184. Primark CEO’s Shock Exit, Jack Dorsey’s 'Good Layoffs' & Why Job Candidates Ghost Employers. PLUS! Why Tech Can't Fix Burnout, with John Chan - This Week in Work, 1st April 2025

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast from the HubSpot Podcast Network, hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott. Each week we unpack workplace news, explore the psychology behind behaviour at work, and tackle your toughest workplace questions. 🎙 What's in this Episode? Primark CEO Steps Down Amid Harassment Allegations Paul Marchant, CEO of Primark, resigned following allegations of inappropriate behaviour toward a colleague. Was this swift accountability or brand protection in action? Read more. Jack Dorsey's "Good" Layoffs: Can a CEO Do It Right? Jack Dorsey recently laid off 931 employees at Block—but unlike most mass layoffs, his transparent approach earned praise. Read More. Ghosting Employers: The Dark Psychology of Job Applicants Ever wonder why job candidates vanish mid-process? A new study links ghosting behaviour with psychological traits including narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Read more. 🔥 Hot Take: Why Tech Won’t Fix Your Workplace, with John Chan Our hot take comes from organisational psychologist John Chan, Managing Director of Infinite Potential and a lead researcher behind the 2025 State of Workplace Burnout report. John challenges the assumption that technology alone can boost productivity, arguing that systemic issues—like burnout, unsustainable workloads, and erosion of trust—must be addressed first. Download the 2025 State of Workplace Burnout Report here: https://infinite-potential.com.au/the-state-of-burnout-2025 Watch the full launch webinar: https://youtu.be/ihie8n7pvVc?feature=shared Connect with John Chan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-chan-ph-d-7883611/ 💡 Workplace Surgery: Solving Your Toughest Problems This week’s dilemmas: "I’ve Inherited a Toxic Department—Now What?" A listener steps into a troubled department plagued by missed deadlines and deep divides. How do you turn things around without driving good people away? "I’m the Operations Director, Not HR—Help!" With no HR team, a listener suddenly has to handle a serious discrimination complaint. What's the best way to respond professionally and protect the organisation? "Consultants Keep Stealing My Ideas!" An employee’s internal expertise is overlooked in favour of expensive external consultants. How do you get management to value internal talent and stop making costly mistakes? 🔗 Additional Resources CIPD Guidance on Discipline Procedures: CIPD Discipline Factsheet ACAS (UK): acas.org.uk 🎧 Coming Up Next Join us this Thursday as we welcome Cait Donovan, speaker, author, and host of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast. Cait’s innovative BURNBOLD™ framework is helping organisations turn burnout into resilience and culture change. 🎯 Enjoying the show? Subscribe, leave a review, or share with a colleague! Connect with us on LinkedIn—we'd love your feedback. General Support with Mental Health and Well-being If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, or are currently struggling with your mental health, the following resources may be useful. Mind website: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/ If you are feeling in distress or despair, including feelings of suicide, please do consider calling the Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK) or email jo@samaritans.org (Rest of World) Connect with Al and Leanne Join the Conversation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork/ Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/ Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne Email: Hello@truthliesandwork.com Book a Call with Al & Leanne: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat Thanks for tuning into Truth, Lies & Work—see you next week!

Om Podcasten

Truth, Lies & Work is the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, the show has reached #2 in the UK Business Podcast Charts and consistently ranks as a Top 10 trending business podcast globally. With a unique blend of evidence-based insight and lived experience, Leanne and Al simplify the science of people and culture to help leaders attract, engage, and retain great talent. Episodes drop twice a week. Tuesdays feature a global people and culture news round-up, a hot take from an emerging or established voice, and the world-famous Workplace Surgery—where Leanne answers real listener questions with practical advice. Thursdays dive deeper with expert guests from across the business and psychology worlds, sharing fresh perspectives and actionable strategies. Whether you're scaling a startup or leading a large team, Truth, Lies & Work delivers the tools, thinking, and inspiration to build thriving, toxic-free workplaces that prioritise well-being and drive sustainable growth. Also, the hosts are married—so expect unfiltered honesty, occasional banter, and a real-life lens on work and life.