BUSINESS IN THE

UK
INSTRUCTOR:
TRAN THI NGUYET THANH, M.A
 Contents
1 Work in Britain
1
2 Work organizations
3 Brexit
4 British business culture
Work in Britain
 Watch the video clip:
Work in Britain
 Work in group
 Quiz
Work in Britain
1. In the past, what was Britain
famous for?
A. Construction
B. Manufacturing
C. Education
D. Farming B
2. What made Britain become the
world’s leading industrial nation?
A. Farming products
B. Cars
C. Cotton, machines and ships
D. Planes C
 3. When did the first of the
famous Jaguar cars appear ?
A. In 1935
B. In 1940
C. In 1951
D. In 1989 A
4. How many people worked in
the Jaguar car factory ?
A. 5,000 people
B. 3,000 people
C. Over 2,000 people
D. 2,500 people C
 5. When did other industries
develop?
A. In the 20th century
B. In the 19 century
th

C. In the 18th century

D. In the 17th century A
6. What is the biggest business in
Britain today?
A. Financing
B. Manufacturing
C. Farming
D. Banking
A
7. How many public holidays are
there every year ?
A. 6
B. 7
C. 8
D. 9 C
8. Why are public holidays referred to as
‘Bank Holidays’? A
A. Because these are days when banks will officially be closed.
B. Because these are days when the employees go on
holidays.
C. Because these are days when employers can choose as
part of a worker’s statutory annual leave.
D. Because these are days when employers do not have to
give employees paid leave on bank holidays.
9. Which of the following would people
probably NOT like about their job?
A. Fun
B. Serving customers
C. Meeting young people
D. Long holidays
E. Meeting people from all over the world
F. Getting up early at 5 o’clock and rain F
10. Where do people in Britain
mainly work these days?
A. In a factory
B. On the farm
C. On the ship
D. At home D
 Working
Life

Work in
Britain
Employment
 Working Life

1. Attitudes to work
2. How hard do British people work?
3. Paid Holidays
4. Public holidays
5. UK Employment Law
6. How the British are paid?
 1. Attitudes to work

The British lack enthusiasm for work

 Leisure : the main outward sign of aristocracy.
 Britain’s class system: its effects throughout society.
A major sign of being middle class: non-manual work.
 Skilled manual workers
 Non-manual workers pay wage/salary
The usual working day: 9 am - 5 pm
 2. How hard do British people work?
• Work very hard
 The working week : the longest of any country in Europe.
 The normal lunch break : an hour or less
 Most people : until 5 o’clock or later.
several hours overtime in a week.
 The normal retiring age: 65
 Annual holidays : comparatively short.
 3. Paid Holidays 4. Public holidays

• British employers • a total of 8 bank holidays -

must give their workers 24 including Christmas, May Day
days paid holiday a year .
and New Year’s Day
• 8 in England and Wales
9 in Scotland
10 in Northern Ireland.
 5. UK Employment Law
 Under 13: not legally allowed to work
6. How the British are
 Under-15s : paid?
• work from 5 hours on Saturdays to a
maximum of 25 hours a week during school
holidays.
• only work 2 hours maximum on schooldays
and on Sundays.
 Over-15s:
• work from 8 hours maximum on Saturdays &
school holiday weekdays to 35 hours a week
during the holidays.
 Stop & ask

1. Could you tell me

some ways to look
for work in the UK? 2. Which service sector
gives most new job
opportunities in Britain?
 Employment
• Three main ways looking for • Most new job
work in Britain through: opportunities in the service
 newspapers sector :

 local job center  Communications

 privately – run  Health care
employment agencies  Social care
 Work
organizations
 TRADES UNION
CONGRESS (TUC)
Add Your Text

CONFEDERATION OF Work
BRITISH
Add Your Text
INDUSTRY (CBI) organizations
NATIONAL FARMERS’
Add Your Text
UNION (NFU)
 1 2 3

Which Which Which organization

organization organization represents
represents represents agricultural
employers in employees? employers and
private industry? independent
farmers?
 1 2 3

Which Which Which organization

organization organization represents
represents represents agricultural
employers in employees? employers and
private industry? independent
farmers?
CONFEDERATION OF TRADES UNION NATIONAL FARMERS’
TUC
BRITISH CONGRESS UNION
INDUSTRY
 (CBI) CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH
INDUSTRY
• is a UK’s leading business
organization

• represents employers in private

industry
• was formed in 1965
CONFEDERATION
OF BRITISH INDUSTRY
• Agriculture • IT
• speaks for 240,000
businesses from the • Automotive • Manufacturing

perspective for their • Aerospace • Professional services

leaderships for all sectors: • Construction • Retail

• Creative • Transport
• Education • Tourism
• Financial services • Utilities
 CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH INDUSTRY

• Role:
• to promote business interests
 both in the United Kingdom and internationally through their
offices in Beijing, Brussels, New Delhi and Washington, D.C.
 TRADES UNION CONGRESS (TUC)

• represents employees all types of

business
• is a federation of trade unions
in England and Wales
• was founded in 1868
 TRADES UNION CONGRESS

