B2 – Upper Intermediate
It is a fact that most of us dedicate majority of our time to working.
So, it is rather imperative that we make sure that we hold a job that does not bring us sorrow.
Being happy at our work is so much more than high compensation and great benefits.
Listen to this audio and read the transcript about being happy at work.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2023/ep-230817
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “to be on one’s feet” mean? “When I waitressed in cafes I was on my feet ten hours a day – it was exhausting!” Use this idiom in your own sentence.
- Define “presenteeism”. “In the work that we’ve done within the construction industry, we have trialled what we would call an ‘output-based’ way of working, which means we shift away from this sense of presenteeism.” Use this word in a sentence.
- What does “to breathe down one’s neck” mean, “The pressure to work quickly means you might have your boss breathing down your neck.”? Use this idiom in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What makes a workplace horrible? On the other hand, what is a good job/workplace?
- What should someone do if they had a terrible job/workplace? Give them some pieces of advice on how to handle this ordeal.
- Share your thoughts on shifting away from presenteeism and instead, heading toward an output-based way of working.
- What’s the worst job you’ve ever held? How did you go through with it?
- How can burnout be prevented?
- According to a Forbes magazine survey done in the UK, being a call center agent is voted the worst job. What is your reaction to this?
2 replies on “Being Unhappy at Work”
1.What makes a workplace horrible? On the other hand, what is a good job/workplace?
I think that what makes a workplace horrible is to have a boss who is breathing down your neck and is not letting you having your own scheduled, so that you can combine your work and personal life.
—————-
2. What should someone do if they had a terrible job/workplace? Give them some pieces of advice on how to handle this ordeal.
I would recommend them to look for another job and then quit the job they have at that moment if they could. Everyone deserves to have time for their personal life and not having more tasks than they can handle in 8 hours of work.
—————-
3.Share your thoughts on shifting away from presenteeism and instead, heading toward an output-based way of working.
On my own understanding you can be a better worker if you are able to work at your own pace and you have the confidence of your boss. Although this means that you should be a trustworthy employee, otherwise you can end up unemployed. It is really important to be a honest and reliable person.
—————-
4.What’s the worst job you’ve ever held? How did you go through with it?
The worst job I’ve had was as a journalist. My boss asked me to start early in the morning but then she made me to work whenever she decided, meaning, in case there were news I had to cover in the evenings, then I had to work even up until 19.00. Besides, if I asked for permission to bring my daughter to the doctor in the middle of the day, she granted me permission but then she was kind of breathing down my neck because she was calling me to my cell phone after one hour or so… She used to say that we were not working in a factory, so we had neither starting time nor ending time for working scheduled.
—————-
5.How can burnout be prevented?
From my point of view, burnout could be prevented by being emphatic. Having bosses that could understand that people needs to be kindly treated can help a lot. Everyone deserve to have realistic targets which can be achieved within the 8-hour working day. And a healthy work environment could be reached by having in consideration that people has also the right of going to the doctor, of having issues on the day to day that you just can’t control, some unforeseen events can come up.
—————-
6.According to a Forbes magazine survey done in the UK, being a call center agent is voted the worst job. What is your reaction to this?
If I were a call center owner, and after being aware of this survey, I would change the way of working of my employees, I would come up with some formulas that could motivate my employees, make them happier, and therefore everyone would become more productive. This way my own business would report more benefits, less job rotation and it would be easier to hire people. It would be a win-win.
Welcome to the Phoneenglish blog! Hope this exercise helps you develop your writing skills further.
Take a look at a few sentences you can revise:
* 1st sentence: look at the proper way to form a complex sentence
* 2nd sentence: observe parallelism in a series
Revised version:
With a bit more practice, your skills will surely improve more.