Articles #psych safety

Psychological safety is often misunderstood as a cultural “nice to have,” rather than a critical leadership and safety responsibility. This article explores what psychological safety really is — and what it is not — examining how poor leadership capability, lack of training, and misuse of power can create psychologically unsafe workplaces. Drawing on neuroscience, workplace law and real-world experience, it highlights the personal, organisational and legal consequences of ignoring psychosocial risk, and why getting psychological safety right is essential for both people and performance.

In “Stop Asking Employees to Self-Regulate in Structurally Dysregulated Workplaces,” Rose Byass explores the neurobiological impact of poorly designed work environments. Drawing on neuroscience, cognitive load theory, and lived experience, the article argues that open-plan offices, hot desking, and unmanaged noise contribute to chronic nervous system dysregulation — undermining psychological safety, performance, and wellbeing. Challenging leaders to rethink environmental design as a governance issue rather than a facilities decision, the piece calls for evidence-based workplace policies that prioritise sensory safety, predictability, and regulation as foundations of high performance.