For International Women’s day, we focus in on 2 issues. We look at the gender pay gap and sexual harassment in the workplace. Joined by Laura Bambrick from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and Denise Roche from the National Women’s Council of Ireland, we ask: What can be done to narrow the gap, and how widespread is sexual harassment in the work…

Our latest episode drops at the height of a General Election campaign. We look at work-life balance and why it’s one of the health and safety issues of the century. What can be done to prevent overwork, burnout and stress? We talk to Gareth Murphy, Head of Industrial Relations and Campaigns with the Financial Services Union, about what the “right t…

Game Workers Unite in Ireland - a branch of the FSU - has been making some waves of late. The newly formed community of game workers is seeking improvements in terms and conditions across the sector, and have already had success in attracting activists, volunteers and members. In this latest edition of the Office Block Podcast, Game Workers Unite I…

For our latest edition, we return to some familiar themes. In episode 2, we looked at automation and digitalisation. In this episode, we look at the impact of technology in the workplace. Dr Caroline Murphy of the University of Limerick joins us to look at the recent FSU report "Technology Work and Skills: The Impact of Technology on Employees". We…

Rights at Work: Pay Trends in Ireland and Collective Bargaining In this episode of the Office Block, we look at current pay trends in Ireland. What is happening in wages and salaries? What is the role of trade unions in setting pay in Ireland. We drafted in Professor Bill Roche of UCD to look at the detail. Collective bargaining is the process wher…

We all need to mind our mental health, and the workplace has an important role to play. But are employers doing enough? What does positive mental health in the workplace look like? On episode 9 of the Office Block, we answer these questions and more. We talk to Maeve Brehony, Senior Industrial Relations Officer with the Financial Services Union, on…

What rights exist for people with disabilities at work? What are the changes that are required to make laws fairer, and what supports currently exist for people with disabilities in employment?We delve into these questions, and much more on our latest podcast, episode 8 of the Office Block. Our guest is Suzy Byrne. Suzy is a highly experienced and …

In Episode 7, we sit down with Gareth Murphy, acting general secretary of the FSU, to talk about the union's agenda for finance workers.What are the trends on pay and working conditions in the sector? What are the union’s priorities for members? What are the big issues cropping up for staff in the sector? We delve into these questions and more.We a…

How widespread is workplace bullying? How can it be dealt with? What should someone do if they are a victim of workplace bullying? How do we create positive workplaces which promote decency? In our latest podcast, we look at these questions and more with Mandy La Combre, Senior Industrial relations Officer with the Financial Services Union. Mandy u…

Hello and welcome to episode 5 of the Office Block. On our latest show we talk tech workers, and the conditions and rights they face at the cutting edge of the modern workplace. There are 92, 000 people working in information and communication in Ireland, and the stats show that the trade union organisation is weaker here than almost any other sect…

Changing terms and conditions are altering the world of work for all, but are there winners and losers?Are the old gaining at the expense of young people who are sandwiched between low wages and high housing costs?Paul Dillon was joined by two experts in the generation game - Stephen Kinsella and Laura Bambrick - to look at changing demographics an…

Host Paul Dillon was joined by Sinead Pembroke of TASC, the think thank for action on social change, and Gareth Murphy of the Financial Services Union (FSU), to look at the latest trends on pay. There was a particular focus on how pay is structured in the Financial Services Sector and performance related pay structures. Sinead Pembroke has written …

Host Paul Dillon (with a little help from Gareth Murphy) delved into one of the biggest topics facing people working in finance today. What are tech changes doing to our jobs? What will a future finance sector look like, as automation and digitalisation continue apace?We asked the experts. Dr Christina Colclough, of the UNI Global Union, joined us …

Episode one is available now. Host Paul Dillon was joined in the studio and over the phone for a free-wheeling discussion that took in topics like mental health and technology in the workplace, how big data is dominating the headlines, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) , the Brexit jobs dividend, the fallacy that interns are some special ca…

Coming up on episode one of the Office Block podcast, we have a panel discussion on topical issues in finance and banking.Joining us this month we have Jack Horgan Jones, Emma Kennedy and Richard Grogan.Jack is a business correspondent with the Sunday Business Post, where he often devolves into finance and banking issues, among others.Emma Kennedy …

The Writers’ Block Episode 82 David and Phineas catch up on the last month and do a deep dive into college football. Then they discuss finishing up a writing project and play a game. Finally, Phineas and David challenge each other to name their favorite Christmas movies in a new Top Five. If you disagree with David or Phineas, let us know by tweeti…

The Writers’ Block Episode 81 It’s Halloween! David and Phineas catch up on the Halloween weekend and Phineas’ party and his new mustache. Then they discuss horror storytelling and the uncanny and play a game. Finally, Phineas and David challenge each other to name his favorite vampire movies in a new Top Five. If you disagree with David, let us kn…