• 54 affiliated unions
• A total of about 6.2 million
members
• Current General Secretary:
Frances O'Grady
 TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Watch a video clip about the TUC’s

job
 NATIONAL FARMERS’ UNION

• a member association for farmers in

England and Wales
• the largest farmers' organization in
the countries
• over 300 branch offices.
• was founded on 10 Dec 1908
 NATIONAL FARMERS’ UNION
Function:
 known as 'The Voice of British Farming'
 champions British farming and provides professional
representation and services to its Farmer and Grower members
negotiates with the government and national organizations on
behalf of English and Welsh farmers.
 Brexit
Brexit ( a combination of "British" and
"exit") is the withdrawal of the UK from
the EU.
 SETTINGS

• In 1973
joined the EU under the Conservative government of Edward
Heath
• In the 1970s and 1980s
 withdrawal from the EC was advocated mainly by the political
left
 with the Labor Party’s 1983 election manifesto advocated full
withdrawal.
 SETTINGS

• In the early 2010s

The growth of the UKIP
The influence of the cross-party People's Pledge campaign
 have been described as influential in bringing about a
referendum.
 SETTINGS

• In 2015
The Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron pledged during
the campaign for the UK General Election to hold a new
referendum
• In 2016
A promise which he fulfilled following pressure from
the Eurosceptic wing of his party.
 GROUP WORK DISCUSSION
 Form a group of 4 or 5 students
 Watch a video clip, take notes
Answer the question:
Why does the UK want to leave the EU?
 Suggested answers

• According to PM David Cameron,

 2 main restrictions on law makers:
1. UK is forced to abandon the pound in order to adopt the
Euro, which is weaker.
 EU is unstable and able to be affected by weaker countries
like Greece
 Suggested answers
• 2 main restrictions on law makers:
2. EU imposes restrictions on UK’S immigration laws.
EU provides immigrants access to employment and benefits.
UK has proposed restrictions on immigrants’ eligibility for in-
work benefits or social housing (after 4 years of living and
contributing), which is directly opposed by EU Commission.
 Suggested answers
• Many British question why EU has so much say in British
welfare.
-> Some Conservative groups think EU manipulates British
government.
-> UK’s policy makers have lost control of trade, human
rights, and migration.
 Suggested answers

• EU law is supranational law, not determined or controlled by

national law.

-> Anti-EU activists believe these EU regulations will

undermine British interests.
British business
culture
 DISCUSSION

o Discuss in group of 4-5 students

o Watch a video clip
o Summarize the content of the video
o Write your summary on the board
What are facts and figures in British business culture
in this video?
 Contents

1. Population: 6. Taboos: 9. Punctuality:

2. Time zone: 7. Perceived 10. Internet
public sector penetration:
3. Capital city: corruption:
4. Currency: 11. Work
8. Work/life
balance: placements:
5. Language:
 Suggested answers

1. Population: 63 mln 4. Currency: GBP (£)

2. Time zone: Central 5. Language: English

European time -1

3. Capital city: London

 6. Taboos
• Do stand in line
Don’t hug/kiss • Avoid talking loudly in public
strangers • Do take your hat off when you go
Do shake their hands indoors (men only)
• Do say "Excuse Me“
• Be impolite to stare at anyone in
public.
• Do not ask a lady her age
 6. Taboos

• Do not pick your nose in public

• Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging
• Do cover your mouth
• Do not spit
• Do not burp in public
• Do not pass wind in public
6. Taboos
 7. Perceived public sector corruption

• A highly valued sense of fairness & the honest

clean nation
74 (%) • Corruption: taken very seriously
• The chances of a bribe: low.
• The risks: too high
• It is strongly advisable not to try to bribe anyone.
 8. Work/life balance
• The dynamic nature of the economy
• Fast-paced business environment
• home more
important than • Family life: give way to the career of one or even
both parents.
work (home >
work)  Many employees:
to work quite long hours & extra hours
to work intensively
 Awareness of work-life balance is a pressing issue
 9. Punctuality

arrive on time for meetings

5 mins late is OK.

10 mins late – call
15 mins late – reschedule the meeting
 9. Punctuality
Attend social events
Formal dinners, lunches, or appointments:
to come at the exact time appointed.
Public meetings, plays, concerts, movies, sporting events, classes, church
services & weddings
to arrive a few minutes early.
 Teas, receptions & cocktail parties.
to arrive any time during the hours specified
 10. Internet penetration

85% use the internet (FB more for home; Linked in and
Twitter more for work)
Forecast of the internet user penetration rate in the
United Kingdom (UK) from 2015 to 2022
 10. Internet penetration

• In 2015
an increase from 0.31 percent to 82.64 percent
• In 2022
the share of monthly active internet users: 82.95 percent of
the total population.
 11. Work placements
(A work placement is where a • As well as providing an opportunity
student spends time in an for students to enhance their skills
employer's workplace carrying out and knowledge, a placement can also
duties or tasks as an employee of help them clarify their career goals
the company would)
Placement popularity: Very
popular
How to find info: From
universities & businesses
Are they paid? Mostly paid
 Group presentation

G3: Compare and contrast British and Vietnamese

business culture.