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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

ATTRACTING
EMPLOYEES BACK
TO THE OFFICE

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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Did you stay at home to work during the pandemic? What did you think about it?
2. Can you do your job more easily at home? Why/why not?
3. Do you enjoy going into the workplace? Why/why not?

2 Scanning for vocabulary

Find the following vocabulary in the article on page two and complete the words with the missing
vowels (a,e,i,o,u).

1. _ x _ c _ t _ v _ (n, para. A) - a person who has a job in senior management in a company

2. pr _ d _ ct _ v _ ty (n, para. A) - the speed that a worker or company produces products compared
with how much time and money is needed

3. r _ r _ (adj., para. B) - not happening very often

4. _ n _ t _ _ t _ v _ (n, para. B) - a new plan to deal with a particular problem

5. p _ rk (n, para. B) - a benefit you get from your job that isn’t money

6. hybr _ d (adj., para. C) - a mix of two or more things

7. c _ ns _ st _ ntly (adv., para. C) - never changing

8. _ ng _ g _ (v, para. C) - be successful in keeping someone’s interest and focus

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ATTRACTING EMPLOYEES BACK TO THE OFFICE

Bring Them Back

How firms are encouraging workers back to the office

A. During the pandemic, there was a rise in the number of people buying dogs to keep them company during
lockdowns. When people were able to leave their homes again, this presented a problem for dog owners who
were being asked to return to the office. Marketing agency, Rise at Seven has found an answer by allowing staff
to bring dogs with them to the office. Toby Griffin brings Jessie and Oscar, his two pet dogs with him on the days
that he goes in. He talks of how great it has been. "They

thedogs

get to meet new people, have new experiences, and I get to spend more time at work with my colleagues. It’s a
complete win-win situation as far as I’m concerned." Mia King, an executive at the company says of the decision,
"having dogs at work has actually made staff work harder because they make everyone happy ... not only do dogs
bring comfort within your home, but they also help increase productivity within the workplace."

B. It’s likely that bringing dogs into the workplace will remain rare, but it shows how companies are looking at
changing the rules to make the office a more attractive place for workers. With the pandemic forcing many people
to work from home, many companies have found it difficult to convince workers to come back, leading to new
initiatives. Financial planning company, First Wealth, are offering free gym sessions to employees. Zoe Raynsford,
an employee of the company says that a workout before the workday helps her to clear her mind and helps her to
feel positive and full of energy at the beginning of her day. The company has created a plan for employees since
the pandemic that allows them to choose different perks, such as help with their careers, relationships, or mental
health. Other companies are taking measures such as offering beauty treatments during the workday.

C. Larry Gadea, CEO of Envoy - an app aimed at helping firms to manage hybrid workers, says that perks are
important, but shouldn’t be everything. He says that employees want to be able to connect with their co-workers
face-to-face and get out of the house. He suggests that companies should consider fixing days when everyone
has to be in so that it increases the sense of community. "We know that when people are consistently together,
a workplace is good," he says. "Working in an office, we’re more engaged in the work we do and with each other."

Sources: BBC, The Guardian

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ATTRACTING EMPLOYEES BACK TO THE OFFICE

3 Reading for gist

Complete the table by ticking the correct box to answer the question. There may be more than one
person you can tick for each question.

Who... Toby Griffin Mia King Zoe Raynsford Larry Gadea

1. has an
important job in
their company?

2. brings pets to
work?

3. exercises
before work
sometimes?

4. works at Rise
at Seven?

5. works in
finance?

4 Reading comprehension

Part A: Decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. There were more dogs sold during the pandemic.

2. Mia King doesn’t think having dogs in the office is a good idea.

3. First Wealth offers career advice to its staff if they want it.

4. Larry Gadea thinks that employees should only work from home.

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Part B: Choose the correct answer to the following questions.

1. If dogs ‘keep you company’ what do they do?

a. help you work

b. stop you from feeling lonely

c. make you exercise

2. What is a ‘win-win situation’?

a. a situation where one side wins everything

b. a situation where no one wins anything

c. a situation where both sides benefit

3. If something ‘brings comfort’ what does it do?

a. makes you feel happier

b. makes life easier

c. helps you work

4. If you ‘clear your mind’, what do you do?

a. forget everything you know

b. stop feeling tired

c. feel able to focus

5. If a company is ‘taking measures’ what is it doing?

a. finding answers to problems

b. moving to a new office

c. finding more employees

6. If you talk to someone ‘face-to-face’ what are you doing?

a. talking on video

b. talking in person

c. talking on the phone

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ATTRACTING EMPLOYEES BACK TO THE OFFICE

5 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. incentive (n) a. a person who can talk to people about their problems and help
them
2. adapt (v) b. a situation where two or more things are equal

3. commute (v) c. separate something into different parts

4. advisor (n) d. change to deal with a new situation in a better way

5. balance (n) e. a reason to do something

6. divide (v) f. relax

7. chill (v) g. the things you own

8. belongings (n) h. travel to and from a place of work

Part B: Complete the following sentences with vocabulary from Part A.

1. It’s very important to find a between your professional and personal life.

2. My manager allows us to leave early on Friday if we’ve finished our work as an

to work quickly during the week.

3. I was going to go out tonight, but I’m really tired. I think I might just stay at home and .

4. I’m glad I moved to Spain. I love it here, but I’m finding it difficult to to the heat.

5. I’m a hybrid worker, so I stay at home three days a week and to the office the
other two.

6. I’m moving to a new house next week. Can you help me pack my into boxes?

7. I think we all ate and drank the same things, so why don’t we just the bill into
three?

8. I want to invest some money so I’m going to the bank to talk to an tomorrow.

Part C: In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. In which situation have you had to adapt to a change?

2. What do you do when you want to chill?
3. What is a good incentive for you to work hard?
4. Do you think you have a good balance between your personal and your professional life? Why/why
not?

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ATTRACTING EMPLOYEES BACK TO THE OFFICE

6 Listening for details

Listen to the people talking about the perks of their jobs and how they feel about remote working.
Write down the job that each of the speakers does.

1. Speaker 1:

2. Speaker 2:

3. Speaker 3:

7 Listening comprehension

Answer the following questions by writing Speaker 1, Speaker 2, or Speaker 3.

1. Who prefers going into the office every day?

2. Who doesn’t think they need to go into the office to do their job?

3. Who likes to go into the office sometimes and stay at home other times?

4. Who gets physically tired doing their job?

5. Who likes to exercise?

6. Who likes to discuss work in the office?

7. Who finds it less expensive to eat at work than outside?

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you prefer to work at home, work in the workplace or do hybrid working? Why?
2. What perks does your company offer?
3. Do you think bringing dogs to the office is a good idea? Why/why not?
4. What do you think your company could do to improve the working environment?

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ATTRACTING EMPLOYEES BACK TO THE OFFICE

9 Extended activity/Homework

Write a description of your ideal working situation.

Consider the following questions:

• What would you like your workplace to look like?

• What perks would you like to have in your workplace?
• What effect do you think those perks would have on your work?
• Do you prefer to come to the workplace every day or just some days? If so, which days would you
prefer?

You should:

• Write at least 150 words

• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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