What’s the Point of Work? | Dr Christopher Davis

This episode of the Working Well Beings podcast was recorded live at Health and Wellbeing at Work 2026. Dr Christopher Davis, Thought Leadership Manager at IOSH, talks to guest host Ben Moss, Senior Research Leader at RAND Europe. Chris asks what makes work meaningful and why it matters for safety and wellbeing. From AI’s promise of saved time to the limits of the business case, this conversation challenges us to think beyond compliance and ask what people actually get from their work. Interested in topics like this? Explore RAND Europe’s Good Health, Good Work Hub for research, insights and a community helping turn evidence into healthier, safer workplaces: https://www.rand.org/randeurope/initi... Keep the conversation going at Health and Wellbeing at Work, returning to NEC Birmingham on 9–10 March 2027. Find out more and register your interest: https://healthwellbeingwork.co.uk/ Chapters 00:00 Introducing Dr Christopher Davis 03:47 What’s shaping the future of work? 05:21 Young workers, expectations and first jobs 08:44 What apprenticeships teach us about development 10:34 Why meaningful work matters for safety and wellbeing 13:58 Is AI freeing up time or just adding more work? 15:34 Efficiency, quality and whether leaders care 17:31 Beyond the business case: doing the right thing 18:39 Helping safety professionals move beyond compliance 20:33 Where to start with meaningful work