The Right Side of 40

Someone ate my lunch, what do I do? 'I'll tell you what you do, you call the police.'

Stolen lunches, dirty dishes, and a lot of crumbs. Food dilemmas at work give us plenty to feel awkward about.

Soci…

Where is your place in the world? After Karen Bailey's children had flown the nest, she decided to have a new adventure volunteering at an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia. Holidays give us time to thi…

Listen in to our conversation with Claire Stephens who has had a midlife reinvention as a counsellor in her 40s. Claire thought she was swapping one career for another but ended up with two - and has…

Should you call or message a co-worker on holiday?

The workplace is a minefield of potential social awkwardness and it doesn't get any easier in midlife.

Socially Awkward Questions - if you dare ask th…

We all have those moments at work when we can't bear to do a familiar task again. This week's guest, Janet Awe, had one of those moments and went back to school to kickstart a new career in film and …

Are we less awkward now we're older?

The workplace is a minefield of potential social awkwardness and it doesn't get any easier in midlife.

Socially Awkward Questions - if you dare ask them, we'll answ…

This week in 'Trying Something New' we talk to Helen who went from a career break to full-time social worker in her late 40s. This interview proves it's never too late to find your purpose in life. H…

How do you manage the difficult accusation that you are being 'negative' when you think you are just sharing your years of experience.

We explore 'quiet quitting' and what managers should look out fo…

Our research on Imposter Syndrome brought up a shocking figure that at least 70% (women and men) will suffer from this at some stage of their career. We've had to get over our own imposter syndrome t…

Should you comment on a co-worker's appearance?

The workplace is a minefield of potential social awkwardness and it doesn't get any easier in middle-age.

Socially Awkward Questions - if you dare ask th…

Brrrr! You might want to put on a woolly hat and an extra pair of socks to listen to this episode. Selena Whitehead talks to us about the benefits of cold water swimming and how it can improve our me…

Should you connect with a co-worker on social media?

The workplace is a minefield of potential social awkwardness and it doesn't get any easier in middle age.

Socially Awkward Questions - if you dare a…

We reflect on how the Covid pandemic changed the workplace forever and the benefits and challenges of hybrid-working. How will this change where we work and how we work in the future? Is it more incl…

How do you respect a co-worker's pronouns?

Sometimes we are afraid of getting things wrong in the workplace or accidentally offending a co-worker when we are not sure of the right thing to say.

The wo…

We talk to HR specialist, Louisa Steensma Williamson, about redundancy, taking a positive look at a sensitive subject. We discuss how to not take it personally, how to protect yourself, and the reinv…

How do I not embarrass myself on a video call?

The workplace is a minefield of potential social awkwardness and it doesn't get any easier in middle age.

Socially Awkward Questions - if you dare ask the…

Teacher by day, comedian by night. Listen in to our conversation with Rachel Parkin who accidentally started a Twitter storm, wrote her first comedy show and started a regular comedy night in Birming…

Should you sign every office birthday card?

The workplace is a minefield of potential social awkwardness and it doesn't get any easier in midlife.

Socially Awkward Questions - if you dare ask them, we'…

The older we get in the workplace the more likely it is that our boss will be younger than us. We take a light-hearted look at this fact of working life post-40. More than anything we see the positiv…

Our brand new podcast Right Side of 40 is live - women talking honestly about work, family and life post-40.

It's an old cliché that women (or men) aged over 40 are on the 'wrong side' of life. Our …