4. Match the words with the explanations.

1	flexi-time	a) money paid for each item made or produced
2	shift work	b) extra pay for more work
3	piece rate	c) an extra, eg. company car, receive in addition to salary
4	bonus	d) a system where employees vary the time they start and finish work
5	perk	e) company shares given to executives as a bonus
6	share options	f) extra payment for good work
7	overtime	g) a system of working a changing pattern of hours including unsociable hours

1……… 2………. 3……….. 4……… 5……….. 6…………. 7………….

5. Discuss in pairs the pros and cons of these people’s jobs.

1. «I enjoy entertaining people. I get a lot of opportunities to travel but this means I’m away from my family a lot. It is a risky job but I take care of myself. The only bad thing about it is that it’s very seasonal so I may be out of work for some of the year».

2. «I always wanted to be a car mechanic; I’ve always had a fascination with taking things apart to see how they work. The hours may be long but the money is OK. With such skills I may open my own business someday».

3. «My job can be very boring and tiring as I spend a lot of my time on my feet. The money’s not very good but I do get to meet some interesting people. I work all week though; I don’t have any free time».

4. «As a manager I have all the responsibility for this organization. I have to make a lot of decisions which sometimes can be difficult and stressful. I do get an excellent salary and a company car but I may have to work a lot of unsociable hours. Sometimes I don’t even get to see my children in the evenings».

5. «I love teaching children. It’s very rewarding but it can be very stressful; classroom sizes are getting bigger, I have very little free time as I have to do lots of preparation and planning. The money‘s not too bad. I do get good holidays which allow me to travel during the summer».

6. «As a postman I have to be out all the time. I don’t really mind as I couldn’t sit in an office all day. In the winter months it’s difficult due to the bad weather but I have all my afternoons, evenings and weekends free to do as I wish».

6. Read the following dialogue, then fill in the table below using the information.

John: As a manager I receive a good salary and other benefits such as a company car. My bonus pay, however, is linked to the entire output of the factory. So, if factory output falls, so does my bonus pay.

Mike: My wages are good- they allow me to have the lifestyle which I require. I am only responsible for my own work. If I work overtime, then I receive more money.

John: I am responsible for the work of 150 workers and if there’s a problem in the factory I must stay and solve it. I don’t get paid overtime - it’s part of my job. I had to stay in the factory yesterday until midnight.

Mike: I like to leave work when my shift is finished. I like to spend my evenings with my family and doing other things. I work only to pay my bills and my mortgage.

John: I love my work- it’s my life. I really don’t have any time to have a life outside work. I haven’t been able to take a holiday for the past two years because of the demands from work.

Mike: My life outside work is more important to me.

John: I work because I love my job. It gives me a lot of job satisfaction, and I enjoy taking responsibility for things. You work with machinery so your job is very dangerous.

Mike: Yes it may be, but I prefer mine to yours. Even though you may receive a higher salary and have a company car, in my opinion such things do not compensate you enough for the associated stress level, late nights, no other life etc. Don’t you think there’s more to life than this factory?

	BENEFITS	DRAWBACKS
Manager	good salary
Production operator

7. Look at the people in the pictures below. Discuss in pairs:

• the jobs they might have

• what their lifestyle would be

• what problems they might have

• how satisfied they are with their jobs

• their daily routine

8. Discuss in pairs topics related to the theme.

• Which jobs do you think are more important, and why?

• Which is more important, money or job satisfaction? Why

• Which is better, a low stress job with low pay or a stressful highly paid job? Why?

• Do you think managers should be paid a lot more than workers? Why?

• Apart from pay, how might you encourage people to work hard?

C. CAREERS

1. Look at the following advertisements. What qualifications do you think the successful applicant would need to have?

2. Read the following interview, and fill in the gaps with a word from the list below.

postgraduate, tutor, lecturer, degree, A-levels, library, academic, research

«I suppose I’ve followed the standard career path. I took ten «O» levels at the age of 16, in all usual subjects. At 18 I took three 1)……………….. in Maths, Chemistry and Biology. I went straight on to university where it took me three years to complete my 2)…………….. . I stayed on at the same university to do my 3)………………course. This involved a lot of 4)…………., so I spent most of my time in the university 5)……………… . I hadn’t planned on a(n) 6)……………….career but after I had finished my postgraduate studies I realized that I wanted to teach, so I became a college 7)....................... . Five years later I was offered a post as a (n) 8)………………at my old university».