A British-Dutch multinational consumer goods company experiments a four-day workweek in New Zealand

admin 2020年12月9日

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

influential /in-floo-EN-shuhl/

[adjective] – having a lot of influence on someone or something
She wanted to work for a bigger and more influential firm since she graduated high school.

authorize /AW-thuh-rahyz/

[verb] – to give official permission for something to happen, or to give someone official permission to do something
Who authorized the distribution of the goods?

reconsider /ree-kuhn-SID-er/

[verb] – to think again about a decision or opinion and decide if you want to change it
He talked to her to reconsider her decision but she would not.

radical /RAD-i-kuhl/

[adjective] – believing or expressing the belief that there should be great or extreme social or political change
He was known as a radical government employee.

will /wil/

[noun] – an official statement of what a person has decided should be done with his or her money and property after death
She left me a lot of money in her will.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

Unilever (UL) has become the newest influential company to implement the four-day workweek movement; they believe that flexible working is here to stay. On November 24, 2020, the supplier of the three big brands today (Lipton’s tea, Dove soap and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream) stated it would consider shorter working hours for all its workers in New Zealand, letting them choose which four days they would favor working each week. The test started this month and operates for a year. The consumer giant has 81 staff members in the country, who will be authorized to work reduced schedules with full pay as the University of Technology Sydney in Australia maintains track of their progress. Unilever said that if all works well, the company will reconsider whether to make radical changes to its workflow on a wider range.

Unilever is not the first company to adopt the method in New Zealand. In 2018, Perpetual Guardian, which serves clients to manage their wills and properties, also attempted a two-month trial of the idea. The company declared that it was so successful, it later thought of making it permanent. Nick Bangs, managing director of Unilever New Zealand, stated that his team was encouraged by the conclusions from that research, and had begun to consider the traditional ways of working are outdated.

True or False:

Read the sentences and identify if they are true or false based on the article.

Unilever (UL) has started to implement the four-day workweek movement
The supplier of the three big brands stated it would consider shorter working hours for all its workers in New Zealand.
Unilever is not the first company to adopt the method in New Zealand.
Perpetual Guardian also adopted this kind of method in New Zealand.
The consumer giant has 31 staff members in the country.

Situational question:

I will read the situation. Then, please answer based on the question. Make sure to use the given keywords in your answer.

Situation: You are one of the shareholders of a giant company.
Question: How would you persuade the other shareholders to implement the four-day workweek movement?

flexible
change
up-to-date

Express Your Opinion:

I will read each sentence. Then, please tell me if you agree or disagree, and why.

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” — Albert Einstein
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” — Winston Churchill
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” — Leo Tolstoy