Tag: work

Four-Day Workweek’s Overwhelming Success

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Throughout the years, governments and employers have been spending loads of effort to improve employees’ work-life balance.

One of the ideas is the four-day workweek that has been around for years even before the pandemic started. It is in which workers work fewer numbers of hours or days while still being paid the same amount. This concept is starting to gain international attention. In fact, some countries have started experimenting with it, one of which is Iceland.

Click the article and read how the four-day workweek experiment turned out in Iceland.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57724779

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction and thoughts on this news? What does it mean for all workers around the world?
  2. How did the four-day workweek experiment turn out in Iceland?
  3. Do you think a four-day workweek at your office would affect your productivity?
  4. What are some effects of a good work-life balance?
  5. Do you think a four-day workweek will become the norm in the future? Why or why not?

Career Search

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Assigning a job as “male” or “female” hurts both genders. It lessens the chances of the excluded gender to be considered in the same position regardless of how highly-qualified the person is. There are jobs that are gender-stereotyped such as firefighters, hairdressers, nurses etc. Fortunately, gender lines are blurring in the recent years.

Listen to the audio about career search.

Career Search

Discussion Questions:

  1. What career does the woman want to pursue? How about her boyfriend?
  2. What’s Ryan’s opinion on their career choices?
  3. Do you agree that some jobs are gender-specific? If so, give examples.
  4. How did you decide on your chosen career?
  5. How easy/difficult was it for you to establish yourself in your chose field? Share your experience/s.

The Crazy Starbucks Order

B2 – Upper Intermediate

You are a regular at this cafe. All you want is your customized drink from your favorite cafe. So you order it. 

You are a barista at this coffee shop. All you want is to come in to work and have a normal day.

Watch the video and see the story of the 13-ingredient order at Starbucks that got a barista fired from his job. Be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of the barista posting something like that?
  2. What are your thoughts on getting fired for your social media posts about things related to work?
  3. What do you think about the customer’s order and stand that his order is okay as long as he tips generously?
  4. What are usual reasons people would want to quit their jobs?
  5. At restaurants or cafes, what kind of customer are you?

Professionals Want To Go Back To the Office

B2 – Upper Intermediate

COVID-19 has lead to more and more employees working from home. 98% of people surveyed said they would like the option to work remotely for the rest of their careers. With workers finding some challenges in this new work setup, not everything is positive.

Let’s read the article to find out what these 6 professionals shared about their experiences working from home and why they want to go back to working in the office again.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/return-to-office-work_l_60818168e4b01e14f06eb30a

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are you currently working from home? What’s your daily routine like for working?
  2. What’s your biggest struggle with working remotely?
  3. How can companies with remote workforce benefit from implementing flexible/remote working?
  4. What do you do when taking breaks and to recharge throughout the day?
  5. Are remote workers happier than office employees? Explain your point.

Payday Loans

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Life is tough and it is even tougher for people who are short of cash.

Payday loans are a form of cash advance to help people cover their expenses until their next paycheck comes in. For some, it is an easy way to have a temporary solution to their money problems.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about payday loans.

Payday loans

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the idiom “Give it to me straight.” mean? “What do you mean complicated? Give it to me straight. Where did you get a loan?” Use it in your own sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.
  2. What does “to run someone dry” mean? “Exactly, because they can run you dry.” Use it in your own sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.
  3. What does “quicksand” mean here? “And then people like you get locked into a vicious loan cycle that is almost impossible to escape. Like quicksand.” Use it in your own sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you react/feel when someone tries to borrow money from you?
  2. Are payday loans a help to people or not? Explain your thoughts about it.
  3. Are payday loans common in your country? What is your opinion about their high interest rates?

How Vulnerability Makes You a Better Leader

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Being a good leader doesn’t always mean appearing bold and strong. Sometimes, being a good leader means letting your team know the struggles and business strifes and not being afraid to ask them for a solution.

Watch this video and be inspired by this amazing woman who is not afraid to embrace her womanhood while vying to get funding for her company.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about your thoughts on Tracy Young’s story.
  2. What are the qualities of a good leader?
  3. Do you think leaders who aren’t afraid to show their vulnerability would gain the same level of respect from their colleagues than those who always appear to be perfect? Why or why not?
  4. Describe the leader that you admire and how has he/she influenced you?
  5. Do you think gender is still an issue in the world of business? Share an experience when you felt like there’s an inequality in your workplace.
  6. Do you think people trust men more than women when it comes to making decisions for the company? Why do you think that is the case?

Your Space Shapes Your View of Remote Work

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Working from home is big news. During the COVID-19 pandemic, those lucky enough to have avoided layoff are more likely than ever to be adapting to a working environment that is familiar and alien at the same time.

When working from home, there are some factors we need to take into consideration. The size and location of our space – as well as whom we share it with – play a significant role in determining how well we are able to work remotely during the pandemic. 

Read the article below to find out more about how our workspace affects how we telework.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210218-how-your-space-shapes-the-way-you-view-remote-work

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you feel about working from home?
  2. What makes a good workspace?
  3. Describe your workspace at home.
  4. Are you less productive, equally productive, or more productive than when working in the office?
  5. What is the most challenging thing about working from home?
  6. How do you create a productive workspace in your house?

European Space Agency to Recruit Females and Disabled Astronauts

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A lot of little boys dream of becoming astronauts. It is quite rare to hear little girls express interest in goign into space. But perhaps it’s time to change this. Let the dream of becoming an astronaut more accessible to everyone. 

To date, NASA’s European counterpart The European Space Agency has only commissioned two women to go into space. This year, they want to fix the imbalance and achieve diversity.

Read the article and watch the video about ESA’s plans to recruit more women and disabled people.

https://www.euronews.com/2021/02/16/european-space-agency-in-bid-to-recruit-more-female-and-disabled-astronauts

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are thoughts on/reaction to this: “Only 65 of the more than 560 people who have ever gone into space have been women.”?
  2. What do you think about ESA’s goal to recruit more women astronauts?
  3. Is there diversity in your workplace? Elaborate.
  4. How is diversity achieved in your workplace?

Paperless Office

B2 – Upper Intermediate

New technological advances have given us the tools to transition a paperless office. Going paperless has a positive impact on your budget, business efficiency, and brand positioning.

Let’s read some steps on how to go paperless in your small business.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2013/04/19/5-steps-to-a-nearly-paperless-office/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the pros and cons of a paperless office?
  2. Has your company/office transitioned to a fully paperless already? Talk about the transition.
  3. Do you think companies should go totally paperless now? Why or why not?
  4. Do you agree that paper-based document management and business dealings are expensive and inefficient? Why?
  5. How can we manage and organize digital files in our office?

Why CEOs Make So Much Money

B2 – Upper Intermediate

An Economic Policy Institute analysis showed that on average, high-ranking executives of some of the largest US companies earned around $21 m a year. 

Despite a looming global economic recession, it appears that the salaries of CEOs continue to get bigger and bigger. This will most likely intensify the scrutiny of pay inequality.

Read this article to find out why CEOs make so much and if it has always been the case.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210125-why-ceos-make-so-much-money

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the responsibilities of a CEO?
  2. Why should they be paid a lot? Is this fair?
  3. Would you like to become the CEO of a company one day? If so, what kind of top boss would you be like?  If not, for what reasons?
  4. Do you agree or disagree that CEOs are the most important factor of success of a company hence, they should be paid the highest?
  5. What do you know about the CEO of your company?