PsychChat

About PsychChat

Dr Austin Aloysius Tay is the Founder and Principal Consultant of OmniPsi Consulting (www.omnipsi.com), an organisational psychology practice bridging Asia and the UK. A Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) and Fellow of both the British Psychological Society and the Hong Kong Psychological Society, he holds a PhD in Organisational Psychology and an LLM in International and Commercial Law, and is an ICF PCC Coach, EMCC Senior Practitioner, and ACT Practitioner. With over 30 years of commercial experience across pharma, financial services, FMCG, legal, telecoms, and international NGOs, Austin works across workplace psychology, psychometrics and assessment, leadership effectiveness, workplace bullying, evidence-based coaching, outplacement services, and ACT. In each episode of PsychChat, Austin explores the psychology of work through a practitioner's lens, offering research-backed insight for leaders, HR professionals, and coaches navigating the complexities of modern organisational life. Email psychchat@omnipsi.com or connect via X @psych_chat with comments or suggestions.

Publisher

Dr Austin Aloysius Tay

Category

business · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Dec 2019

Latest episode

18 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

59 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Sept 2026

   Episode 059 - The Four-Day Week: What the Largest Trial Ever Actually Found

   The largest-ever four-day workweek trial, involving 2,896 employees, 141 companies, and six countries, found the opposite of what researchers expected. People didn't work faster and burn out. Burnout fell, satisfaction rose, and nothing changed in the control group (Fan et al., 2025, Nature Human Behaviour). But there's a catch: "four-day week" covers two very different policies, and a 2025 systematic review found that the wrong one can just as easily increase sickness absence (Bernstrøm et al., 2025). The benefit isn't the day off. It's who controls the recovery time (Mullens & Laurijssen, 2024, BMC Public Health). References Bernstrøm, V. H., Alves, D. E., Houkes, I., Lillebråten, A., & Nilsen, W. (2025). The consequences of a compressed workweek: A systematic literature review. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-025-02153-8 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-025-02153-8) Fan, W., Schor, J. B., Kelly, O., & Gu, G. (2025). Work time reduction via a 4-day workweek finds improvements in workers' well-being. Nature Human Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02259-6 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02259-6) Mullens, F., & Laurijssen, I. (2024). An organizational working time reduction and its impact on three domains of mental well-being of employees: A panel study. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19161-x (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19161-x) About PsychChat Hosted by Dr Austin Tay, Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol, FBPsS), ICF PCC executive coach and founder of OmniPsi Consulting. Get in touch Thoughts on this one? Email psychchat@omnipsi.com (mailto:psychchat@omnipsi.com) or find Austin on X, @psych_chat. New here? Subscribe.

2. 

   5 Mar 2026

   Episode 058 - Addiction at Work: What It Really Looks Like (And How to Help)

   What does addiction really look like — especially in professional life? Most of us carry an outdated picture of addiction. In this episode of PsychChat, Dr Austin Tay is joined by Karen Mills (Business Psychologist, Senior Manager for Adult Care, and PhD researcher in addiction) to unpack what addiction really is, how it hides in high-performing workplaces, and what leaders, managers, and organisations can do about it. In this episode, you will learn: •       The difference between substance addiction and behavioural addiction •       Why addiction is a compulsion — not a choice or moral failure •       The behavioural, emotional, cognitive, and physical signs to look out for •       Why high-performing professionals are particularly at risk — and why they hide it •       How social normalisation (alcohol culture, prescription medication) makes addiction harder to spot •       What UK law says: Equality Act 2010, Health & Safety at Work Act, Employment Rights Act •       What organisations can do — from psychological safety to manager capability to HR policy •       Why the first conversation should never be a formal HR meeting Whether you are an HR professional, a manager, an organisational leader, or someone who wants to better understand addiction — this episode will shift how you see it. About Karen Mills: Karen Mills (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-mills-fmbpss-certbp-1b1a59158/) is a Business Psychologist, Senior Manager for Adult Care, Director of Business and Strategy for Psychology Business Incubator (PBI), author, and PhD student researching addiction. https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-mills-fmbpss-certbp-1b1a59158/ Resources HSE support for drug and alcohol at work Managing drug and alcohol misuse at work - Overview - HSE (https://www.hse.gov.uk/alcoholdrugs/index.htm) NHS search for your nearest services in England Find alcohol addiction support services - NHS (https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-alcohol-addiction-support-services/) AA website- Alcohol support networks alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk (http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/) CGL- various services including drugs, alcohol and smoking Change Grow Live | Charity | We can help you change your life (https://www.changegrowlive.org/) With You- Drug and alcohol services Drug and Alcohol Support | WithYou (https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/) About PsychChat: PsychChat is hosted by Dr Austin Tay, Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) with over 30 years of international experience in organisational psychology. Each episode bridges academic research and real-world practice to help you understand the psychology behind the workplace.

3. 

   26 Feb 2026

   Episode 057 - Are People Feeling Lonely in the Workplace?

   Tune in to this captivating episode featuring Dr Austin Tay as he chats with Dr Hodar Lam, also known as Dr Lonely-Ship. Dr Lam is a Research Assistant Professor at Lingnan University, Hong Kong, and Chair of the Division of Industrial-Organizational Psychology of the Hong Kong Psychological Society. Discover insightful research on loneliness in the workplace and get expert tips for organizations and individuals to combat loneliness. And how can Chicken Soup actually help to alleviate Loneliness? Don't miss out—listen till the end! 🚀🎧 #WorkplaceWellness #Loneliness #MentalHealth #OrganizationalPsychology #HKPsychology #SelfCare References Lam, H., Giessner, S. R., Shemla, M., & Werner, M. D. (2024). Leader and leadership loneliness: A review-based critique and path to future research. The Leadership Quarterly, 35(3), 101780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2024.101780 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2024.101780) Troisi, J. D., & Gabriel, S. (2011). Chicken soup really is good for the soul: “Comfort food” fulfills the need to belong. Psychological Science, 22(6), 747–753. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611407931 (https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611407931)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

72

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

30

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