HOW YOUR WORKPLACE IS KILLING YOU

The modern workplace can inflict dangerous levels of stress on employees. Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of “Dying for a Paychack” argues that these practices don’t help companies – and warns governments are ignoring an emerging public health crisis

By: Jeff Pfiffer

Published: BBC, 3 May 2018, http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180502-how-your-workplace-is-killing-you

Level of Difficulty: **

BEFORE YOU READ

·         Is your workplace killing you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL-pkKEHMkE

·         Trouble at work: Jefferey Pfiffer on fixing leadership failure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfJezKekY5g

QUESTIONS

1.       The examples listed in the first paragraph are all those of people who suffered as a result of…

2.       What makes harmful workplace practices a special concern is …

3.       The findings of the world economic forum seem to support the view that…

4.       Where in the paragraph beginning “The aptly named…” would you place the following: which proves that it is in the interest of the government and big business to seek to rectify the situation?

5.       The fact that harmful management practices have been allowed to go on for so long is surprising because…

6.       What companies need to do to address the problem is to ………so as to………..

7.       Read the information concerning job insecurity. The current job insecurity described in the text is due to a shift from….to….in the management of companies.

8.       The above shift means a complete disregard for ….

WRITING TASK

Write a short essay or paragraph describing harmful workplace practices and the effects they have on employees.

HOW YOUR WORKPLACE IS KILLING YOU; KEY AND TEACHERS’ NOTES

This is a simply written and straightforward text on current workplace practices and as such, should appeal to adult learners who may also be working. Some of what is described in the text should be familiar to these people and hopefully, they will have plenty to contribute during the class discussion. The writing task should follow seamlessly from this discussion.

1.       Harmful workplace practices

2.       Rising healthcare costs all over the world

3.       Your supervisor is more important to your health than your family doctor.

4.       At the end of the sentence beginning “A paper I co-authored…” after a comma

5.       The work practices that are bad for people don’t help the company either

6.       Give people more control over how and when they do their jobs / increase motivation and engagement

7.       Stakeholder capitalism to shareholder interests

8.       The physical and psychological well-being of people who come to work