WORK handout B

THE WORLD OF WORK (B) GLOSSARY take early retirement temporary secondment/ to be on secondment relocation transferable skills update one’s skills a glass ceiling opportunity for advancement corporate culture red tape personal development training job mobility staff turnover clock in and clock out

to work flexi-time; to be on flexi time a pecking-order workmates to talk shop to jobshare; job-sharing hierarchical heavy workload mechanical repetitive monotonous a day/night shift to knock off to be stuck behind a desk stress levels a dead-end job

Job benefits benefits; benefits package allowance; food/fuel allowance; relocation allowance company pension scheme; government pension; personal/private pension expenses; travel/travelling expenses holiday entitlement; be entitled to comprehensive healthcare provision subsidized canteen performance-related bonus scheme

1. Listen to the recording. For questions 1-8, complete the sentences. JOB PROFILE: Nigel Dawson - Firefighter Nigel underwent vocational tests to assess his physical fitness and his 1)_________________________for the job. One of the main attractions of the job is that you work as part of a 2)_________________________ . He also enjoys the fact that the kind of work he does 3)_________________________ from day to day. Nigel complains that although his work is similar to that of a 4)_________________________, his salary is much lower. However, the fire service offers a very good old-age 5)_________________________, as well as excellent 6)_________________________ cover. He keeps up his 7)_________________________ by using the sports facilities and gym. Nigel really enjoys his present position so he is not particularly interested in 8)_________________________ .

2. Watch the videos and answer the questions. 2a. How does Einstein’s theory relate to work? What are the jobs that the speaker mentions? What do they have in common?

2b. What does skiving consist in? What are the possible skiving techniques?

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3. Watch the clips and answer the questions. 3a. What were the pranks about? 3b. Whom is each speaker mocking and why? 4. Compare the two ways of working (freelance and teamwork). Complete the exercises below each box.

Freelance work: the pros and cons  you are not accountable to anyone but yourself  working for a number of employers gives you an insight into different companies  it can be more lucrative, and it’s good not to have to rely solely on one company  working from home makes it easier to juggle work and family responsibilities

 no guaranteed income and no additional financial benefits (e.g. a company pension)  you will encounter quiet periods, a degree of isolation, and perhaps loneliness  work can encroach upon your home life and your free time

Replace the underlined words with a word or phrase from the box above that has a similar meaning. 1. I experienced a few problems. 5. Initially she had to balance a full-time career 2. There is a certain amount of stress. with looking after a family. 3. I was my own boss. 6. There are various advantages and 4. It gave me an understanding of how the disadvantages. company works.

Working in a team: the pros and cons  a common goal is good for morale and fosters team spirit  collaboration and mutual feedback are fulfilling and make people feel valued  pooling diverse skills is generally more productive

 if someone doesn’t fit in, it can be disruptive and can undermine the work of the team  teams can stifle individual enterprise and initiative

Rewrite the sentences replacing the underlined words with appropriate words or phrases from the box above. Keep the meaning the same. 1. He wasn't accepted by the others. 2. She can act on her own. 3. l find the work very rewarding. 4. They did most of it together. 5. They shared the same aim. 6. We think it will promote team spirit. 7. We can collect ideas from different people. 8. They have a lot of respect for each other. Which way of working would you prefer? Why?

He didn't ............................................................................ . She can use ......................................................................... . I find the work very ............................................................. . There was a lot of ................................................................ . They had a ........................................................................... . We think it will ..................................................................... . We can ................................................................................. . They have a lot of ................................................................. .

5. Underline the word which best completes each sentence. 1) I hope you realise, Ms Hines, that if you accept the (job/employment/occupation) you will be expected to put in quite a bit of overtime.

2) After receiving a degree in business management, Lynn realised that her true (profession/trade/vocation) was in teaching, so she returned to university. 3) My sister (works/labours/toils) in a beautiful office doing a job that she loves.

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4) The latest company (duty/task/project) requires that we all work as a team to meet the deadline. 5) The (staff/union/board) has called a general meeting to hear employee complaints. 6) Tom just received a government (raise/award/grant) to continue his work with the city's homeless.

