V семестр, Иностранный язык. Часть 2. Для всех направлений. Для всех профилей.
Market Leader Upper- Intermediate Extra.
Unit 5. Job satisfaction.
Additional material
Flexibility
Before you read
Would it be possible to do your job, or one you would like to have, in four days a week? Why? / Why not?
Read this article from the Financial Times by Alison Maitland and do the exercises that follow.
A different way of working
Alison Maitland
Lee Summersgill was initially concerned when he heard that his employer, KPMG, the professional services
firm, wanted staff to volunteer for a four-day week to help minimise job cuts in the recession. The news
coincided with the birth of his daughter in January last year, and he was worried about a reduction in hours
and pay. Then he considered the benefits of a change to his working week so that he could share the
childcare with his partner, a health visitor. Now he puts away his Black-Berry every Thursday night and
spends Friday with his two young children. “I’ve been doing it for a year and it’s worked really well,” says
Mr Summersgill, who advises clients on housing projects. “You have to be really disciplined and try to fit
everything into four days. I think it makes you more loyal. Would any other firm have the same level of
flexibility and understanding? In the market I’m in, I don’t think that would be there.” Mr Summersgill’s
experience illustrates two growing trends: fathers wanting greater flexibility to accommodate family life, and
employers using flexibility to keep employees motivated, improve productivity and avoid large-scale job
cuts.
Business leaders around the world have remained concerned about retaining good people, even in the depths
of recession. A global survey by Hay Group, a consultancy, concluded: “While employees fear losing their
jobs, organisations fear the loss of top talent and critical skills.” Amid signs of economic recovery, but with
cost constraints continuing, employers are looking at alternatives to financial incentives. Offering employees
greater control over working time and location is one such option.
KPMG, for example, is examining new approaches, after the success of its “Flexible Futures” programme in
signing up employees for taking a year off or working reduced weeks. Roughly 85 per cent of the 10,000 UK
staff volunteered at the start of last year. Approximately 800 people moved temporarily to four-day weeks.
The firm saved £4m last year, or the equivalent of 100 full-time jobs, says Michelle Quest, UK head of
people. When the programme was relaunched for this year, 71 per cent volunteered. “One of the softer
benefits is moving the whole idea of flexible working up the agenda for everybody,” says Ms Quest. The
firm is now considering more active promotion of job sharing, because this type of arrangement provides all-
week cover for clients.
1. Which alternative could be used to replace the expression in italics so as to keep the same meaning?
1 Lee Summersgill was initially concerned … 4 The news coincided with the birth of his daughter
a) interested b) worried c) reassured in January last year, …
2 … when he heard that his employer … wanted a) came at the same time as b) came after
staff to volunteer for a four-day week … c) came before
a) offer to agree to b) refuse 5 … Then he considered the benefits of a change
c) offer to discuss to his working week …
3 … to help minimise job cuts in the recession. a) aspects b) advantages c) downsides
a) increase the number of 6 … so that he could share the childcare with his
b) reduce the psychological effect of partner, a health visitor.
c) reduce as much as possible the number of a) schooling b) childminding c) healthcare
2. Answer these questions with one word nouns, or nouns related to verbs.
Have Lee Summersgill’s new working d) been criticised by KPMG?
arrangements – No, they have shown a high level of _______ in
a) increased his feelings of wanting to do his best relation to his personal situation.
for his employer? e) shown that KPMG understands the needs of
– Yes, they’ve increased his _______ and _______. families and is willing to help them?
b) made him work in a more organised way, keep – Yes, they’ve shown a high degree of _______
to deadlines and so on? f ) and those of other KPMG employees shown that
– Yes, they’ve increased his sense of their output is less than before?
________about work. – No, their _________ actually increases.
c) shown that KPMG is willing to allow people to
work in different ways?
– Yes, they’ve shown that they believe in job
_______
3. Match the two parts of these expressions.
1 top skills
2 critical constraints
3 economic incentives
4 cost talent
5 financial survey
6 global recovery
7 active promotion
8 all-week sharing
9 job cover
4. Which of the expressions above is each of these things an example of?
a) Growth this year is 4 per cent – last year it was minus 1 per cent.
b) Without people like these, the company would go out of business.
c) The best and the brightest people in the organisation.
d) Being able to respond to clients’ requests Monday to Friday.
e) A report based on interviews in five continents.
f ) A company regularly reminding employees about a particular programme.
g) Not having the budget to do something.
h) Antonia does this job on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Hans does it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
i) She can take a year off and she’ll get full salary and benefits.
5. Read the article again to decide if these statements are true or false.
a) In the recession, the only people who are worried about jobs are employees.
b) There are ways of keeping good employees that don’t involve giving them more money.
c) KPMG is looking at this area for the first time.
d) Last year, fewer than half of its UK employees took up the offer of working less.
e) KPMG only saved Ј400,000 by doing this.
f ) Fewer people were interested in the programme this year than last.
Over to you 1
Lee Summersgill’s experience illustrates the trend of fathers wanting greater flexibility to accommodate family life. Is
this a trend in your country? Why? / Why not?
Over to you 2
What is the attitude of your organisation, or one you would like to work for, to job flexibility?
