Carlos Slims idea for a three-day working week

Level 2

Intermediate

2 Key words

1.

a sudden very good idea ______________________________ (introduction)

2.

the number of people who are available to work ______________________________ (introduction)

3.

organizations that represent the workers in a particular industry and try to improve pay, conditions etc
______________________________ (introduction)

4.

travelling regularly to and from work ______________________________ (introduction)

5.
6.

organizations in particular areas or cities that are responsible for providing public services
______________________________ (section 1)

7.

a countrys government departments and the people who work in them

______________________________ (section 1)

8.

the rate at which work is done ______________________________ (section 1)

9.

not changing in quality ______________________________ (section 2)

10. a period of work time in a factory, hospital or other place where some people work during the day and some
work at night ______________________________ (section 3)
11. making something longer ______________________________ (section 4)
12. do a lot of things in a short time ______________________________ (section 5)
13. an amount of money that you earn for working ______________________________ (section 5)
14.

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NEWS LESSONS / Carlos Slims idea for a three-day working week / Intermediate

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2014

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______________________________ (section 5)

Carlos Slims idea for a three-day working week

Level 2

Intermediate
Companies should look at this as a way of
attracting talented people who wouldnt be happy

When the worlds second richest person has a

brainwave he believes could make everyone
better off, the world listens. Recently, Carlos
Slim, a Mexican telecoms billionaire worth $72bn,
called for a global three-day working week. The
advantage is twice as much leisure time; the
disadvantage is longer days and people still
working in their 70s.
It is a work-hard, play-hard way of thinking that
many of the worlds billionaires might agree with
but it would be a huge change for most workers
and their employers.
But there are big changes in the UK labour
market that show Slim might be onto something

The only possible problem for businesses like

ours will be maintaining good teamwork and
consistent customer service when teams are not
always together but businesses that adapt to this
new way of working will get the best people.
3
People in the UK dont necessarily want a threewhere and when they work. While many people
dont have enough work, some people have too
much and would prefer to work fewer hours.
Working anything more than 12 hours a day on
a regular basis is not healthy. For some people,
it would mean moving to a shift pattern, which
could have a negative social impact, cutting
people off from their friends and family.

working part time.

Unions might be unsure about the suggestion
but technology, increases in life expectancy and
increased costs due to commuting and high

Carlos Slim is right that people should carry

on working in their 70s. It can be a positive
development for many people, especially if they
are interested in their work and want to keep their
work-related social life.
Long days are not necessarily bad. It depends
on how people work, like when they take breaks
and the support they receive. There are already

work seem attractive.

We asked experts to tell us whether Slims vision
for a three-day working week could work and
what its impact would be.
1
Its a very interesting idea. In many professions,
it would be possible in creative businesses,
among consultants and accountants, for
example. But it could be damaging in those areas
where you have a lot of people working with the
public, for example local authorities and the civil
service. Some workers would be happier and
more productive but others would not like to work
11 hours a day.
A working week of 33 hours would be a big
decrease in the number of hours worked. This will
create a big hole, and I dont think productivity
would increase enough to compensate for it. Its
too extreme to jump from the current situation
to a three-day working week. It is worth looking
at how we might change peoples working time
organize themselves in such a way.
2
The idea of a three-day week is interesting. Much
workers, people who have more than one job and
people returning to work after a break.

only four days. That way, you dont have to travel

every day.
There is the risk that people will work three long
days but still check their emails and smartphones
on the other days, stretching their working week.
5
Carlos Slim obviously thinks a slim working week
suits his businesses but not everyone will agree.
Lots of people are already working overtime for
free and this could make that situation worse.
If an employee can reorder their work and cram
their productivity into three days, then it would be
and they would be effectively paying for the extra
leisure time.
It could suit a professional or a researcher who
can get their job done over 12 hours without
additional pressures but, in blue-collar jobs,
extending the day may not be possible. And a
worker who deals with customers all day is going
to be exhausted by the end of their shift.
Guardian News and Media 2014

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NEWS LESSONS / Carlos Slims idea for a three-day working week / Intermediate

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2014

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First published in The Guardian, 23/07/14

Carlos Slims idea for a three-day working week

Level 2

Intermediate

better ________

2.

call ________something

3.

be ________something

4.

cut people ________ from someone

5.

carry ________ doing something

a.

say publicly that something must happen

b.

continue doing something

c.

in a better situation

d.

have information that will help to you make an important discovery, decision etc

e.

stop someone having a close or friendly relationship with another person

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NEWS LESSONS / Carlos Slims idea for a three-day working week / Intermediate

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2014

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1.

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Phrases

Carlos Slims idea for a three-day working week

Level 2

Intermediate

6
Either

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NEWS LESSONS / Carlos Slims idea for a three-day working week / Intermediate

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2014

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or