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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

TIME
POVERTY
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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. How many hours per week do you usually spend working?

2. How many hours per week are you meant to spend working?
3. What activities do you mainly do in your free time?
4. What other major responsibilities do you have outside of work?
5. What do you do to relax?
6. Do you feel like you are able to manage your time? Why/why not?

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2 Focus on vocabulary

Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. bracket (n) a. a series of consequences of one particular action

2. extrapolate (v) b. to reduce in strength or size over a period of time

3. shirk (v) c. to relax and have a good time

4. plague (v) d. a range of a particular thing, such as age, or income

5. domino effect (n) e. to avoid doing a task or work, particularly due to laziness

6. diminish (v) f. to create a situation where something can improve

7. let your hair down (idiom) g. to create a lot of problems over a period of time

8. foster (v) h. to use the facts that you have about one situation and apply
them, perhaps incorrectly, to another

Now write the vocabulary from Part A into the correct gaps in the following sentences. You may have
to change the form of the words.

1. Since getting that promotion, he’s entered a whole new salary . I think he might
be buying a bigger house soon.

2. You’ve been working non-stop for the past few months and you look exhausted. Why not take a
few days off? Come to the beach with me and a bit.

3. Once news of the police investigation got out, things went wrong quickly. The first investor pulled
out and that created a . I think they’re going to go bankrupt.

4. She’s a fantastic manager. You can relax around her and have fun, but she a really
strong work ethic within her team.

5. I think the CEO is going to have a strong word with him. He’s been his responsibilities
and the poor results for his department are noticeable.

6. There are two types of people in business: those who can information from
incomplete data.

7. I don’t think we’re going to keep selling into Europe. Our sales have been in the
region for the last decade and it seems sensible to focus more on Asia.

8. That start-up has been with problems since they started a couple of years ago:
investors pulling out, their first offices caught fire, accounting issues. It’s been terrible for them.

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TIME POVERTY

3 Listening for gist

Listen to the interview and tick the questions which are asked.

1. Do you think there are any downsides to a ‘no vacation policy’?

2. What would you suggest managers do?

3. What can be done about the problem?

4. What does it mean to be ‘time poor’?

5. How do you improve your time management?

6. Do you have any other tips?

7. What is ‘time poverty’?

8. What’s the best way to reduce stress in the workplace?

4 Listening comprehension

Listen again and choose the best answer to the following questions.

1. According to Jennette, what is the cause of ‘time poverty’?

a. A lack of planning and time management skills

b. A sharp increase in the amount of data we all have to process with computers and
smartphones
c. A tendency for people to work too much and not leave enough time for other aspects of life

2. According to Jennette, what can be the effects of time poverty on someone?

a. A lack of attention to detail and increased risk of making mistakes which cause problems

b. An increased risk of health problems, stress and damage to personal relationships

c. An increased reliance on caffeine and sugar to help the person focus on their work

3. What point does Jennette make about working long hours?

a. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are being productive.

b. It reduces the amount of time you can spend exercising, which can cause health problems.

c. It’s often the only way to get ahead in the business environment of today.

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4. What does ‘working smarter’ mean according to Jennette?

a. Working as a team and delegating tasks to other people if needed

b. Incorporating downtime and sufficient rest into your work life

c. Using tablets and smartphones efficiently to organise your schedule

5. What suggestion does Jennette make to battle ‘time poverty’?

a. Allowing employees to watch Netflix when at work

b. Encouraging employees to share their holiday photos

c. Enabling employees to take as much time off as they require

6. What does Jennette recommend needs to be in place for this to work?

a. A trusting relationship and well-defined consequences

b. A clear financial incentive for doing well

c. A team that decides what to do with employees who fail

7. What further recommendations does Jennette make?

a. Create a company team and compete against other companies.

b. Let employees drink alcohol at work if they feel it would help.

c. Encourage a culture of discussing free time activities.

5 Skimming for gist

Quickly read the article about ’time poverty’ on page five and match the following titles to paragraphs
A-D. You will not need two of the titles.

