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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

ANTI-
WORK
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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Why do you work? What does work give you that is valuable (if anything)?
2. If you did not have to work, what would you do with your time? Do you think you would be happy?
Why/why not?
3. What problems do you have/have you had in your working life that you would like to change?
What would you do to change them?
4. Do you think it is possible for a society to exist where everyone worked a lot less than they do
now and was able to enjoy more leisure time? Why/why not?

2 Listening for details

Listen to the interview with a supporter of the antiwork movement and check the box next to the
questions that are asked.

Why don’t you want to work? Were you hurt?

What’s the point of it all? When did your attitude change?

Why did you go there? What did you do about it?

Have you always been antiwork? Are you happier now?

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3 Listening comprehension

Listen again and decide if the following information is Given (G) or Not Given (NG).

1. the job that Pierre’s father did for a living ...

2. the job that Pierre did when he was young ...

3. the length of time Pierre has spent working as a welder ...

4. the yearly increase in pay that Pierre used to get ...

5. the amount of bonus that senior management used to get at Pierre’s former company ...

6. whether Pierre makes more or less money now than he did before

7. what Pierre’s previous professional goal was ...

8. the person whose approval he seeks now ...

Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Pierre said his family has a "strong work ethic". What does that mean?
2. Do you think you should stay late at your job whenever you have to and work weekends if needed?
Why/why not?
3. Do you think senior management should get higher bonuses than the rest of the workers? Why/why
not?
4. Do you work to get the "status and respect of other people"? If not, why do you work?

4 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the following vocabulary to the definitions.

1. idleness (n) a. a state of being without the basic requirements needed to

live
2. privation (n) b. being the part of the workforce who does manual labor

3. blue-collar (adj.) c. an unproductive state

4. grassroots (n) d. the regular people in society or an organization, not the

authorities
5. stark (adj.) e. total or complete

6. capitalism (n) f. an economic system where business and industry is run by

private owners for profit, not by the government
7. intertwine (v) g. the state of being extremely tired and unable to concentrate
due to working too much
8. burnout (n) h. to be connected in some way and difficult to separate

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Part B: Now put the vocabulary from Part A into the correct gaps in the following sentences. You may
need to change the form of the word.

1. My relationship with her father has been a source of pain for me for a while, whereas she is a huge
source of joy. Happiness and pain are so often in life.

2. He claims to be researching his next book on his computer, but I never see anything other than
computer games. He seems to live in a state of complete .

3. In a change of direction that brought a lot of criticism from the public, the government
has just announced its plans to increase the tax rate.

4. I was the first to be able to go to college in my family, but I’m proud of my roots.

5. She abruptly quit her job and went traveling. Her family says she is suffering from ,
but I think she’s met someone who she went to see.

6. With America’s jails making record profits from the largest prison population in the world, many
are asking if has gone too far.

7. As a politician, he’s not popular with those in power, but he’s extremely popular at a
level, which is much more important.

8. As a child, she grew up in a state of as drought and famine raged across the
country. It was only as an adult that she started to be able to afford the finer things in life.

Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Have you or anyone you know ever suffered from burnout? What do you think causes it? What
do you think you need to do about it?
2. Do you think the government in your country has grassroots support? Why/why not?
3. Does your country operate on a system of capitalism? What do you think are the positives and
negatives of a country that uses this system?

5 Skimming for gist

Quickly read through the article on page four and decide which of the following titles can be used for
each paragraph.

1. What does the antiwork movement stand for?

2. What can replace work?

3. How the movement grew.

4. The future of our relationship with work.

5. 20th Century philosophy foundations.

6. How companies will attract workers in the future.

7. How coronavirus affected work.

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What’s the point?

