exchanged over a year within a large Italian bank, Natalia and her colleagues mapped workplace communication networks to understand how digital connections shape both employee performance and well-being. They found that while being connected to colleagues is generally beneficial, there comes a point where more communication becomes too much.

Being at the center of every conversation may look like a sign of success, but it often comes with hidden costs. The employees everyone relies on for information, introductions, and coordination may also be the people most vulnerable to overload and burnout.

Find the paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10869-026-10129-9

In episode 126, we sit down with Dr. Courtney Keim and Sarah Burress, co-hosts of the Burnout Room Podcast, to discuss a challenge that affects organizations across every sector, but is especially common in nonprofits: burnout.

Drawing on experiences from the Kentucky Psychological Foundation and the newly launched Nonprofit Wellness Initiative, Courtney and Sarah are working to bridge the gap between occupational health research and everyday workplace practice. Their goal is to make evidence-based burnout prevention resources accessible to nonprofit leaders and employees who need them most.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

* The Burnout Room Podcast (https://www.kentuckypsychologicalfoundation.org/theburnoutroom)

* Kentucky Psychological Foundation (

https://www.kentuckypsychologicalfoundation.org/)

* Workplace Wellness Manual (https://link.journeycare.app/widget/form/AYL0JDZL6rfAfBg3m2z0)

You can find Dr. Courtney Keim here: (https://www.bellarmine.edu/directory/courtney_keim.php)

You can find Sarah Burress here: https://www.kentuckypsychologicalfoundation.org/staff-directory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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).

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