7) They have several (vacancies/occupations/appointments) to fill, but they can't find the right people. 8) When he failed to comply with the managers instructions, he was (removed/dismissed/deposed).

6. Match the verbs with the particles to form phrasal verbs. Use them to complete the sentences on the right.

into across

WORK GET

up off around

1) I just can't seem to get across (communicate) to my boss that he is working me too hard. 2) After a difficult day at the office I like to ...................... ............................ (eliminate) stress by digging in my garden. 3) The owner is terribly busy tomorrow but I'II try to ............................... you ............................... (fit into) her schedule. 4) lf the workers return to their jobs this week, we might manage to ........................................ (overcome) the delays in production. 5) By the end of the incredibly busy day, Fiona had .............. ........................... herself .............................. (cause to be upset) into quite a state.

7. Using expressions from the box, fill in the gaps. meet a deadline stuck behind the desk antisocial day shift shift work/ is a shift worker irregular

glamorous night shift heavy workload stress levels fixed hours knocking off

dead-end jobs teleworker to clock in and clock out glamorous works flexi-time/ is on flexi-time

stuck in a rut freelance/ works freelance monotonous nine-to-five job mechanical

A) Daily work routines Nancy gets to work at about 8.45. She has.................... . She works ....................; she has a ................... . Brett can come in at any time from eight o'clock till ten in the morning; he ................... , but his core hours are 10.00 to 12.00 and 2.00 to 4.00. Archie doesn't go to the office at all. He works from home with his computer; he's a ................... . Beet works different times each week; every third week he works nights; he does ................... . Mick has his own company; he's self-employed and works from home. His wife works for different companies at different times; she's .................... .

B) During the day (different work-patterns) Most of the day I do routine tasks, but occasionally there's a crisis or I have to ..................... At certain times of the year I have a very..................... but at other times it can be quite light.

I start work at my machine at seven o'clock when I'm on the ..................... . The job's very .................... and repetitive. All I ever think about is .................... at three. The shift I hate most is the .................... . I start at ten and work all night till six in the morning. The job’s a bit ................... .

I have a .................... job. I'm a pilot. The hours are .................... and .................... , but I'm not ..................... and there's a lot of variety. The..................... can be quite high when you know people's lives depend on you. I feel sorry for people who are .................... or working in a .................... .

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8. Match items from columns A and B to form IDIOMS. A B beaver away to the grindstone keep one’s mind ends meet mean the shots make one's hands get something off inside job be someone’s on the job call at something have time on business keep one’s nose right—hand man be an the ground

9. Match the FIXED PHRASES with their meanings. A 1) on the verge of 2) on offer 3) on the basis of 4) on the dole 5) on the level 6) on hold 7) on a roll 8) on and on 9) on and off 10) on demand

10. Use some of the IDIOMS, in their correct form, to complete the sentences below. 1) It's going to take lots of hard work to ....................... the business ……………………, but in the long run I feel it will be worth it. 2) Of course, his personal assistant will be with him; he ………………………… the president’s ………………… 3) James, you’ve been ……………………………… at that report for the last hour. Come down and have your supper. 4) its very difhcult to .................................... with all these ciients coming and going. 5) She might be the boss, but don't be fooled. It's really the vice-president who ..................................around here. 6) With the economy in such a state, many businesses are finding it impossibie to ……………………………….. .

B a) intermittently b) receiving unemployment benefit c) about to do/happen d) available e) honest f) waiting g) continuously h) due to i) winning j) when needed

11. Now, use appropriate FIXED PHRASES to fill in the gaps in the sentences. 1) I've done a lot of research on that company and it appears that they are ............................... . 2) Poor Pam! She was .......................... tears after being unfairly dismissed. 3) ....................... your past performance here at Lloyds, we've decided to give you a promotion. 4) After the steelworks closed down last year, half the men in the town were forced to go ............................... . 5) The plant manager went ………………………. for what seemed like hours about the falling productivity rate.

