The SOM Podcast

In this episode, host Steve Randall sits down with occupational medicine specialist Jalees Razavi to tackle the widespread, critical issue of workplace burnout in 2026. Jalees debunks the common myth that burnout is merely an individual psychological flaw or a "mood issue," reframing it strictly as a structural, organizational failing.

The conversation explores how constant digital accessibility, understaffed environments, and superficial "wellness gimmicks" worsen chronic stress. Jalees breaks down the distinct types of burnout, explains the danger of misdiagnosing it as depression, and outlines the practical, upstream organizational changes needed to foster true recovery.

Key TakeawaysThe Myth of Multitasking & Accessibility: Modern technology has created a state of constant accessibility. The continuous urge to check social media or work emails prevents the brain from entering a natural state of rest, acting as a primary driver for burnout.
Burnout is Structural, Not Personal: Burnout is a physical state of the body, not a mood issue. While individual factors exist, workplace burnout is primarily caused when the structural design of a job produces injury.
The Pitfalls of "Wellness Gimmicks": Superficial solutions like yoga classes, breathing techniques, or gym memberships often act as short-term PR or "damage control" rather than solving the root issues. In fact, forcing wellness activities into an already overloaded schedule can add to an employee's stress.
The Dangerous Misdiagnosis: Burnout often hits high performers first. Because it causes persistent fatigue and lower performance, patients are frequently misdiagnosed with depression and improperly prescribed antidepressants when the actual issue is severe occupational burnout.
Upstream Solutions: To truly address burnout, organizations must focus on four main upstream levers: managing workload, increasing employee control, allowing for real recovery, and maintaining ethical alignment. Simple tweaks, like implementing three-month task rotations, can dramatically improve employee retention and health.
ResourcesConnect with Jalees Razavi on LinkedIn
Jalees’s book: The Anatomy of Burnout

The SOM podcast is sponsored by Orchid Live - specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com.

Our monthly SOM News Update brings you the latest stories and insights from SOM and the wider OH world. Hosted by Steve Randall.

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Links mentioned in the podcast:

Supporting workers with fertility treatment and pregnancy loss: https://www.som.org.uk/sites/som.org.uk/files/Fertility_Treatment_and_Pregnancy_Loss_June_2026.pdf

Keep Britain Working Update: https://www.som.org.uk/sites/som.org.uk/files/KBW_The_Story_So_Far_June_FINAL.pdf

The SOM podcast is sponsored by Orchid Live - specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com.

To mark SOM’s 90th anniversary Amy McKeown brings together a distinguished panel to explore what the future looks like for occupational health, the pressing need to modernize the specialty, and how to create deeper structural integration within UK workplaces.

The conversation focuses heavily on shifting away from a reactive "medicalized model" toward proactive, upstream organizational support. The panel dives into the challenges of a commercialized procurement market, the pitfalls of unregulated corporate wellness trends, the future role of AI, and the critical importance of a healthy workforce for economic sustainability.

Panellists: 

•    Dr. Charles Goss: Consultant Occupational Physician; Head of Service in the NHS; Chair of the NHS Health at Work Network
•    Dr. Alasdair Emslie: Consultant Occupational Physician; Head of Health at Health Partners Group
•    Rachel Suff: Public Policy Team at the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development)
•    Prof. Neil Greenberg: Consultant Occupational Psychiatrist; President of the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM)
•    Prof. Kevin Bampton: Chief Executive Officer of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS); Chair for the Council for Work and Health

Resources
Visit the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM)
Explore the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS)
Learn more about the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

The SOM podcast is sponsored by Orchid Live - specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com.

While safety in the workplace gets a massive amount of attention, long-term health risks (specifically exposure to loud noise) are frequently overlooked. In this episode, host Steve Randall is joined by Clare Forshaw, Professional Head of Health and Wellbeing at the RSSB and a Founder/Director of the UK Hearing Conservation Association.

Clare challenges the common misconception that hearing loss is simply an "inevitable part of ageing." The discussion touches on the broader, systemic impacts of noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus on mental health, the shared responsibilities between employers and employees, and how our modern, content-heavy lifestyles are pushing our ears to the absolute limit before we even clock into work.

Key Takeaways:
The "Poor Relation" of Health: Hearing health is often treated secondary to safety because it doesn't cause immediate, dramatic injuries. However, all noise-induced hearing loss is entirely preventable.
The True Impact of Tinnitus: Far from a minor inconvenience, severe tinnitus can drastically erode a person's quality of life, leading to sleep deprivation, anxiety, and extreme psychological distress.
The Dementia Connection: Recent studies highlight noise-induced hearing loss as one of the single biggest modifiable risk factors for early-onset dementia due to the social isolation and cognitive decline it triggers.
Our "Daily Noise Dose": Between podcasts, music, public transit, and loud gyms, many of us consume our entire daily safe limit of noise exposure before our workday even begins.
Continuous vs. Impact Noise: While continuous background noise is heavily monitored, short, sharp impact noises are often under-assessed, dealing harsh damage to already stressed hair cells in the ear.
How to Spot a Noisy Workspace: A quick rule of thumb—if you have to raise your voice to speak to someone standing two meters away, the noise level is potentially harmful.
Connect with Clare on LinkedIn or visit the UKHCA Website.

  

The SOM podcast is sponsored by Orchid Live - specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com.

Our monthly SOM News Update brings you the latest stories and insights from SOM and the wider OH world. Hosted by Steve Randall.

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Links mentioned in the podcast:

SOM guide, Repositioning OH within the Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

Employment support for disabled people: Disability at Work 

New WISE-QM: Quality Mark for Wellbeing Initiatives and Services for Employees

Work Right: What is health surveillance?

EVENTS:

Introduction to Occupational Health, Wednesday 1st July 2-4.30pm - register here

Wellbeing Professional Competency Framework, Monday 20th July 1-2pm - register here

The SOM podcast is sponsored by Orchid Live - specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com.