The Writers’ Block Episode 80 David and Phineas catch up on the week and Phineas talks about his trip to Virginia to his brother and David reflects on the losses of Auburn football and USA National Team soccer. Then they discuss revision and play a game. Finally, David challenges Phineas to name the worst superhero movie in a new Quick Take. If you…

The Writers’ Block Episode 79 David and Phineas catch up on the week and Phineas talks about his trip to Atlanta to see comedian John Mulaney perform and to encourage people to see the new Netflix show American Vandal. Then they discuss rhetorical context and how it is shaped by the cultural moment. Finally, Phineas challenges David to name his fav…

The Writers’ Block Episode 78 David and Phineas catch up on the week and reflect on the Emmy’s. Then they discuss research strategies and play a game. Finally, David challenges Phineas to name his favorite teen movies in a new Top Five. If you disagree with Phineas, let us know by tweeting us at @auburnMWC with the hashtag #MWCTop5 or e-mail us at …

The Writers’ Block Episode 77 David and Phineas catch up on the summer after an unintended break and David shares stories about his daughter and Phineas tells the story of how he proposed to his girlfriend. Then they discuss the writing process and play a game. Finally, Phineas and David answer listener questions. If you have a question for The Wri…

The Writers’ Block Episode 76(a): The Fate of the Furious Guardians of the Galaxy With the radio station closed, David and Phineas saw some movies and wanted to talk about them. They saw The Fate of the Furious and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. If you disagree with our assessment of the films, you can tweet to us @auburnMWC with the hashtag #AskM…

The Writers’ Block Episode 76 David and Phineas catch up on the week and discuss white supremacist Richard Spencer’s anticlimactic visit to Auburn and David tells tales from his plague-ridden family. Then they discuss how to study for and tackle exams as finals week approaches. Finally, Phineas and David answer listener questions. If you have a que…

The Writers’ Block Episode 75 After some brief technical difficulties, David and Phineas sleepily catch up on the week and David shares his thoughts on the ending of Girls while Phineas shares his thoughts on the movie Get Out. Then they discuss the campus drama related to white-supremacist and alt-right face Richard Spencer’s visit to Auburn, befo…

The Writers’ Block Episode 74 David and Phineas catch up on the week and reflect on the resignation of former Governor Robert Bentley and David shares stories from his trip to Birmingham. Then they explore buddy comedies and play a game. Finally, David challenges Phineas to name his favorite buddy comedies in a new Top Five. If you disagree with Ph…

The Writers’ Block Episode 73 After an unexpected month off the air, David and Phineas catch up and David shares his PhD accomplishments and Phineas discusses the merits of the new film, Kong: Skull Island. Then they explore diegesis and play a game. Finally, Finally, Phineas challenges David to name the fictional universe he would want to live in …

The Writers’ Block Episode 72 David and Phineas catch up on the week and discuss Ben Carson’s odd statements about slavery and immigration, and David shares his thoughts on the series Hannibal. Then they explore reluctant action heroes and play a game. Finally, Phineas and David answer listener questions. If you have a question for The Writers’ Blo…

The Writers’ Block Episode 71 David and Phineas catch up on the week and the Oscars, and Phineas shares his thoughts on the Netflix original series, The OA. Then they explore video game design/mechanics and play a game. Finally, David challenges Phineas to name his favorite video games in a new Top Five. If you disagree with Phineas, let us know by…

The Writers’ Block Episode 70 David and Phineas catch up on the week and their trip to Ole Miss for SWCA, a writing center conference, and Phineas shares his thoughts on the new film John Wick Chapter 2. Then they explore video game storytelling and play a game. Finally, Phineas challenges David to name his favorite video games in a new Top Five. I…

The Writers’ Block Episode 69 It’s Valentine’s Day and David and Phineas reflect on the day and discuss the relevance of the Grammy Awards. Then they explore the death of print with the rise of media, and what is lost in that transition. Then Field Correspondent Jakob Geiger sits down with Auburn University’s Dr. Scott Simkins in a new Writer Spotl…

The Writers’ Block Episode 68 In the first live episode of the year, David and Phineas share stories from the past two months, including the Super Bowl, David’s baby’s first birthday, and Phineas’ thoughts on The Young Pope. Then they explore the rhetoric of social media in politics. Finally, Phineas and David answer listener questions. If you have…

The Writers’ Block Episode 67(d): A Christmas Carol, Part 4 It’s The Writers’ Block’s winter hiatus, but David and Phineas have some fresh content to bring you. It’s a non-denominational holiday miracle! The Writers’ Block proudly presents a fireside reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Part four (of four): The Final Spirit. http://wp.a…

The Writers’ Block Episode 67(c): A Christmas Carol, Part 3 It’s The Writers’ Block’s winter hiatus, but David and Phineas have some fresh content to bring you. It’s a non-denominational holiday miracle! The Writers’ Block proudly presents a fireside reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Part three (of four): The Second Spirit. http://wp…

The Writers’ Block Episode 67(b): A Christmas Carol, Part 2 It’s The Writers’ Block’s winter hiatus, but David and Phineas have some fresh content to bring you. It’s a non-denominational holiday miracle! The Writers’ Block proudly presents a fireside reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Part two (of four): The First Spirit. http://wp.au…