12. Read the text and choose the answer that best fits each gap. A few years ago, it looked as though Rich DeVos would not 0) .... B .... to see another year. The 1) .......... were stacked heavily against the 70-year-old businessman and entrepreneur. With a failing heart following a stroke, his only hope was to have a heart transplant. DeVos’ life story is 2) .......... in his new book, Hope From My Heart: Ten Lessons for Life. Really, it is a primer of ‘practical 3) ..........’ DeVos acquired during his rise to fame and 4) .......... as co-founder of the very prosperous, Amway Corporation. The ten lessons in the book are 5).......... , among other things, ‘Hope’, ‘Persistence’, and ‘Respect’ — each 6) .......... (sometimes humorously) by incidents from his own experience. Some of DeVos’s most profound 7) .......... are found in the lesson on respect. The ‘hero’ in this chapter is a rubbish collector whom the business leader met one summer. ‘He was fantastic at his 8) .......... ,’ DeVos writes. ‘You could set your 9) .......... by him. He worked quietly and discreetly, a meticulous man who made a physically 10) .......... job look easy.’ When DeVos went out one morning to tell him he 11) .......... the job he was doing, the man told him that in 12 years of hauling garbage, no one had ever said a 12) ....,..... word to him, including his boss. 0 A stay B live C survive D exist 1 A chances B odds C risks D stakes 2 A recited B recounted C repeated D related 3 A advice B sense C logic D wisdom 4 A wealth B riches C fortune D power 5 A named B dubbed C labelled D entitled 6 A drawn B illustrated C sketched D demonstrated 7 A insights B visions C views D notions 8 A task B chore C job D duty 9 A watch B meter C gauge D clock 10 A difficult B tough C demanding D trying 11 A appreciated B valued C admired D respected 12 A kind B generous C pleasant D sweet

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13. Read the text and complete the gaps . Use only ONE word in each gap. YOUR FUTURE Each and 0) ..every.. young person must stop and ask 1) ……………….. one very basic question - 'What can I do with my life?' This all-important query can be looked 2)………………. in two different ways. Firstly, you can see it as one of the most challenging questions you will 3) ………………. have to ask yourself. Or, ………………. you're committed to exploring all the options, asking it can start you on the road to a fulfilling career. Sometimes it's easier if you 5) ………………. the big question down into a few smaller ones. For example, 'How 6) ………………. time can I devote to achieving my goals?' or '7) ………………. kind of qualifications will I need to acquire?' But one of the most significant 8) ………………., 'What are my interests and strengths?' When you start to consider these, it 9) ………………. sense to consider your interests first. 10)………………. all, a successful career is best measured in 11)………………. satisfying you find it, and it's easier to develop strengths and skills 12) ……………… to actually have to learn to find something interesting. You've probably thought a lot about your likes and dislikes. But the more clearly you define your interests, 13)………………. closer you'll be to making smart career choices. You may find 14)………………. you hadn't recognised that a lot of your experiences up to now indicate particular interests that could be linked to specific careers. If you're still in school, your school's guidance counsellors will also chat with you about your interests and strenghts, and will be 15) ……………… to recommend tests or other resources.

14. Read the text. Use the words in BOLD CAPITALS to build words which fit the gaps. You must change the form of the words. Skills shortage is getting worse It's tough finding staff with science and technology skills, and as the recovery sets in, it's going to get even harder, researchers are told. 1 (EMPLOY)………………………. fear they will be unable recruit students with the skills they need as the 2 (ECONOMY)………………………. recovery kicks in, a new survey reveals. Nearly half of organisations told researchers they were already struggling to find staff with skills in science, technology, 3 (ENGINEER)………………………. and maths (Stem), while even more companies expect to experience 4 (SHORT)………………………. of employees with Stem skills in the next three years. The 5(CONFEDERATE)………………………. of British Industry and the 6(VOCATION)………………………. qualifications body EDI surveyed 694 organisations across the public and private sectors, which together employ 2.4 million people. Half are 7 (CONCERN)………………………. they will not be able to fill graduate posts in the coming years, while a third said they would not be able to 8 (RECRUITMENT)………………………. enough employees with the right A-level skills. "As we move further into 9 (RECOVER)………………………. and businesses plan for growth, the demand for people with high-quality skills and qualifications will 10 (INTENSE)……………………….," said Richard Lambert, director general, CBI. "In the future, people with qualifications in science and maths will be 11 (PARTICULAR)………………………. sought after, and firms say it is already hard to find people with the right technical or engineering skills. The new 12 (GOVERN)………………………. must make encouraging more young people to study science-related subjects a top 13 (PRIORITISE)………………………. ."

