Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- workplace /WURK-PLEYS/
- embrace /em-BREYS/
- hybrid /HAHY-brid/
- drawback /DRAW-bak/
- entail /en-TEYL/
[noun] – a building or room where people perform their jobs, or these places generally
I work in a clean and comfortable workplace.
[verb] – to accept something enthusiastically
Many people are unwilling to embrace new technologies.
[adjective] – combining two different things
The vehicle is a hybrid that uses both electricity and gasoline.
[noun] – a disadvantage or the negative part of a situation
The one big drawback of the planned scheme was its high cost.
[verb] – to make something necessary, or to involve something
Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Some CEOs are permanently abandoning their offices in an effort to abandon hybrid workplace arrangements and fully embrace remote work. Will other people follow?
Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman made a significant announcement for the 4,400-person company in late June: by July 29, Yelp had completely abandoned hybrid setups in favor of remote working. New York City, Chicago, and Washington, DC, would lose their actual offices, according to Stoppelman, who called hybrid work the “worst of all worlds” and even “hell.” Yelp was moving to a “hoteling” business model where desks could be hired for the day while keeping its San Francisco and Phoenix locations. Similar increases in remote work are being made by other businesses. Four companies—Airbnb, 3M, Spotify, and Lyft—have made home offices an official policy. Some businesses, like Yelp, have also reduced their office space: in May, the worker-for-hire service TaskRabbit shut down all of its locations, including its San Francisco headquarters; in April, PayPal ceased operations in the city. The drawbacks of in-and-out hybrid schedules have begun to emerge as some workers have started to return to their offices, including awkward Zoom calls in conference rooms, emotional tiredness for employees, and logistical challenges in making sure team members are in the office at the same time.
Moving in this direction may have several benefits, such as granting workers’ requests to permanently work from home and resulting in cost savings. However, experts warn that relying on remote employment in this way entails risk, particularly because no one is certain whether it will be successful or what will happen after.
Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman made a significant announcement for the 4,400-person company in late June: by July 29, Yelp had completely abandoned hybrid setups in favor of remote working. New York City, Chicago, and Washington, DC, would lose their actual offices, according to Stoppelman, who called hybrid work the “worst of all worlds” and even “hell.” Yelp was moving to a “hoteling” business model where desks could be hired for the day while keeping its San Francisco and Phoenix locations. Similar increases in remote work are being made by other businesses. Four companies—Airbnb, 3M, Spotify, and Lyft—have made home offices an official policy. Some businesses, like Yelp, have also reduced their office space: in May, the worker-for-hire service TaskRabbit shut down all of its locations, including its San Francisco headquarters; in April, PayPal ceased operations in the city. The drawbacks of in-and-out hybrid schedules have begun to emerge as some workers have started to return to their offices, including awkward Zoom calls in conference rooms, emotional tiredness for employees, and logistical challenges in making sure team members are in the office at the same time.
Moving in this direction may have several benefits, such as granting workers’ requests to permanently work from home and resulting in cost savings. However, experts warn that relying on remote employment in this way entails risk, particularly because no one is certain whether it will be successful or what will happen after.
Discussion Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Could you tell me about your office setup?
- Do you like hybrid setups? Why or why not?
- If you were to choose an office setup, what would it be? Why?
- Do you agree that hybrid work is the “worst of all worlds”?
- Do you think working permanently from home results in cost savings?
Summarization
Please summarize the whole article using your own words and expressions. You will have one minute to prepare before you answer.
Describe:
Please explain the definition of each word listed below based on your understanding. You can provide example sentences if needed.
- setup
- policy
- shut down
- emerge
- grant