The Writers’ Block Episode 67(a): A Christmas Carol, Part 1 It’s The Writers’ Block’s winter hiatus, but David and Phineas have some fresh content to bring you. It’s a non-denominational holiday miracle! The Writers’ Block proudly presents a fireside reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Part one (of four): Marley’s Ghost. http://wp.aubu…

The Writers’ Block Episode 67 In the last live episode of the year, David and Phineas share stories from Thanksgiving and college football rivalry week, including the Iron Bowl. They also share their thoughts on the new movies Doctor Strange and Arrival. Then they offer some tips and tricks on writing for essay exams. Finally, Phineas and David ans…

The Writers’ Block Episode 66 David and Phineas express their disappointment with the election results share their thoughts on the election and in the campaign rhetoric that won. Then they talk about revision and offer some tips on how to do it. They also take another stab at a game to lighten the mood. Finally, Phineas and David ask each other to …

The Writers’ Block Episode 65 It’s election day! David and Phineas share their thoughts on the election and talk a bit of Auburn football. Then Phineas shares his thoughts on the new film The Accountant and David asks whether Ben Affleck is a good actor or not. Then they explore the rhetoric of the creation of a presidential candidate’s brand. Fina…

The Writers’ Block Episode 64 **Note: The sound quality is not up to our usual standard this week, so everything sounds a bit fuzzy. We apologize for the inconvenience!** David and Phineas share stories from Halloween and talk about college football. Then they explore the types of roles female characters are given in fiction, especially film. Then …

The Writers’ Block Episode 63 David and Phineas talk about Auburn football’s win over Arkansas and share their thoughts on Bob Dylan receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature. Then they explore the conventions behind horror storytelling and examine Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining in a new Writing Spotlight. Then David…

The Writers’ Block Episode 62 David and Phineas are joined by special guest Jakob Geiger and catch up on the past week, including stories of dumb cats and sneaky snakes. They also share their thoughts on the movie The Girl on the Train and Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric about the election being “rigged.” Then they explore the myth of “standar…

The Writers’ Block Episode 61 David and Phineas catch up on the Auburn football, the Mets’ Wild Card Game loss, and the Presidential debates. Then they dive into the euphemistic rhetoric of politics, titles, and labels. Then Phineas and David attempt a new game with moderate success. Apologies to to the very talented Joan Cusack! Finally, Phineas c…

The Writers’ Block Episode 60 Phineas and David catch up on the past week and then explore the rhetoric of slogans, labels, and hashtags. Then Phineas sits down with poet Cecilia Llompart and writer Hali Felt in a new Reader Spotlight. Finally, David challenges Phineas to name his favorite TV characters in a new Top Five. If you disagree with Phine…

The Writers’ Block Episode 59 **Note: Apologies for the delay in posting this show. We experienced technical difficulties with our website.** Phineas and David talk about the Auburn victory over LSU, the firing of Les Miles, and the case of the fire at the rolling of the Toomer’s Oaks. Then they share some thoughts on good work habits before trying…

The Writers’ Block Episode 58 David and Phineas look back on the week and share their strange experience at the Auburn football game against Texas A&M and offer a PSA of sorts on the recent rash of clown sightings in the Southeast. Then field correspondent Jakob Geiger sits down with Dr. Diana Eidson of Auburn University in a new Writer Spotlight. …

The Writers’ Block Episode 57 The Writers’ Block is back on WEGL with all new live episodes! David and Phineas are joined by by friend-of-the-show Carson Williford and catch up on the past few weeks. They talk Auburn football, silly politics, and the terrors of having a child. Then the three revisit the writing process before taking another stab at…

The Writers’ Block Episode 56(d) In the last week of the live-episode hiatus, Phineas and David check in briefly before returning to live episodes Tuesdays at 3 CT starting Sept. 13. Have any questions about writing, life, love, or whatever that you want David and Phineas to answer on air? You can tweet to us @auburnMWC or e-mail us at askmwc@write…

The Writers’ Block Episode 56(c) In the third week of the live-episode hiatus, Phineas and David offer up a helpful guide to working on your writing assignments and working ahead. Hopefully these tips and suggestions will help you get off to a good start on your papers, whether you’re a freshman or a career student like the hosts! Have your own tip…

The Writers’ Block Episode 56(b) In the second week of the live-episode hiatus, Phineas and David offer up a helpful guide to getting a good start to the new semester. Hopefully these tips and suggestions will help you get off on the right foot this year, whether you’re a freshman or a career student like the hosts! Have your own tips or questions?…

The Writers’ Block Episode 56(a) In the first week of the live-episode hiatus, Phineas shares his thoughts on the new movie, Suicide Squad, and David and Phineas use it to launch into a conversation about some worrisome trends in big-budget film making. If you disagree with Phineas and David about Suicide Squad or the state of movies, or you want t…