Two-thirds of 14 RESPOND)………………………. want the new government to do more to promote science and maths in schools, half said funding for Stem subjects in 15 (HIGH) ………………………. education should be protected, and 42% want 16 (CAPABILITY)………………………. pupils to study all three science subjects as separate GCSEs. Asked what their top priority was, the 17 (MAJOR) ……………………….of respondents said they wanted the government to ensure all young people leave university and school with the skills they need to 18 (SUCCESS)………………………. at work. Two thirds said the government should focus on basic 19 (LITERATE)………………………. and 20 (NUMERATE)………………………., 42% wanted more high quality vocational options for students and 46% said 21 (RAISE)………………………. overall education standards should be a priority. The survey found that young people would improve their job prospects if they studied business studies, maths, English and physics or chemistry at A-level. The A-levels that employers rate 22 (LESS)………………………. are psychology and sociology. And while many employers don't insist on a particular degree subject, a third prefer to hire those with a Stem-23 (RELATION)………………………. subject. 24 (START)………………………. salaries for science and engineering graduates are among the 25 (HIGH)………………………., with only graduate managers and lawyers earning more in their first job. New engineering graduates earn on average £22,000 and new science graduates £21,000 – more than those entering finance, IT, sales or human resources. Graduate employement organisations said salaries

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26 (NEED)………………………. to be higher still. "We need to make the careers that require Stem backgrounds much more 27 (ATTRACT),………………………." said Mike Hill, chief 28 (EXECUTE)………………………. of Graduate Prospects. "How can engineering firms 29 (COMPETITION)………………………. against the salaries on offer at law and city firms?" The research highlighted 30 (WORRIED) ………………………. about the lack of progress in improving basic skills in the UK workforce. Half of employers expressed worries about

employees' basic literacy and numeracy skills, while the biggest problem is with IT skills, where two-thirds 31 (REPORTER)………………………. concerns. Despite the 32 (DOWN) ………………………., 72% of employers plan to maintain or increase 33 (SPEND)………………………. on training and only 28% plan to cut training budgets. In the past year, 18% of organisations have provided 34 (REMEDY)………………………. literacy and numeracy training for school- 35 (LEAVING)………………………., and 22% IT training.

15. Read the article and complete the exercises below. By Dan Kadlec

Going Back to Work? Look for Companies Offering a ‘Returnship’

A thriving industry has sprung up around people 40plus going back to work or switching careers. The newest wrinkle is something called a “returnship,” which is practiced at a handful of leading companies including Goldman Sachs and Sara Lee. The term is a play on “internship” and has been trademarked by Goldman, a pioneer that began its program in 2008. Through returnship programs, mature workers who have been out of the game for more than two years get the chance to prove their value. Returnships were designed with women in mind, as a means for bringing mothers back into the workforce after raising children. But men are eligible too. Candidates are invited to a trial period lasting a period of weeks or months. Like college-aged interns, they may earn little or no pay but get the chance to prove they have what it takes to be hired full-time. It’s a great deal for employers. As Carol Fishman Cohen writes in Harvard Business Review: “Returning professionals offer enlightened employers a rare opportunity: They allow them to hire people who have a level of maturity and experience not found in younger recruits and who are at a life stage where parental leaves and spousal job relocations are most likely behind them. In short, these applicants are an excellent investment. Using a returnship program as a screening tool lets employers skim the top talent from this pool and then make ultimate hiring decisions on the basis of meaningful work samples.” Working cheap or for free may not hold much appeal to folks who know they have a lot to offer. But after a years-long hiatus, this kind of tryout may be your best

