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Andrea

Business

Flexible Working: The Benefits

Reading 5 min Article Intermediate


Vocabulary - 7 nouns, 2 verbs, 4 adjectives

Grammar - First Conditional

[speaker]

Exercise

Tap all the highlighted words in the transcript below to see their definition.

What’s more important: money or happiness?

It’s not a simple question—especially when you’re talking about a job.

Sure, money is important. But would you stay at a job with a high salary if it made you miserable?

Hopefully not!

In addition to money, more companies need to offer great working benefits.

Big Benefits

When a company invests in benefits, employees have higher job satisfaction. Those workers are more likely to stay with the company.

Check out five excellent perks below!

1. Flexibility

Some companies let employees have a flexible schedule. These employees have more choice about which hours they work. The specific work hours don’t matter, as long as the work gets done.

Many employees are also allowed to work remotely.

Why it matters: If employees have more flexibility, they’ll have a better work-life balance, and be happier and less stressed.

2. Time Off

A common complaint among employees is that they don’t get enough time off work. Certain employers want to change that, so they provide more paid vacation days than average.

Why it matters: If employees have more time to relax, they’ll avoid burnout and be more productive at work.

3. Travel

Some companies encourage their employees to visit different places. They do this by providing a travel allowance—money that has to be used for travel only.

Why it matters: If employees travel, they’ll have new experiences and be more creative thinkers.

4. Wellness

Wellness programs are becoming more and more common. These programs can include things like gym passes, on-site exercise classes, and health education services.

Why it matters: If employees feel good, they’ll be absent from work less. They’ll also be more focused when they work!

5. Education

A lot of companies offer education benefits: They pay for the courses an employee wants to take. Sometimes they even provide time off to complete the courses.

Why it matters: When an employee receives more education, they’ll be a more confident and valuable worker!

More Than Just Money

Smart employers know that people love perks. Offering awesome benefits will create happier employees and a more successful company—everybody wins!

Flexible Working Reading Comprehension


See Grammar explanation  

  • We use the FIRST CONDITIONAL to talk about future possibilities or things that are likely to happen in the future. For example:
  • – If I have enough money, I will go to Boston this summer.
  • The structure of the first conditional is:
  • If + present simple verb, will + infinitive
  • If the teacher is good, the class will be easy to follow.
  • We can also use the first conditional in the NEGATIVE FORM. For example:
  • – If the hotel is not available, I won’t book it.
  • If + don’t / doesn’t + present simple verb, won’t + infinitive
  • In this case, both parts of the sentence are negative, but we might find sentences where one part is negative and the other is affirmative. For example:
  • – If she doesn’t study, she’ll fail her exam.
  • If + don’t / doesn’t + present simple verb, will + infinitive
  • – If it rains, I won’t go to the concert.
  • If + present simple verb , will not / won’t + infinitive


Related Course Units  

Unit 57 Conditional in Present Simple