The rise of the antiwork movement

A. "Unemployment for all, not just the rich!" is the slogan of the growing movement. Founded in 2013 on the social
media site, Reddit, r/antiwork started as a forum to discuss concepts and ideas questioning the validity of human
labor. These are not new. In 1935, the British philosopher and mathematician, Bertrand Russell, published In
Praise of Idleness and Other Essays. In it, he argued that if work were to be shared more equally among human
beings, it would result in fewer hours spent working for all of us, unemployment would vanish, and our free time
would increase. The effect of this would be a rise in the general happiness of the population and an increase in
the number of people producing science and art. What we have instead are large numbers of people living with
hunger and privation while many others work long hours at the cost of their health and wellbeing. He pointed out
that our modern-day methods of production give us the opportunity to live a life of ease, yet we have somehow
managed to create a world where many of us are working longer hours than before mechanization. This makes us
foolish.
B. Russell’s work is a bible of the *subreddit, which, in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, had around 13,000
subscribers. As the effects of the virus spread around the world and affected jobs, both in terms of people losing
them and people being forced to work in potentially dangerous conditions, the popularity of the forum increased.
In early 2020, the number of people on the subreddit went up to 100,000. With the increase in the number of
people leaving their jobs, the group attracted media attention as users began posting screenshots of their texts to
their bosses saying they no longer wished to work at their place of employment. By November 2021, there were
over 1 million members. The following month, it hit over 1.4 million, and in January 2022, it was at 1.7 million.
C. The pandemic brutally highlighted the inequalities across the working world. Many workers, particularly those in
blue-collar jobs, found themselves forced to work in conditions that did not have adequate safety measures against
being infected. If they did catch the coronavirus, they didn’t have enough paid sick days to be able to recover
properly. The closure of schools further increased pressure on parents to supervise their children at home, forcing
some parents to take leave or those who were working at home to simultaneously juggle work and childcare. As
the isolated months marched on, burnout and mental health issues increased, leading to many questioning the
values of our society. The massive increase in wealth for billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon
Musk during the same period only added to the sense for many that something in our society is deeply defective.
D. Like many grassroots movements, the antiwork subreddit doesn’t necessarily have a clear manifesto. It’s a collection
of people with different views and ideas brought together having identified a common problem. It’s ultimately
there to begin a conversation. Its members aren’t against the concept of work itself, but rather how work is
structured in a capitalist system. Some wish to improve conditions for workers and organize for labor rights, others
to work for themselves. It has led to discussions about the value of work when there are a host of positions that
add little to no value to society, although are often well-paid. This is in stark contrast to jobs such as nurses, care
home assistants, and teachers who are frequently paid poorly, almost as a penalty for the fact that doing these
important jobs cannot be financially motivated. A Redditor recently wrote that his teenage son had just gotten
a job delivering pizza where, including tips, he made in the region of $18-19 per hour. On the other hand, his
wife, a teacher with a Master’s degree, made $16 per hour. For many on the forum, this was yet another sign that
Capitalism doesn’t value education unless money can be made from it. However, we all undeniably benefit from
a well-educated population. Therefore, they argue Capitalism’s interests and society’s may not be intertwined.

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E. Nobody is under any illusion that things will change overnight. However, the movement has certainly started
conversations, even among those who are in opposition to it. Businesses hoping to make a profit by asking workers
to work long hours in poor conditions for low pay are having to rethink. Many have already shut down. The issue
has often been that we see ourselves and our work as one and the same. We let our work define us. Factory
workers in the UK during the 1800s also worked in terrible conditions for long hours but didn’t suffer the same
depression issues and burnout as we do. Why? Because their work was just what they did when they weren’t with
their friends and families. Nowadays, we separate ourselves from our loved ones to work with an unprecedented
amount of pressure and isolation. The antiwork movement seeks to change that. The echoes of these ideas could
still be felt generations from now.

Sources: The Guardian, BBC, Newsweek, Reddit

6 Reading comprehension

Read the following statements and decide if they are True (T), False (F), or Not Given (NG).

1. The concept of antiwork has been around for less than ten years.

2. Russell pointed out the ridiculousness of people working longer hours despite us having machines
to do much of the work for us.

3. Most of the people on the r/antiwork subreddit are Christian.

4. In December 2021, an additional 400,000 subscribers joined the forum.

5. According to the article, a lot of people in service jobs weren’t allowed to work due to the dangers
of the situation.