shot at landing a great job. One program in the UK hires 96% of participants. When Goldman launched its program, six of 11 participants landed full-time jobs. Cohen is a co-founder of the return-to-work website irelaunch, which has published dozens of returnship testimonials. Most are from women who had real careers before leaving to raise children. After viewing a sampling, it seems to me that many of these women kept their hands in the workplace as consultants or parttimers, or at least kept up with their contacts, during the child-rearing years. That gave them an edge. Many have returned to work as freelancers or in a different or lesser role. But there are more traditional successes too. As detailed in HBR, Kathy Bayert, 42, had been away from work for five years when Sara Lee hired her as a senior manager after a six-month paid assignment. The concept of a returnship is similar to what’s become known as an encore career, geared at 50-plus workers looking for a change of pace or bridge job to retirement. Encore careers are championed by AARP and other organizations like Encore.org, which also highlight the value of experience and maturity. Perhaps these groups should encourage big employers to start a formal “Encoreship” program geared at older workers. Encore careers have drawbacks and may also require volunteer stints before landing the job you really want. Of 9 million Americans in an encore career about one in four report earning no money. Still, in a tough job market and at a time when many must work longer than they had figured, any program that opens a door has to be seen as a plus.

In the article find synonyms of the following words references – a working period –

final – to emphasize –

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flourishing – able, allowed to do sth – to start – to get (when it was difficult to get) – suitable for – a task – people (inf) – a trailblazer –

to think (inf) – sensible – staff – to defend – a pause, break – a trainee – to appear (suddenly) – a trial –

What does a “returnship” consist in? What is it similar to? Has it been successful? 16. Read the text and explain the words in bold. Homeworking is so much tougher than office life Think office life is hard? Just try staying at home Research from the University of Texas says that people who work from home work at least seven hours a week longer than those in offices and workplaces. Homeworkers are much less likely to stick rigidly to a 40-hour week. They are also much more sexually attractive than office workers. I may have made that last bit up. The findings could only be a surprise to people who don't work from home. Seasoned homeworkers already know they are hard-working, ultraprofessional, focused self-starters, who just happen to be widely dismissed as indolent, flaky lonerweirdos. That's fine – we understand. You bitter office-bound drones have got to have something to bitch about during your three-hour commutes, when you're not fuming in traffic jams or sobbing onto your Kindle Fire on packed trains. Admittedly, it was a blow when Boris Johnson labelled homeworkers "skivers". (Oh, the irony.) But homeworkers can take the flak. In fact, homeworkers can cope with most things (mockery, long hours, work avalanches, the ever-blurring home-work divide). Anything – except working in a workplace, or having to regularly brush our hair. What's wrong with being a misanthropic freak who can't concentrate when other people are breathing? Admittedly, there are downsides to homeworking. The outfits get a bit weird (standards slip). Then there is the startled reaction to phones ringing ("What do they want, and how can I stop them wanting it?"). One man impersonates my wary, questioning "pick-up" voice, in a way that brings to mind a quavering old lady who's just had a nasty fall. Then there is the pathetic overexcitement, verging on neediness, when one encounters other adults in the workplace, especially when alcohol's involved. Suffice to say that there have been times when I've not been my best self. It seems that just as some people don't have the discipline to work from home, people like me don't have the discipline to work in offices. Is this the hidden

