dr dougal sutherland

Career progression seems to be on the back burner for many kiwis. 

Randstand’s latest Workmonitor report found that employees are prioritising flexibility and mental health over career progression. 

Over 27,000 people were surveyed, a thousand of whom were kiwis. 

Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to talk about this new data and offer some tips for businesses who want to proactively address these new priorities. 

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In Australia workers have been given the right to ignore after-hours calls from work, unless it’s in their contract/role requires it or an emergency, following on from some European countries (e.g., France) who have done this. 

How likely are we to follow suit in NZ? It's unlikely that it will become law – since 2015 Health and Safety at work act neither Labour nor National govts appear to have been interested in putting in any more regulations. 

However, debate may increase in kiwi workplaces surrounding the topic. 

There are pros/cons to the discussion – some will feel it’s an example of a “snowflake” generation who do the bare minimum, others will see it as supporting people to switch off from work when they’re done. 

Some workplaces say things like “if you receive an email from me after hours feel free to ignore it until it’s your work hours”, which might be a compromise. We do that at Umbrella, it allows some level of autonomy and responsibility on both ends – I can send you an email at 11pm but don’t expect you to respond to it until you’re at work. You do need to be a bit careful about this as there can be an implied pressure to respond, particularly if the person sending the email is your boss. That links into the topic of how “psychologically safe” you feel at work to express your opinion (but that’s a whole other topic!) 

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Psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Wilhelmina Shrimpton for a chat about beginning the year with oomph. 

Top tips include: 

-Daily scheduled activity 
-Mapping your activities to match your personal energy flow 
-Learning how to mentally switch off from work 

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‘Tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry. Emphasis on drink.

Increased alcohol consumption can be a problem at this time of year, especially as people are under increased amounts of stress and pressure. This can sometimes contribute to problem drinking, as people increasingly use alcohol or other drugs as a way to cope. At Christmas, drinking becomes even more socially acceptable, and workplaces have a role in this, often via work Christmas functions which give people the license to drink as part of unwinding from work. 

It’s useful to think about whether alcohol will have a role in workplace functions in the future. Lots of workplaces are reducing their emphasis on alcohol as part of their functions e.g., having outdoor picnics or doing activities where alcohol use isn’t the core thing or choosing a venue for a Christmas party that doesn’t serve alcohol. 

On a personal front there are some danger signs to look out for: 

- Increased tolerance: At first, 2 drinks was enough to relax, then it was 3, now it’s 4. The more you drink, the more your body adapts, so that the same amount has less effect. 

- It’s hard to stop or cut back.

- Problems with others: are you “that person” at the office Christmas party or social function? 

- Life feels smaller: Sometimes, we stop doing things that matter, or only do them if we can do them while drinking. This starts to limit your life and can lead to giving up hobbies or even people that you used to enjoy. 

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A few weeks ago we discussed ADHD in the workplace and how this is beginning to show up a lot in recent times. Following on from that, we are seeing a lot more people in the workplace with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). Together ASD, ADHD and Learning Disabilities are sometimes referred to as “neurodiversity”. ASD now the term used for what used to be call Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. A stereotype would be Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rainman but really important to note that the difficulties are experienced on a spectrum.

We're now seeing more adults diagnosed in adulthood for much the same reasons as ADHD (i.e., missed during childhood, not enough services out there, have had a child diagnosed with ASD and now wondering about it for themselves).

The main difficulties for people with ASD in the workplace are around social relationships, a strong need for routine and sameness, and sensory hypersensitivity (e.g., very sensitive hearing). There are other symptoms which include very strong “obsessional” interest in specific topics (e.g., being an expert on the French revolution) and some unusual behaviours (e.g., handflapping when distressed). 

People with ASD report not having the natural understanding of how social relationships work. They might find it hard to keep eye contact and have difficulty balancing conversations (e.g., they talk too much about themselves and not ask anything of the other person or barely participate in a conversation, might take things very literally). Expressing their emotions might be difficult because of the difficulties in social interactions. Hypersensitivity might make working in certain environments very difficult.

What can be done to help?

Recognition and understanding always hugely important for both the employee and employer. Work out together what can be done to the work environment to reduce stress. It may also, with permission of the individual, be useful to educate the wider team about ASD.

Work out best ways of communicating with the person.

It may also be useful to get a professional assessment to help guide employee and employers in what steps to take.

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In the middle of Movember, Dr Dougal Sutherland is joining Jack Tame to chat about the barriers men face to talking about their mental health and a few ways to get around these barriers. 

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A recent Gallup poll shows that a majority of workers in NZ are not engaged or are “quiet quitting”. 

4/10 say they are experiencing high levels of stress, 4/10 looking for new job, with managers playing a key role in determining whether people thrive or disengage at work. 

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A lot of us get “the blues” during winter or feel a little down – for some people this is a more serious disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder where periods of depression are strongly linked to winter seasons – although interestingly there must be more to it than simply levels of light/winter weather as it’s not so common in people living in polar regions. 

Tips for keeping mentally well over winter: 

• Keep doing the basics: 
• Try and get some daylight each day, especially if you’re leaving for work in the dark and coming home in the dark 
• Keep up your exercise 
• Keep your sleep in good patterns 

Kiwis are pretty oriented towards the outdoors and getting out and about, which is more difficult in winter. Maybe rather than trying to fight the winter weather, learn to embrace it – like the Danish concept of “Hygge” where they relish and make the most of winter – think sitting inside toasting marshmallows, having people over for candlelit dinners inside after cooking up a big winter feast, cosying up with a good book on a rainy afternoon etc. 

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Dougal Sutherland, Clinical Psychologist from Umbrella Wellbeing, joined Jack Tame to talk about whether the way we work is mentally harming us.

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Being unable to mentally disconnect from your work once your day is over can be a major problem, resulting in higher levels of stress, poor sleep, and even relationship issues.

Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to talk about the importance of disconnecting and reconnecting each day, and how to achieve it.

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A recent survey from TradeMe has shown that people often invest more in themselves after a breakup. They spend more time and invest more energy into doing things like working out, eating healthier, buying things for themselves, and relaxing alone.

Clinical Psychologist with Umbrella Wellbeing Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to chat about this change.

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