6. The antiwork movement has distinct demands that it is working towards to change the way we
work.

7. The antiwork movement believes that people working in the financial sector add little value to
society.

8. According to the article, employees in the 1800s had fewer issues with mental health compared
to modern-day, as they had a different attitude towards their work.

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7 Synonyms (optional)
Read the article on page four again and find synonyms for the following words.

1. disappear (para. A)

2. emphasized (para. A)

3. reached (para. B)

4. satisfactory (para. C)

5. broken (para. C)

6. punishment (para. D)

7. indisputably (para. D)

8 Talking point
In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What is your reaction to the antiwork movement? Is it something you might support, or do you
disapprove? Why?
2. Do you agree with Russell’s idea that if work was distributed more equally, then everyone might
have more free time and there would be less unemployment? Do you think this idea is practical?
Why/Why not?
3. How would you address the issues of some people working too much while others aren’t able to
find work and suffer as a result?
4. Do you think that the antiwork movement will change the way society is organized over time?
Why/Why not?

9 Extra activity/homework
Read the following essay title.

The only real purpose of life is to work. Without work, we have no structure and no meaning
to our lives. Without work, there would be no leisure and no pleasure. Life would be
meaningless.

To what extent do you agree with the above statement?

You should:

• Write at least 250 words.

• Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

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ANTI-WORK

Transcripts

2. Listening for details

Interviewer: ... And with us here in the studio today is Pierre to discuss the Antiwork movement.
Pierre - thanks for joining us!

Pierre: Thanks for having me!

Interviewer: Have you always been antiwork?

Pierre: Not at all. To tell you the truth, I heard about the movement some time ago, and I
thought it was just a bunch of people who were lazy. My family has a strong work
ethic. We were raised to believe that working hard was what you needed to do to be
successful. My dad worked around sixty to seventy hours a week when I was growing
up. My mom worked two jobs as a receptionist and a fitness instructor after we’d all
gone to school. We all got jobs to earn extra money as soon as we were old enough. I
waited tables, and my little brother did a paper route. We were all busy ALL the time.

Interviewer: So when did your attitude change?

Pierre: I spent six years working as a welder. I worked hard at my job. Really hard. I’m trained
in all the departments so I can train others as well as do the job. I stayed late whenever
I was asked to. Fridays, Saturdays, it didn’t matter. I was always first in and last to leave.
But after a while, I noticed that I was getting the same 0.5% raise as everyone else.
Meanwhile, there’s such a huge turnover in management that no one who I report to
knows me or remembers any of the hard work I’ve put in all these years. So, I started
to ask myself, what’s the point of it all? I’m not getting promoted, I’m not getting the
bonuses that senior management is seeing.

Interviewer: So, what did you do about it?

Pierre: Oh, I still work hard. Antiwork isn’t about not working at all. Most of the people in the
movement work. It’s about deciding how you want to spend your energy and who you
want to work for. I decided I wanted to work for myself. I learned so many skills on the
job, plus I’ve always loved my motorbike. I’m a gearhead (laughs). So, I started working
for myself. I restore people’s old cars and motorcycles. I took a hit in terms of pay, but
I’m so much happier now. I’m starting to do custom work which pays more and there’s
a bit of an art to it. It’s so good to look at a car I’ve fixed up, or when I soup up the
engine of a bike. There’s 100% more satisfaction to that than busting a gut to make
money for a company that doesn’t give a damn about you.

Interviewer: And are you happier now?

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Pierre: Much more so. I had to shift my focus and my belief system, and that took a little while.
I always thought I’d end up running my own department in a company. I wanted status
and the respect of other people - and my need for that was what my happiness was
built on. Now I’m the CEO of my own company, but I’m also the office boy (laughs). I’ve
realized that my feeling of self-fulfillment was more about how I spent my time than
what people thought about the time that I spent. These days, if I think I’ve done a good
day’s work, that’s all that matters. That’s the only approval that I need. My life has too
much value to spend it working for someone who just sees me as a number.

Interviewer: Thanks for coming in, Pierre. Much food for thought there. I see our lines are busy
already, let’s see who we have on Line 1 ...

