Tag: workplace

The End of the Spanish Siesta

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Siesta. It can’t get more Spanish than that. If sushi is to Japan, then siesta is to Spain. Although part of the Spanish culture, a radical proposal to end the practice has been raised.

Read the article to know more about schedule change.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35995972

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is taking a siesta necessary in the workplace?
  2. How do you feel about the proposal in the article?
  3. What is your opinion on lessening the working hours for Spanish workers?
  4. How would you describe an ideal working schedule?

Corporate Team Building

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Team building activities are a great way to foster and encourage teamwork. With activities designed specifically to address workplace issues, corporate team buildings can prove to be beneficial.

Listen to the podcast below and try to express your thoughts about corporate team building.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-160310

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about corporate team building activities?
  2. What is your idea of an effective corporate team building?
  3. Talk about a memorable team building event you’ve ever had.
  4. How is group unity/teamwork encouraged in your company?
  5. Mary Kay Ash said, “People are definitely a company’s greatest asset.“. Share your thoughts on this.

A Toxic Workplace

B1 – Intermediate

If you find yourself  saying  that you love your job but that it’s killing you, or that your social life is dead, then you’re probably in a toxic workplace. You might want to re-examine  what is really going on at work, and why  you are having these feelings towards your employment.

Read the article below to know what a toxic workplace looks like and how you can deal with stressful situations at the office.

According to a recent article, Amazon’s work environment is toxic. To start, employees complain about pressure, stress, and job insecurity. They work past midnight, receive complaints if too slow to respond to emails, argue during meetings, and betray colleagues.

More than one hundred former employees gave information for the article. They told stories about grown men crying after meetings. And each month, the employees with the lowest performance ratings are fired.

The result is an extremely competitive environment. It has been called “rank and yank,” which means employees are ranked and the least productive members are fired. Such a system creates distrust, and goes against all of the ideas of good management practices. After all, if colleagues are likely to stab you in the back, no one values teamwork or knowledge sharing.

Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, quickly responded to the article. He explained that the environment at his company is friendly but intense. People work hard, and he couldn’t recognize the toxic environment in the article. In fact, it would be hard for any tech company to survive with these kinds of policies. He wrapped up his response by stating that these management practices are untrue and unacceptable.

Source: headsupenglish.com

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think the negative article about Amazon is true?
2. If the article were true, why would anyone want to work in such an environment?
3. Would you want to work at a company like Amazon? Why/not?
4. What is the best place you have ever worked at? How about the worst place? Why?
5. What are some ideas and practices to maximize employee productivity?

Office Workers Head to Relaxation Parlours

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B2 – Upper intermediate

South Korean employees are finding ways to get energized and catch up on some sleep.

Read the article below to know more details about the issue. Be ready to express your thoughts.

South Korea: Office workers head to relaxation parlours

Discuss:

1. What do you think of the idea of relaxation parlours?
2. Are there rooms in your office where you can take a power nap or a short break?
3. Would you say that people in your country work long hours?
4. What are the long term consequences of working very long hours?

Sweden Shifting to 6-Hour Work Day

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Based on studies, employees who work for about 10-11 hours per day have a higher tendency to suffer a stroke. This is just one of the negative effects of working for hours on end.

Let’s find out more about the reasons why Sweden decides to shrink its workers’ working hours on this Science Alert news story.

https://www.sciencealert.com/sweden-is-shifting-to-a-6-hour-workday

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the benefits and drawbacks of working shorter hours?
2. Do you agree with the benefits mentioned in this article?
3. What do you think about Sweden’s decision to make work shifts shorter?
4. What is your ideal work hours/schedule?

Exhaustion Not a Status Symbol

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C1 – Advanced

Getting tired and working too hard is now being equated to productiveness. And there is a growing sense of pride in being too busy to do anything else but work. Should this be the case? Is this the better choice?

Read the following article and express your thoughts about it.

Exhaustion is not a status symbol

Discuss:

1. What is Professor Brown’s attitude toward work?
2. Does she think it’s possible to achieve work-life balance? What do you think?
3. With the range of office technology available to workers, are we truly able to do more with less?
4. Why does Brown think giving five minutes of feedback spells a difference in today’s office culture?
5. If you had full control over your schedule, what changes would you make? What items in your timetable would you prioritize?