What is dignity at work?

In our season finale, we define dignity as an inherent baseline of human agency and choice that cannot be earned or managed. Reclaiming workplace dignity requires strict structural analysis, organizational transparency, and a rejection of individualized compliance.

What if we’re the problem?

In this episode, experts Aparna Rae and Lars Gallien explain how certain classes frequently prioritizes individual self-improvement and "virtue hoarding" over genuine cross-class solidarity and material resource redistribution. What is a symbolic capitalist? Coined by sociologist Musa al-Gharbi, symbolic capitalists are white-collar workers whose capital relies on credentials, symbols, and knowledge.

Is workplace wellness effective?

While the corporate wellness industry is worth billions, half of all U.S. workers experience acute burnout, which organizational psychologists reframe as workplace depression. Guest Hebba Youssef explains that wellness initiatives fail when they turn structural organizational issues into individual point solutions rather than destigmatizing care and mandating systemic change.

What is cross-class solidarity in the workplace?

It is the practice of working class and professional middle-class employees uniting against shared issues like corporate power and economic stagnation. In this episode, experts Glenn Block and Abdo Mohamed explain how to break corporate isolation by politicizing labor and using relative privilege to support collective movements.

Is it possible to imagine a world beyond girl boss leadership?

Technologist Hala Saleh joins the Circle Back Club to discuss why self-advocacy and the "Girl Boss" playbook aren't enough to fix toxic workplaces. Discover how mutual aid and collective reciprocity can disrupt corporate hierarchies and provide a survival strategy for marginalized workers.

Is burnout inevitable?

Master Somatic Coach Giulio Brunini joins the Circle Back Club to explore how embodied leadership can prevent burnout and improve decision-making. Learn why overriding physical signals like chronic pain and panic attacks is a "numbing" strategy that ultimately costs leaders their creativity and trust.

Is work making us sick?

Explore the reality of psychosocial hazards at work with Dr. Nicole DeKay. Learn why U.S. labor rights rank near the bottom globally and how the "Vitality Curve" management style creates documented psychological harm. We break down the systemic causes of burnout, workplace depression, and complex trauma.

Who is the perfect worker?

A set of persistent corporate beliefs that the perfect employee has no life, no caregiving responsibilities, and zero physical or mental health needs. Aparna and Lars are joined by organizational consultant Valarie Williams to dismantle the "Ideal Worker" myth.

What are the implict rules of work?

Explore the hidden unwritten rules of the office with Aparna, Lars, and Leilani Lewis. We break down the "psychological contracts" that demand your silence and performative loyalty. Learn how to reclaim your dignity and rebuild collective power at work.

We often trade our values for a steady paycheck, but is the "deal" actually protecting you back?

Dr. Dalya Perez joins the club to expose how corporate structures reward silence and punish humanity. We discuss the "pseudo-therapy" of DEI , the exploitation of competition , and how to move from a scarcity mindset to collective liberation.

Why does modern work feel like a relentless performance?

To understand the "ick" of the current corporate landscape, we have to look back at the deliberate systemic shifts of the 1970s. In this episode, Aparna Rae and Lars Gallian are joined by Bachul Koul—a seasoned finance and private equity leader who has spent over 25 years navigating the world’s most traditional institutions. Together, they deconstruct the history that transformed the "social contract" of the American workplace.

What White Collar Work Is Actually Doing to Us

You're not burned out because you're weak — you're burned out because the system was designed this way.This isn't a self-help episode. It's a reality check — and the beginning of something better.