B2 – Upper Intermediate
With work getting very demanding nowadays, certain groups of workers are affected by some work arrangements. Parents can easily get away with leaving work early, getting extra days off, or not showing up because of domestic duties. The pressure to cover certain hours or work loads now falls on workers without kids.
Little by little, non-parents feel as if their voices or needs are not as important or respected as those of the parents. They believe that they also deserve the same benefits or leeway that the companies give parents.
Read the article below to see the differences in the work setup that non-parents experience and what they yearn for from the management.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents
Discussion Questions:
- Do you think that there’s a huge tension building up between parents and non-parents in the workplace? Why?
- Do you believe that there are higher expectations for non-parents to work harder and perform better? Why?
- Why do you think it’s important for company management to take their employees’ concerns into account?
- What are some policies that you can propose for a good working environment?
- What are some countries that have some of the best working environments?