EPISODE 196
LEVEL B1/B2
READING COMPREHENSION
Flexitime
Advantages for employers exist when the employer allows employees to work flexible schedules. Whether the flexible work schedule involves compressing work days, flexible daily hours, or telecommuting, challenges exist for the employer and the employee. Let’s take a look at the advantages for employees that flexible work schedules provide.With flexible work schedules, employees experience these benefits:
Flexibility to meet family needs, personal obligations, and life responsibilities conveniently. If you have a flexible schedule, you can go to a parent-teacher conference during the day, take a yoga class, or be home when the washing machine repair person comes.
Reduced consumption of employee commuting time and fuel costs. In some areas, commutes of more than an hour each way are not uncommon. If these employees are allowed to work from home, that saves two hours of time, gas, and wear and tear on the road. Not to mention, fewer people driving means it’s easier for those people who are commuting.
Avoids traffic and the stresses of commuting during rush hours. You’d be amazed at how much faster a commute can be if you have to be in the office at 10:00 instead of 8:00.
Increased feeling of personal control over schedule and work environment. One reason people like to work for themselves is the control issue. By allowing employees to determine their own schedule and work environment, you appeal to the entrepreneurial spirit—which can be good for your employees.
Reduces employee burnout due to overload. Flexibility means employees can take a break when they need it without incurring the wrath of a boss.
Allows people to work when they accomplish most, feel freshest, and enjoy working. (eg. morning person vs. night person). Many managers feel that early birds are hard workers and night owls are slackers. There’s no evidence that that is the case—it’s simply cultural.
Depending on the flexible work schedule chosen, may decrease external childcare hours and costs. It needs to be clear that for all but a handful of jobs, working from home still requires child care. However, if a couple both have flexible schedules, mom can go into the office at 6:00 a.m. and dad can get the kids ready for school. Mom’s 8-hour day is finished by 2:00 p.m. and she is there to meet the bus by 3 p.m., while Dad starts his workday at 9:30 a.m. The result is two full-time jobs and incomes with no childcare costs.
Adapted from www.thebalance.com
Ex. 1 Find the words or expressions in the text which mean the following:
1) a good point of sth: __________
2) working from a distance: __________
3) comfortably: __________
4) using sth up: __________
5) to talk about sth: __________
6) to manage not to do sth: __________
7) to be under a very big impression of sth: __________
8) a cause for sth: __________
9) to be attractive to sb: ___________
10)to make sth smaller: __________
11)too much work: __________
12)taking care of children: _________
Ex. 2 Match the expressions from the two columns into logical collocations:
1. flexible advantages
2. compressing parent conference
3. daily and tear
4. to provide benefits
5. to experience schedules
6. to meet commuting time
7. a teacher hours
8. employee family needs
9. wear hours
10. rush work days
Ex. 3 Provide English equivalents of these expressions:
1) istnieć
2) pozwolić komuś na coś
3) polegać na czymś
4) wyzwanie
5) zobowiązanie osobiste
6) paliwo
7) zaoszczędzić
8) ruch uliczny
9) środowisko pracy
10)ustalić coś
11)przedsiębiorczy
12)wypalenie zawodowe
Grammar corner…
In the text you found some projections and predictions about the future, more precisely what will happen when a particular time in the future comes. The way to talk about it is called Future Perfect (also Continuous) and it tells us about what WILL HAVE BEEN DONE / HAPPENED at a point in the future or before it. Usually Future Perfect (also Continuous) sentences start like this: by the time I …, I will have finished …, on October 30, I will have been working for this company for 5 years.
Ex. 4 Rewrite the sentences so that the meaning stays the same but you use either
Future Perfect or Future Perfect Continuous.
1) Our tenth wedding anniversary is on June 7, 2017. => We ____________________ for 10 years on June 7, 2017.
2) My report will be done today at 17 p.m. => I ____________________ my report today at 17 p.m.
3) Next week is 30 years since I started running this business. => I ____________________ this business for 30 years next week.
4) If you don’t hurry up, all the best food will be eaten. => They ____________________ all the best food by the time we get there.
5) If ratings continue being so low, the president will hand in his resignation at the end of his term. => With ratings so low, the president ____________________ by the end of his term.
GLOSSARY
an advantage – zaleta
telecommuting – praca zdalna
conveniently – wygodnie
consumption – konsumpcja
to mention sth – wspomnieć o czymś
to avoid sth – unikać czegoś
to be amazed at sth – być czymś zadziwionym
a reason – powód
to appeal to sb – być dla kogoś atrakcyjnym
to reduce sth – zmniejszyć coś
overload – przepracowanie
childcare – opieka nad dzieckiem
flexible schedules – elastyczne harmonogramy
compressing work days kompresowanie dni pracy
daily hours – ilość godzin pracy dziennie
to provide advantages – nieść ze sobą korzyści
to meet family needs – spełniać potrzeby rodziny
a teacher-parent conference – wywiadówka
employee commuting time – czas spędzany przez pracowników na dojazdy do pracy
wear and tear – zużycie / zmęczenie
rush hours godziny szczytu
to exist – istnieć
to allow sb to do sth – pozwolić komuś na coś
to involve doing sth – polegać na czymś
a challenge – wyzwanie
personal obligations – zobowiązania osobiste
fuel – paliwo
to save – zaoszczędzić
traffic – ruch uliczny
work environment – środowisko pracy
to determine sth – ustalić coś
entrepreneurial – przedsiębiorczy
burnout – wypalenie zawodowe
>>Answers
ANSWER KEY:
Ex. 1
1) an advantage
2) telecommuting
3) conveniently
4) consumption
5) to mention sth
6) to avoid sth
7) to be amazed at sth
8) a reason
9) to appeal to sb
10)to reduce sth
11)overload
12)childcare
Ex. 2
1) flexible schedules
2) compressing work days
3) daily hours
4) to provide advantages
5) to experience benefits
6) to meet family needs
7) a teacher-parent conference
8) employee commuting time
9) wear and tear
10)rush hours
Centrum Języków Obcych Archibald poziom B1/B2
Ex. 3
1) to exist
2) to allow sb to do sth
3) to involve doing sth
4) a challenge
5) personal obligations
6) fuel
7) to save
8) traffic
9) work environment
10)to determine sth
11)entrepreneurial
12) burnout
Ex. 4
1) will have been married
2) will have finished
3) will have been running
4) will have eaten
5) will have resigned
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