Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Corporate Well Being American English Teacher Ver2
Corporate Well Being American English Teacher Ver2
CORPORATE
WELL-BEING
Expemo code:
14I3-D5BF-4H2H
1 Warm-up
2 Vocabulary
4. temptation d. the substances that influence your health, which you take into your
body as food
5. hike e. the way in which a person stands, sits, or walks
CORPORATE WELL-BEING
3 Reading
Read the article ‘Corporate well-being’ about the different health initiatives that the UK company
i-to-i has experimented with. Answer the following questions:
CORPORATE WELL-BEING
Corporate well-being
A firm that offers travel opportunities wants to expand the health horizons of its employees.
1.
A healthy workforce is good for business. Apart 5.
At least staff at i-to-i are eating less bad food than
from reducing absenteeism, there is increasing they used to. "At one stage we had a box full of
evidence that suggests a connection between good chocolate, which seemed like a really nice way to
performance and employees who are in good reward staff. But it was almost too successful, and
condition. The Harvard Medical School recently people were picking from it all the time. In the
found that the most healthy 25% of a workforce are end, some staff members actually asked for it to be
seven hours more productive per week than the least removed because they couldn’t resist temptation,"
healthy 25%. she adds.
2.
I-to-i is one of a growing number of companies that is 6.
The firm has also tried introducing weekly Tai Chi
trying to improve the well-being of its staff. But, also classes to relieve stress and improve well-being. "But
like many firms, not everything is working. they were arranged before work and unfortunately
3.
"You could say we’re a company full of good they had to be cancelled because not enough people
intentions, but things often prevent us from doing could attend. Some travel long distances so they
exercise or eating what we should," says Sarah couldn’t get here early enough. I wanted to attend,
Horner, public relations manager of the organization, but couldn’t because of the time of the classes."
which provides opportunities for volunteer travel 7.
Rather more successful was the Caledonian
and training for TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Challenge, which a fifth of the staff recently
Language). "We would like advice on what we can do undertook. "You walk 54 miles in Scotland, through
to encourage all our 50 employees in our UK office to the night," explains Ms. Horner. "We also arranged a
become really healthy." 14-mile hike recently, which we did for the charity we
4.
The company has already experimented with a few support, and even more people did that - probably
strategies. "About six months ago, we introduced because it was far less challenging. Nevertheless, it
an initiative called ‘Fruity Friday’, which means all was still under half the workforce."
employees get free fruit on that day," explains Ms. 8.
Above all, i-to-i would like to know what measures it
Horner. "It’s become really popular: when the can introduce on a daily basis, as well as on occasions,
fruit arrives, people are informed online and, almost to get staff feeling their best. It would prefer to
immediately, they’re off to the kitchen to get some. concentrate them in three key areas - eating, exercise,
The problem is that in the rest of the week, we and stress release - and it would like the initiatives to
consume enormous amounts of sweets and biscuits." be long-term where possible.
CORPORATE WELL-BEING
4 Listening
Audio 1
Listen to two experts commenting on i-to-i’s corporate health initiatives. Tick the ideas they suggest.
5 Phrases
Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right to form phrases from the article and recording.
Choose four phrases and invent a sentence for each one.
1. reduce absenteeism
2. improve a challenge
3. introduce a charity
4. resist an initiative
5. relieve stress
6. undertake temptation
7. support well-being
Find one more example of each tense in the article and match it to one of the functions.
CORPORATE WELL-BEING
7 Grammar Practice
8 Talking point
What do you think of the initiatives and advice mentioned in this lesson? Would they be effective or
popular in your company?
Has your company introduced any successful/unsuccessful health initiatives? What changes have
they made/did they make to the well-being and productivity of the workforce?
What measures would you introduce to improve well-being in your company?
CORPORATE WELL-BEING
Transcripts
4. Listening
Expert 1
Changing bad habits is hard, but making the healthy choice easier is one solution. ‘Fruity Friday’ is a
great initiative, but why only on a Friday if it is so popular? It’s surprising how well fruits like grapes,
strawberries, and mini tomatoes, and dried fruits like raisins and sultanas, go down as a replacement
for biscuits - even in a meeting. So i-to-i could introduce them daily as a fruity break. This can be an
economical option if the firm asks a local supplier for seasonal fruits. And why not have a tomato-
growing competition in the office? Others have. Coffee and tea in moderation are not as dehydrating
as people often think, but I’d also recommend providing water as dehydration can affect our ability
to concentrate. If the firm invests in a water cooler, it should place it at the far end of the office, so
that staff have to take a mini-break to get a drink.
Expert 2
Lunch-time activities such as a walking club will encourage employees to take a break from their
desks, helping to relax tired limbs and reduce eye strain and stress levels. Give staff a large exercise
ball to sit on at their desks, instead of a chair - building up slowly to 15 to 30 minutes each day. This
will improve posture, breathing technique, and encourage the flow of oxygen to the brain. To help
replace bad habits with good, make space for health promotion items on your bulletin boards and
hold monthly seminars on stress management, food, and nutrition. And keep employees motivated
by providing them with a wall planner to plot their health routine and list their accomplishments.
FOOOOTERAPPENDIXRIGHT
Learn without forgetting! i
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in FERNANDO PARRELLO's lessons.
HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
CORPORATE WELL-BEING
Key
1. Warm-up
2. Vocabulary
1. h 2. c 3. b 4. g 5. a 6. f 7. d 8. e
3. Reading
4. Listening
Play the audio files or use your mobile device to scan the QR codes (make sure you have installed a QR code
reader app and can access the Internet on your device).
X daily fruit breaks
X a tomato growing competition
X a water cooler
X a lunchtime walking club
X large ‘exercise balls’ for employees to sit on
X monthly health seminars
5. Phrases
I-to-i is trying to improve the well-being of its staff. - present continuous (a temporary, current activity)
I-to-i provides opportunities for volunteer travel and training. - simple present (a habitual or long-term activity in
the present)
The company has already experimented with a few strategies. - present perfect simple (a completed action that
occurred at an unspecified time before now)
About six months ago, we introduced an initiative called ‘Fruity Friday’. - simple past (a completed past action or
state)
FOOOOTERAPPENDIXLEFT
Learn without forgetting! ii
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in FERNANDO PARRELLO's lessons.
HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
CORPORATE WELL-BEING
It’s become really popular. - present perfect simple (an action that started in the past and is complete in the
present)
Sample answers:
At least staff at i-to-i are eating less bad food than they used to. (Present continuous - a temporary, current activity)
we get through enormous amounts of sweets and biscuits (simple present - a habitual or long-term activity in the
present)
The firm has also tried introducing weekly Tai Chi classes to relieve stress and improve well-being. (Present perfect
simple - a completed action that occurred at an unspecified time before now)
We also arranged a 14-mile hike (simple past - a completed action or state in the past)
7. Grammar Practice
1. offers
2. go up; are increasing
3. started; have signed
4. is waiting; is hoping
5. has decided; has worked
6. commutes; is taking; has broken down
7. set up; haven’t been
8. Have you booked; asked
9. is visiting; goes
10. Have you ever eaten; is
FOOOOTERAPPENDIXRIGHT
Learn without forgetting! iii
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in FERNANDO PARRELLO's lessons.