Warm-up |
The Workday

• What is the focus on the workday of each article?

Warm-up |
The Workday

• Do you believe the traditional 9-to-5 workday is outdated? Why or why not?

• Have you ever felt less productive the longer your workday went on? What caused it?

  • Are you able to disconnect from work at the end of the day?

  • Should employers obliging workers to work full-time by paying low salaries be responsible for their employees' mental health?

• If you could design your ideal work schedule, what would it look like?

  • Would you accept a 20% pay cut in exchange for a four-day workweek?

  • Should all salaries be based on output or importance in society, rather than time? How would that be measured?

  • If everyone worked fewer hours, would innovation slow down?

  • How important is flexibility and skill in your job versus total hours worked?

• Which is most likely the cause of feeling overworked: unrealistic expectations or poor time management?

Listening |
The Workday

• Radio programmes discusses  recent trends in work habits.

Listening |
The Workday

• Radio programmes discusses  recent trends in work habits.

Listening |
Part 2

• HR Manager Martha comments on the research

Reaction |
Work hours

• How long do you normally tend to study or work without taking a break? Do you think the suggested ratio would improve your productivity?

• How do you think working conditions have changed since your parents or grandparents were working?

Warm-up | Tips for a Better Work-Life Balance

• Do you believe ideas like the 4-day work week would be beneficial for employees?

  • How feasible would it be to implement in your industry / company? Would there be resistance?

  • Would you rather work 3 intense 11-hour days or 5 easy-going 6.5-hour days?

  • As an employee, if your work hours stayed the same over fewer days, would you be happy to take a pay-cut?

• "Quiet quitting" refers to employees doing only what they are paid for, and not lifting a finger more.

  • Is this a normal attitude from employees or a symptom of a new generation of workers who are lazy and don't respect their employers?

  • Is it OK to expect employees to be flexible and help with tasks outside of their contract, or to go above and beyond? Where can the line be drawn?

    • When a client or employer comes to you with extra tasks to complete, do you ever refuse?

  • You pay an employee by the hour. They complete their work in half the time allocated. Can they leave early or do you they owe you those hours?

Pre-reading | Company Red Flags? Green Flags?

• The company schedules meetings during lunchtime. They're unpaid, but food is provided.

• “We’re like a family here—we help each other, no matter what.”  When work gets tough, we provide a supportive environment and may stay late to pull together and get the job done, or cover shifts.

• The company has regular social activities planned, including week-end team-building events. They are, of course, optional.

• There's no formal job description, but a general outline of expectations. You can focus on what needs to be done by your best judgement, and not be micromanaged.

• Employees are encouraged to go the extra mile, and training is provided to help them grow professionally.

• The company offers regular yoga and mindfulness workshops, as well as an in-work therapist for all employees, to care for its employees and counter work stress.

• Your contract doesn't define fixed hours so you can negotiate with HR on a weekly basis. It potentially means you can fit work around your family, take more time off and work fewer hours when business is quiet.

Reading

Grammar | Simple, Perfect and Continuous forms

Grammar | Simple, Perfect and Continuous forms

Grammar | Simple, Perfect and Continuous forms

Grammar | Simple, Perfect and Continuous forms

• Making conversation: Respond with a follow-up question. Attempt to keep the conversation going in a social situation!

Vocabulary | Acronyms & Initialisms

Vocabulary | Acronyms & Initialisms on Social Media

1. LOL – Laugh Out L_______
2. OMG – Oh My G_______
3. BRB – Be Right B_______
4. IDK – I Don’t K_______
5. IDC – I Don’t C_______
6. TBH – To Be H_______
7. BTW – By The W_______
8. ILY – I Love Y_______
9. SMH – Shaking My H_______
10. DM – Direct M_______
11. NSFW – Not S_____ For W_______ (Don't open the page; it's NSFW!)
12. YOLO – You Only Live O_______
13. TTYL – Talk To You L_______
14. NVM – Never M_______
15. TMI – Too Much I_______
16. FOMO – Fear Of Missing O_______
17. GTG – Got To G_______
18. ROFL – Rolling On the Floor L_______
19. AFAIK – As Far As I K_______
20. IMHO – In My Humble O_______
21. ICYMI – In Case You Missed I_______
22. FTW – For The W_______
23. BFF – Best Friends F_______
24. OMW – On My W_______
25. RN – Right N_______

1. AFK – Away From K_______
2. LMAO – Laughing My A_______ O_______
3. BTS – Behind The S_______
4. GRWM – Get Ready With M_______
5. OOTD – Outfit Of The D_______
6. CEO – Chief Executive O_______ (used playfully, "I’m the CEO of having great style!")
7. IRL - In Real L_____
8. ICYDK – In Case You Didn’t K_______
9. TL;DR – Too Long; Didn’t R_______
10. RN – Right N_______
11. WYD – What You D_______
12. IKR – I Know R_______
13. JK – Just K_______
14. FYI – For Your I_______
15. WTF – What The F_______
16. AKA – Also Known A_______
17. TBA – To Be A_______
18. TIA – Thanks In A_______
19. BAE – Before Anyone E_______
20. SFW – Safe For W_______
21. TLDR – Too Long Didn’t R_______
22. DM - D______ M_______
23. GOAT - G_______ O____ A______ T______ ("He's the GOAT!")