IS WORK KILLING YOU? FIVE WAYS TO LOWER YOUR STRESS

By: David Posen

Published: June 11, 2013; The Wall Street Journal; http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/06/11/five-ways-to-lower-workplace-stress/

Level of Difficulty: *

BEFORE YOU READ

·         What aspects of a workplace may cause stress? The working hours? The Overtime? The workload? The people? Explain.

·         How could these problems be addressed?
NOW WATCH THE VIDEOS

·         “Beat stress at work” http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/workplace-stress.aspx

“How to reduce stress at work” http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-reduce-stress-at-work

QUESTIONS

1.       What does the phrase “the latter category” refer to? How would you refer to the remaining sentence?

2.       What does “This” refer to in the phrase “This leads us to two questions”?

3.       The amount of work at the workplace is a problem because there is ………………………………….

4.       How do managers contribute to the increase of velocity in the workplace?

5.       What forms of behavior harm worker morale?

6.       Why can’t workers who are unhappy just leave?

7.       Why is workplace stress bad for the companies?

8.       What does “This” refer to in the phrase “This would make a huge difference” and why would bosses resist it?

9.       It is implied that flextime and flexplace would benefit the company by increasing …………………

10.   The writer makes various suggestions as to how to use technology. Why does he do this?

11.   Contrary to popular belief regular overtime is not in the company’s interest because……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

12.   Which sentence best summarizes the advice given about workplace bullies?

13.   Workplace stress need not exist because ………………………………………………………………………………..

WRITING TASK

Summarize the information in the text as briefly as possible; preferably in a 100 words. You will find a sample summary under “Sample Essays

IS WORK KILLING YOU? FIVE WAYS TO LOWER YOUR STRESS KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

This seriously simple yet interesting text can be done at pre intermediate level quite early on in the year. It is not easy to find topical texts of such simplicity which also lend themselves to questions. The references are the hardest questions. This text also lends itself to summary writing an example of which you will find under Sample Essays.

1.       Do you groan your way to the office; the former

2.       Workplace stress is making people sick

3.       The best answer is: overload. The next sentence, people are working longer hours under more pressure, is an explanation of overload. Although this is also correct, you need to learn to pick out the short answer.

4.       By higher expectations and impatience for things to be done ever faster

5.       Abuse; OR office politics, bullying harassment

6.       Because there is high unemployment

7.       It costs billions of dollars of lost productivity

8.       Reducing the tasks to be done or hiring more people to share the load. Because they think of employee salaries as expenses rather than investments.

9.       Profits or productivity

10.   Because people are drowning in an ocean of electronic messages and techno stress

11.   People who are chronically tired are less efficient; OR productivity declines after about 40 hours a week

12.   Fix them or fire them

13.   Many of the solutions aren’t complicated; Or it is eminently fixable