Welcome to Under the Rug at Work with Nicole Turnbull from Neon Shed where I shine light on workplace problems that are normally swept under the rug
Coming to you from Worimi Country on the Mid North Coast of NSW Australia
Find out more at www.neonshed.com.au
Some suffering at work is part of being challenged, learning and growing. But how much of it is actually necessary?
In this episode, we look at the friction, expectations and ways of working that can contribute to burnout and ask what could change if workplaces took the time to understand what’s really causing people to struggle.
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 Kate McNeill about reducing unnecessary suffering at work.
Kate is the founder of Kate McNeill Consulting, also known as the Burnout Lady. She runs workshops and programs focused on preventing and addressing burnout, with burnout and psychosocial health and safety the two main areas of her current work. Kate brings together her policy background, psychological research and lived experience to help organisations understand what’s going on for them and identify possible solutions.
Kate shares how workplace expectations and ways of working can contribute to unnecessary suffering, from the conditions that lead to burnout to the extra friction neurodiverse workers can experience. Drawing on her own lived experience, she discusses masking, workplace accommodations and why the default way of doing things doesn’t necessarily work for everyone.
Nicole and Kate also explore changing expectations across generations and why making time for genuine conversations can help workplaces better understand what people need.
In this episode, they cover:
- What contributes to burnout and unnecessary suffering at work
- Neurodiversity, workplace accommodations and masking
- Changing expectations of work across generations
- Why consultation and conversation matter
Listen to the full conversation on the Under the Rug at Work podcast, available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe!
Connect with Kate:
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-mcneill-96568229)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/theburnoutladycommunity)
Website (https://www.katemcneill.com)
6 Aug 2026
Difficult Conversations with Jennifer Bicknell
Avoiding a difficult conversation may feel easier, but workplace issues rarely resolve themselves.
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 Jennifer Bicknell about preventing workplace disputes by having difficult conversations early.
Jennifer is the founder of Bicknell Law & Consulting and an “unlawyery” lawyer with more than 30 years of experience. After seeing how many legal disputes could have been prevented through earlier conversations, she shifted her focus from dispute resolution to dispute prevention.
Nicole and Jennifer discuss why leaders avoid conversations about performance and behaviour, the risks of waiting too long and how clear, fair communication can stop small issues from escalating.
You can subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this episode with someone who’s ready to address workplace issues before they escalate.
Connect with Jennifer:
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-bicknell-lawyer-coach-speaker)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bicknelllaw)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BicknellLaw)
Website (https://jenniferbicknell.com.au)
20 Jul 2026
The Wellness Paradox with Amy Green
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 worker
This 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 👇
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amygreen)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amy_._green)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/thewellnessstrategy)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@amygreenofficial)
Website (https://amygreen.com.au)
Inside a recent episode
Feeling Unsafe To Speak Up with David Morgan
Published 24 Feb 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Fantastic and can you explain what whistle blowing is? What is whistle blowing and what is a whistle blow off? Yeah well whistle blowers are person you know and they come in different guises of course but you know in this context we're typically talking about a person inside the workplace and it typically involves them coming forward because they've seen some form of wrongdoing something they're not comfortable with or not happy about and they've put their hand up and they've tried to raise the concern with the organisation. It can happen in lots of different ways of course but that is what they are in a nutshell. […]
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