At Work, Under Pressure

Jessi Beyer
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Solve your workplace pressure point. At Work, Under Pressure is a podcast about the moments when work gets hard – when burnout rises, people get overwhelmed, conflict escalates, and mental health crises sneak into the workplace. Hosted by Jessi Beyer, a SWAT negotiator and licensed mental health professional, we take you behind the scenes of today’s workforce and show you what’s working and what’s not in workplace mental health, straight from the mouths of executives, HR professionals, safety/risk leaders, and corporate wellness experts who are seeing it firsthand. At Work, Under Pressure is for leaders who understand that people problems become operational problems when organizations are not prepared. If that’s you, pull up a chair, whip out a notebook, and settle in for real conversations about building workplaces that are safer, steadier, and better equipped for high-pressure human moments.

  1. 8 hr ago

    The Two Mountains of Mental Health Disabilities: Recovery and Return-to-Work with Dr. Andrew Miki

    CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE! Going on mental health leave is not a vacation. For many people, it means losing routine, confidence, identity, connection, and the sense that they are still contributing to the team around them. In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Dr. Andrew Miki, psychologist, founder of Mental Fitness, and advisor in psychological health and safety, to talk about workplace disability, burnout, return-to-work, leadership, accommodations, and what psychologically safe workplaces actually look like. Andrew shares how his career moved from treating individuals on disability to helping organizations understand mental health at a systems level. He also explains why returning to work can become a “second mountain” after symptoms improve, especially when social anxiety, workplace conflict, workload, or unsupportive leadership contributed to the leave in the first place. Jessi and Andrew discuss: How ordinary stress and emotional difficulty can progress toward diagnosable mental illness and workplace disabilityWhy being off work can create guilt, insecurity, identity loss, and fear of letting other people downWhat employers can do to support employees through disability leave and return-to-workWhy unresolved workplace conflict, workload, bullying, or poor manager relationships can make recovery harder to sustainWhy accommodations can become difficult when medical restrictions are vague or impossible to operationalizeHow psychological health and safety parallels physical safety through hazard identification, risk assessment, reporting, and mitigationWhy employees who believe their manager “has their back” may be working inside a fundamentally healthier organization This episode is for HR leaders, disability managers, occupational health teams, workers’ compensation leaders, healthcare and education leaders, executives, and anyone trying to build workplaces that are psychologically safer, more functional, and more humane. Because people do not recover in isolation from the systems around them. And if the same workplace patterns are still waiting when someone returns, recovery becomes much harder to sustain. CONNECT WITH DR. MIKI LinkedInPersonal WebsiteTEDx TalkWorkSafe BCVancouver Coastal Health

  2. 2 days ago

    Emotional Survival for LE: Trauma, Hypervigilance, & Staying Human Off Duty with Dr. Kevin Gilmartin

    CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE! Law enforcement trains people to become exceptionally good at staying alive on duty. The harder question is how to keep that same career from slowly eroding the parts of life that make someone resilient off duty. In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Dr. Kevin Gilmartin, author of Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement, to talk about the history of first responder mental health, cumulative trauma, hypervigilance, physiological stress, social withdrawal, resilience, and what officers and departments can do before years of exposure begin taking a toll. Kevin explains how law enforcement has evolved from an era where officers were essentially told to “suck it up” after traumatic events to one where competent critical incident services are far more available. But he argues that the bigger long-term threat often comes after the shift ends, when officers progressively stop exercising, socializing, engaging in hobbies, participating in community, and doing the things that once made them emotionally strong. Jessi and Kevin discuss: How first responder mental health support evolved from virtually nonexistent to a recognized part of public safetyWhy hypervigilance is simultaneously essential for officer safety and potentially costly off dutyHow emotional “callusing” can help people function around repeated trauma without turning them into sociopathsWhy withdrawal from exercise, relationships, hobbies, and community can leave highly competent officers increasingly fragileHow psychological stress and physiological health interact across sleep, weight, stress hormones, anxiety, and depressionWhy long-term resilience requires more than post-critical-incident counselingWhy law enforcement and mental health professionals need each other rather than pretending either profession can replace the other This episode is for law enforcement leaders, officers, deputies, first responders, clinicians, peer support teams, spouses, public safety trainers, and anyone trying to understand how repeated exposure to crisis changes people over the course of a career. Because surviving the call is only part of the job. The other part is making sure the person who comes home still has a life worth coming home to. CONNECT WITH DR. GILMARTIN WebsiteEmotional Survival For Law Enforcement

  3. 5 days ago

    The Cost of Suicide and Self-Harm and the Public Health Approach to Prevention with Dr. Deb Stone

    CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE! Suicide prevention is not just a clinical issue. It is a public health issue, a systems issue, a workplace issue, and an economic issue. In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Dr. Deb Stone, Senior Director of Knowledge and Review at The JED Foundation, to talk about the economic impact of suicide and self-harm, what people misunderstand about warning signs, how public health approaches suicide prevention, and what schools, communities, and workplaces can actually do to reduce risk. Deb shares research estimating that suicide and self-harm injuries cost more than $500 billion annually between 2015 and 2020, with much of that burden falling among working-age adults. She also explains why that figure is likely an underestimate, including the reality that some suicides may be classified as accidents or other causes. Jessi and Deb discuss: Why “if someone really wants to die, they’ll just do it” is a dangerous misconceptionWhat warning signs people can actually look for, and why asking directly about suicide does not put the idea in someone’s headHow a public health approach differs from treating one person at a time after risk has already emergedThe JED Foundation’s comprehensive approach to life skills, connectedness, help-seeking, crisis systems, and suicide preventionWhy suicide risk is shaped by individual, relationship, community, and societal factors rather than one simple causeWhat employers can do to support working-age adults who may be strugglingWhy training people to recognize and respond to distress is one piece of a much larger prevention system This episode is for HR leaders, educators, community leaders, public health professionals, clinicians, executives, parents, and anyone trying to understand what meaningful suicide prevention looks like beyond awareness campaigns. Because suicide prevention is not one program, one training, or one resource. It is a system of skills, supports, environments, and people who know what to do when someone starts to struggle. CONNECT WITH DR. STONE LinkedInThe JED Foundation WebsiteStudy on the economic cost of suicide and non-fatal self-harm by Dr. Stone and colleagues

  4. 21 Oct

    What If Employees Never Had to Raise a Ticket?: AI Agents and Employee Engagement with Jeet Mukerji

    CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE! What if employees and managers never had to raise a ticket to get help? That is the question behind Kinfolk, the HR AI agent built to remove operational admin from HR, IT, payroll, and other teams that keep the organization running. In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Jeet Mukerji, founder of Kinfolk, to talk about AI agents, HR operations, employee enablement, security, governance, productivity, and how the role of people teams may change as AI takes on more administrative work. Jeet shares how his path moved from music, marketing, and product into HR tech, and why he came to see HR, IT, and payroll as the engine of the organization rather than simple cost centers. He also explains how Kinfolk handles employee and manager requests across systems so people can get help without navigating artificial departmental silos. Jessi and Jeet discuss: Why HR is often incorrectly treated as a cost center instead of a multiplier on one of the company’s largest investments: its peopleHow AI agents can remove administrative work without replacing the nuanced judgment HR teams still needWhy faster employee support can improve productivity and reduce operational dragWhat security, permissions, approvals, and “least privilege” look like when AI touches sensitive HR systemsWhy building an internal AI tool is more complicated than simply telling Claude Code to “make it secure”How AI may push HR toward more strategic, creative, and human workWhat the future of people operations might look like as system builders and front-facing HR roles become more important This episode is for HR leaders, people operations teams, founders, IT leaders, payroll teams, AI builders, and anyone trying to reduce administrative drag while improving the employee experience. Because employees do not think in departmental silos. They have a problem, they need help, and the faster they get the right support, the faster they can get back to doing meaningful work. CONNECT WITH JEET LinkedInKinfolk Website

  5. 19 Oct

    Assume Positive Intent: Building Leadership Teams That Actually Grow People with Mike Goldman

    CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE! Great leadership is not just about holding people accountable. It is also about understanding what is actually happening before deciding why someone is struggling. In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with leadership coach and author Mike Goldman to talk about high-performing leadership teams, accountability, coaching, vulnerability, talent development, and why assuming positive intent can completely change the way leaders respond when someone is falling short. Mike explains that leaders often become frustrated because they unconsciously assume negative intent: they’re lazy, they don’t care, they should know better. His alternative is to assume that people are doing the best they can with the resources they have, then get curious about what the leader or employee may be missing. Jessi and Mike discuss: Why assuming positive intent creates better coaching conversationsWhat separates a merely good leadership team from a genuinely great oneWhy vulnerability includes being able to say “I screwed up,” ask for help, and give difficult feedbackHow leadership teams can stay connected to what employees closer to the front line are actually experiencingWhy employee feedback is useless if leaders never communicate what they did with itHow to decide whether someone should be coached up, moved into a better-fitting role, or coached outWhy Mike believes the number one driver of profit growth is people growthMike also explains why senior leaders cannot afford mediocre performance in roles with outsized influence, and why companies often make the mistake of investing disproportionately in struggling employees while failing to keep developing their strongest people. This episode is for CEOs, executives, HR leaders, leadership coaches, people managers, and anyone trying to build a team where accountability and humanity can exist at the same time. Because assuming positive intent does not mean lowering the standard. It means getting curious enough to understand the real problem before deciding what needs to happen next. CONNECT WITH MIKE WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramJessi's interview on The Better Leadership Team Show

  6. 16 Oct

    Public Company HR and Human-First Compliance in the Staffing Industry with Janel Hunt

    CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE! Everything starts with a job. A job supports families, homes, cars, dreams, and the ability to build a life. And for Janel Hunt, EVP of Human Resources at BGSF, that means HR is never just paperwork. It is where people, business, compliance, technology, and human support intersect. In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Janel Hunt, EVP of Human Resources at BGSF, a publicly traded workforce solutions company focused heavily on real estate, property management, and property technology. Janel shares how her psychology background shaped her HR career, what it means to keep HR human inside a regulated public company, and why people teams have to balance compliance, business outcomes, employee experience, and human connection. Jessi and Janel discuss: How BGSF supports companies through staffing, workforce solutions, and property technologyWhat changes when HR operates inside a publicly traded companyHow people teams can keep compliance human and business-forwardWhy benefits, inclusion, volunteer time off, parental leave, and connection groups matter to cultureHow AI can support HR teams without removing the human from the loopWhy suicide prevention readiness belongs in every leader’s toolkit before a crisis happens This episode is for HR leaders, staffing leaders, executives, people teams, public company leaders, and anyone thinking about how to use technology, benefits, compliance, and culture to support people at scale. Because HR is not just about keeping the company compliant. It is about making sure the humans inside the company have the tools, resources, and readiness they need when work and life collide. CONNECT WITH JANEL jhunt@bgsf.comLinkedInWebsiteBlood Cancer United Fundraiser

  7. 14 Oct

    Beyond the HR Checkbox: Culture, Compliance, and Fractional Support with Cindy Halstead

    CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE! HR is not just paperwork, policies, and onboarding forms. At its best, HR helps organizations understand their people, build healthier cultures, and make sure employees have the tools they need to do good work. In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Cindy Halstead of Archer HR Consulting to talk about fractional HR, workplace wellness, compliance, onboarding, culture, manager training, and how HR has evolved from a tactical function into a strategic advisor to leadership. Cindy explains why HR professionals need to understand the whole business, not just the people function. She also shares how fractional HR support works for startups and small companies, why CEOs often need help before they realize it, and how companies can build stronger foundations around compliance, onboarding, culture, benefits, and wellness. Jessi and Cindy discuss: How HR has evolved from tactical support into a strategic business partnerWhy fractional HR can help startups and smaller companies build scalable people systemsThe common HR challenges Cindy sees across industries, including recruiting, communication, conflict, and onboardingWhy workplace wellness has to go beyond physical health and check-the-box resourcesHow managers can be trained to notice when employees are struggling and have better conversationsWhy companies should start thinking about HR, culture, onboarding, and compliance before they grow too fast This episode is for founders, CEOs, HR leaders, fractional executives, people managers, startup teams, and anyone building a company that wants to support employees as full humans, not just workers. Because people do not leave their lives at the door when they come to work. And if you want them to be productive, healthy, and engaged, you have to build the systems, culture, and support that make that possible. CONNECT WITH CINDY LinkedInWebsite

  8. 13 Oct

    Safe To Try: Strategies for Improving Organizational Decision-Making with Karina Mangu-Ward

    CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE! Most organizations obsess over strategy, talent, and effort. But Karina Mangu-Ward argues that the real action is happening somewhere else: inside teams. In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Karina Mangu-Ward, partner at August and author of Teams That Meet the Moment, to talk about decision-making, hierarchy, politics, psychological safety, trust, belonging, and the everyday ways teams organize, decide, and learn. Karina explains why teams often get trapped in decision swirl, why “just have one decision-maker” is not enough, and how practices like rounds, starting proposals, “safe to try,” and naming trade-offs can help teams move forward with more clarity and less fear. She also connects broken decision-making to the psychological experience of work, including how talented people start leaning out when they feel excluded from the decisions that affect them. Jessi and Karina discuss: Why better strategy, better talent, and more effort are not enough when team practices are brokenHow lowercase-p politics and hierarchy can either help teams or exhaust themWhy decision-making is one of the most important everyday muscles organizations needHow “safe to try” helps teams move without waiting for perfect certaintyWhy leaders build trust by explaining the logic behind hard decisionsHow exclusion from decision-making can erode belonging, engagement, and mental health This episode is for executives, team leaders, consultants, HR leaders, organizational development professionals, people managers, and anyone trying to help teams make better decisions in complex, high-pressure environments. Because the quality of work does not just depend on the strategy. It depends on whether the people doing the work can organize, decide, and learn together when the moment demands it. CONNECT WITH KARINA LinkedInWebsite & Book

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About

Solve your workplace pressure point. At Work, Under Pressure is a podcast about the moments when work gets hard – when burnout rises, people get overwhelmed, conflict escalates, and mental health crises sneak into the workplace. Hosted by Jessi Beyer, a SWAT negotiator and licensed mental health professional, we take you behind the scenes of today’s workforce and show you what’s working and what’s not in workplace mental health, straight from the mouths of executives, HR professionals, safety/risk leaders, and corporate wellness experts who are seeing it firsthand. At Work, Under Pressure is for leaders who understand that people problems become operational problems when organizations are not prepared. If that’s you, pull up a chair, whip out a notebook, and settle in for real conversations about building workplaces that are safer, steadier, and better equipped for high-pressure human moments.

Information

  • Creator
    Jessi Beyer
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Jessi Beyer
  • Show Website
    At Work, Under Pressure

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