benefit of working from home? You can hide. People won't find out the terrible dysfunctional truth about you (Thank God!). Joking apart, another benefit of being a modern full- or part-time homeworker is that, suddenly, we're absolutely everywhere. With the ever-increasing numbers of homeworkers, things are starting to get interesting, and not just economically. In the British mind-set, there's long been this notion that real work only happens outside the home. Moreover, that any work undertaken in the home was just messing around. Housewives always had to deal with this galling prejudice but, with the rise of homeworking, suddenly proper workers, actual professionals, had to as well. Maybe this is why they've evolved into such a hardworking breed, not to mention conscientious, maybe to the point of paranoia. Which is why I felt just a little sad reading the Texan findings. What do they prove except that homeworkers have found their own version of the workplace disease, presenteeism? The desire to prove themselves, torture themselves, outperform others, all of which is crazy enough in the workplace, but verging on insane when you work alone. Just as a lonely, oversensitive child might have an imaginary friend, are some homeworkers dreaming up imaginary co-workers to compete against? If so, they might be missing out on the delicious mental freedom of working from home. Homeworkers should be aware that, while they don't have colleagues to nag them into working, they also don't have anybody to tell them to stop. That's my message to homeworkers. We always knew we worked. But now it seems we might be working too hard, fashioning our own brand of presenteeism. If this carries on, we may as well start commuting or brushing our hair. The only alternative would be become one of those people who sit in cafes, self-importantly tapping away on "projects". And everyone knows they don't actually do anything. By Barbara Ellen

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17. Read the article and answer the questions Young Polish mothers create jobs to suit themselves New mothers frustrated with long hours and office culture find opportunities from child-friendly cafes to telemarketing training If the state or private sector won't give you a job, We asked a designer friend of ours to propose some create one yourself. That is increasingly the experience patterns and consulted each of them with a of Polish mothers after giving birth. "Establishing my psychologist. Our products are meant for healthy own firm was like a breath of fresh air," said Malwina kids and those with sight problems." Kazimierczak. "I knew from my own experiences what young mothers needed: going out of the house, contact Anna Dobrzycka went back to work part-time in PR with people. I worked in a corporation in the hotel after her first child was born. "I wasn't satisfied and industry. Eighteen months after my daughter's birth, I neither were my clients. After deciding to have a went back to my job. But the atmosphere was terrible. second child, I felt it was time to start something on From the beginning I had to prove that I could do my my own." job, that I even still wanted to work." Kazimierczak and her boyfriend opened a cafe for mothers with young children: Fiku Miku Cafe. "We invested all our savings and took out loans. An architect friend designed the interior: the first room for kids, the second one for mums. "We started organising lessons to prepare children for pre-school. And that's how it took off," she said. "Mothers visiting us proposed more and more lesson activities for kids: music, exercise and language classes. My daughter, Mika, attends all the lessons and tells me if they were cool. We dream of opening another place, this time not for kids." Julia Bakowska also found the new world of parenting opened her eyes. "I heard that black and white objects stimulate the development of a small child. I looked around shops for kids: everything was in pink or blue. Something must be done about this, I thought to myself.." Bakowska studied political science and worked in sales, but had fallen out of love with 12-hour days. With her friend Patrycja Szymichowska, she developed a range of black and white products. Orders came flooding in. "A newborn baby sees only black-white contrasts. Black and white objects stimulate his brain and develop him. He can start seeing colours somewhere in his fourth month, first red, then yellow and green.

She opened an online furniture shop for people "who don't want Ikea" but cannot afford expensive brands. "The online shop started growing fast. There were situations when I would be breastfeeding and strangers would be knocking at my door saying they were visiting the shop. They had found the address of our firm and wanted to see the furniture. We soon had to open a traditional shop. I care a lot about my business, it's like my third child. Thanks to it, as of 4pm, I can devote all my time to my kids." Ola Szałek worked in PR but lost her job after her second maternity leave. She started writing a blog on flexible working. "After two years the blog turned into my own online service, pracujflexi.pl, and from it flexi-mamy. We organise trainings for mums. Girls who want to start businesses and are looking for an idea, or who need information regarding PR or telemarketing. "A flexi community is being created – mums who want to work and raise kids." Szałek says she likes to flexiwork and feels as productive as ever. "I write books and do many things because work doesn't bore me. And when it starts to, I look for something else to do." Monika Redzisz in Warsaw Gazeta Wyborcza

What are key points of the text? Which of those ideas of setting up a company appeals to you most (if any)? Why? Are more women going to follow suit?

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