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Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This gives students the opportunity to discuss their basic attitudes towards work ahead of the listening and reading
exercises. You may want to elicit the meaning of the antiwork movement and see if any of them know anything
about it.

2. Listening for details

5 mins.
This allows students to hear the recording and listen to the structure of the conversation ahead of doing the
comprehension. Very advanced students may be able to manage both tasks in one listening.
X What’s the point of it all? X When did your attitude change?
X What did you do about it? X Have you always been antiwork?
X Are you happier now?

3. Listening comprehension

10 mins.
Ask students to listen again and identify the specific information that they are given in the interview. When they
have finished, ask them to discuss the questions and circulate and help as needed.
Note: You may want to give them the following vocabulary or elicit it.
gearhead - someone who is a car and/or motorbike fanatic, usually with a talent for fixing them or taking them
apart and improving them.
soup up - to improve an engine so that it runs better and faster
bust a gut - to try very hard
1. Not Given
2. Given. "I waited tables ..." (a waiter)
3. Given. Six years.
4. Given. 0.5%
5. Not Given
6. Given. "I took a hit in terms of pay ..."
7. Given. "I always thought I’d end up running my own department in a company."
8. Given. "These days, if I think I’ve done a good day’s work, that’s all that matters. That’s the only approval that
I need."

4. Focus on vocabulary

Part A
5 mins.
Ensure students can correctly pronounce the target vocabulary. Ask them to complete the task unaided in the
first instance, but then allow them to use a reference if needed.

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1. → c. 2. → a. 3. → b. 4. → d. 5. → e. 6. → f. 7. → h. 8. → g.

Part B
10 mins.
Ask students to identify which parts of speech could fill the gaps before completing the exercise. When they have
finished, ask them to discuss the questions in order to practice using the vocabulary. Circulate and help as needed.
1. intertwined 2. idleness 3. stark 4. blue-collar
5. burnout 6. capitalism 7. grassroots 8. privation

5. Skimming for gist

5 mins.
You may want to set a time limit to encourage students to skim read rather than read in detail.
Note: A subreddit is a special section of Reddit focused on particular interests. There are thousands of them on
Reddit catering to thousands of special areas of interest.
1. paragraph D
2. not used
3. paragraph B
4. paragraph E
5. paragraph A
6. not used
7. paragraph C

Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement
https://www.newsweek.com/man-claims-his-teen-makes-more-teacher-wife-masters-1677605
https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/

6. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
Ask students to read in more detail and complete the exercise. Ask them to underline where they find the answer.
If they are unable to do this, then it will be Not Given.
1. False. "r/antiwork started as a forum to discuss concepts and ideas questioning the validity of human labor.
These are not new."
2. True. "He pointed out that our modern-day methods of production give us the opportunity to live a life of
ease, yet we have somehow managed to create a world where many of us are working longer hours than before
mechanization. This makes us foolish."
3. Not Given.
4. True. " By November 2021, there were over 1 million members. The following month, it hit over 1.4 million ..."
5. False. "Many workers, particularly those in blue-collar jobs, found themselves forced to work in conditions
which did not have adequate safety measures against being infected."
6. False. "... the antiwork subreddit doesn’t necessarily have a clear manifesto."
7. Not Given.
8. True. "Factory workers in the UK during the 1800s also worked in terrible conditions for long hours, but didn’t
suffer the same depression issues and burnout as we do ... their work was just what they did when they weren’t
with their friends and families."

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7. Synonyms (optional)

5 mins.
For extra vocabulary support, ask students to quickly scan the text looking for the following synonyms. You could
do this prior to reading or after.
1. vanish 2. pointed out
3. hit 4. adequate
5. defective 6. penalty
7. undeniably

8. Talking point

10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Circulate and help as needed.

9. Extra activity/homework

45 mins+.
Ask students to plan, write, and edit their essays using the ideas and material covered in the lesson. You may want
them to write it in exam conditions or to do their own research in addition to what you have covered in the lesson
and write it with reference to their sources. Ensure you give students feedback on their work.

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