1. The effects of time poverty

2. Who is responsible?

3. Science Fiction meets reality

4. Paying to have children

5. Possible solutions?

6. The causes of time poverty

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ADVANCED (C1-C2)
TIME POVERTY
Can you give me a minute?
How time poverty is increasing
A. The 2011 Sci-Fi Thriller, In Time, starring Justin
Timberlake and Olivia Wilde, depicts a world in which
time is a currency. Everyone has a certain amount of
time shown on their arm and when it runs out, you
die. The rich literally have all the time in the world
whereas the poor never have enough. In our modern
age, the world of the film and our reality has started
to get closer for many people, particularly those with
children. Parents, according to UK statistics, have 14
to 15 fewer hours each week to spend than those
who live alone. Single mothers are hardest hit, as
they often find themselves without access to the
support that higher earners have, such as nannies or
day-care for their children. This leaves them trapped
in a chronic cycle of social and economic poverty.
Essentially, being in the lower income bracket means
they are unable to devote the time to their jobs which
would allow them to advance up the pay scale, or
spend time learning new skills. As in the film, they
are permanently kept in a state of low income and no
time to do anything about it.
B. Being ‘time poor’ is defined as consistently having too
many things to do and not enough time to complete
them – and it’s increasing. It has a huge effect on
women particularly. Our ‘always on’ culture fetishizes
productivity and our work life easily bleeds into our
personal time now, with emails, Slack and Zoom often
available on the phone in our pocket. When this is
coupled with the vast increase in structured activities
for children, such as weekend sports and after-school
clubs, parents can feel as though their weekend is just
an extension of their job, still leaving them without
a minute to themselves. It’s not just children either.
Many families have elderly relatives to attend to, and
the care is disproportionally done by women, even
in families with both parents present. In developed
countries, women spend twice as much time on
unpaid jobs, like cooking, cleaning and childcare, than
their male counterparts. In developing nations, this
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can rise to around 3.4 times longer. Some of this is
due to expectations with gender roles, but there’s
also the time consumed by what is known as the
‘hidden load’, that is, the planning and organising of
activities which also usually falls to females, keeping
them busy for protracted lengths of time. This often
has the effect of channelling them into part-time or
less responsible roles, as they simply don’t have the
time to take on extra responsibility, despite being
perfectly capable of doing so.
C. Being time poor can lead to serious physical and
mental health issues, such as depression, burnout
and poor levels of sleep, which exacerbate the
already difficult situation. When people don’t have
enough time, they are less likely to enjoy leisure
activities, or spend time with friends, which are
important elements in a well-balanced lifestyle and
help improve general quality of life. There is also
evidence that those suffering from time poverty are
more likely to delay seeking medical help, with a
recent study showing that around 25% of women in
America had put off visiting a healthcare professional
due to a lack of time. In addition, time-poor people
are also more likely to exercise less and eat higher
levels of convenience and processed foods, further
adding to potential health problems.
D. There are concerns that the problem of time
poverty will further deteriorate unless employers and
governments intervene. Iryna Sharaievska, Assistant
Professor at the College of Behavioural, Social and
Health Sciences at Clemson University says policies
are needed which will support parents, such as
guaranteed paid time off, as well as parental and
family leave. She added that additional assistance
was needed for single parents, low-income families
and families in rural communities. Parents need to be
able to address their responsibilities to their children
without fear of losing their jobs in the process.
Sources: BBC.com, HuffPost.com, ShortForm.com
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6 Reading comprehension

Complete the following sentences with one, two, or three words from the article on page five .

1. A recent study in the United Kingdom showed that people have

around 14 to 15 hours more free time than those who have children.

2. Without the support enjoyed by higher-earners, single mothers can find themselves with caught
in severe difficulties from which they can’t escape.

3. With no time for further education or work which could advance their careers, many single
mothers reside in poverty with little hope of relief.

4. A in out-of-school activities for children has left parents struggling

to find time for themselves, even outside of their professional responsibilities.

5. The task of caring for both children and elderly relatives is one
which is taken on by females rather than males, even in family units where both are present.

6. Traditional are still a factor in why much of the work of running a

family falls to women, in addition to the ‘hidden load’ of planning and organising.

7. In addition to working, of a balanced life include socialising with

friends and pursuing hobbies and should not be neglected.

8. Parents shouldn’t have to be concerned about being fired, merely because they have to
outside of the workplace, and governments and employers need to recognise
this.

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7 Scanning for vocabulary

Quickly read through the article on page five and find words and phrases which mean the same as
the following.

1. particularly bad and long-lasting (adj., para. A)

2. to get a pay rise (v, para. A)

3. to make something important in an obsessive way (v, para. A)

4. lasting longer than anticipated (adj., para. B)

5. to encourage something to go in a particular direction, physically or in terms

of decisions (v, para. B)
6. to make something much worse (v, para. C)

7. to get a lot worse (v, para. D)

8. to involve yourself in something to try and change what is happening (v, para.
D)

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. In the listening section, Jennette suggested a ‘no vacation policy’. Is this something that you think
could work in your company? Is it desirable? Why/why not?
2. How much vacation time do you have to take each year? Do you take it all? What is the attitude
towards time off in your company? Is it encouraged or not? Why?
3. Do you feel you suffer from time poverty? If so, what do you think are the causes of it? If not,
why do you think that is?
4. What do you think can be done to battle the problem of time poverty, particularly for parents?
Do you think employers and governments should help? Or is it just the business of the parents
themselves? Why?

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9 Extended activity/homework

Write a letter to senior management outlining the problem of time poverty and suggest ways to
combat the issue which would result in making the workplace a more productive and desirable place
to work.

Consider the following questions to help you write your letter.

• How would you describe the problem of time poverty and how does it negatively affect the
workplace?
• What are the benefits to senior management of tackling the problem?
• What methods can you use to deal with the problem?
• What language will you use to address senior management?

You should:

• Write at least 250 words

• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation

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TEACHER MATERIALS · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

TIME POVERTY

Transcripts
3. Listening for gist

Interviewer: And today we welcome into the studio Jennette Kuczinski.

Jennette: Thank you for having me!

Interviewer: So, you’ve got some tips for us on handling time poverty in the workplace. But first of
all, what is ‘time poverty’?

Jennette: Well, as they say, ‘time is money’ and in the world of business this is particularly true.
People tend to put a value on their time, particularly when they enter a high-income
bracket. So, people take the idea that if you’re working, you’re earning and extrapolate
that to mean that if you’re taking a break, you’re losing money. People see their time
as either working, or shirking. The result of that is too many people working too much
with not enough time to do all the tasks they need to do. Even if they have money,
they have no time. They are also frequently plagued by problems with stress, personal
relationships and health. You can’t spend quality time with your loved ones if you’re
always working. It’s much easier to devour a chocolate bar than to prepare a salad when
you’re on the go. So, time poverty can cause a domino effect. The trouble is, working
long hours doesn’t automatically mean that the work you’re doing is high quality. A
16-hour day will ultimately produce ever diminishing returns as your brain and body
start to tire.

Interviewer: So, what can be done?

Jennette: The way we look at work needs to change. It’s not about working harder; it’s about
working smarter. We need to make better use of the time that we do have and allow
time for other things too. Research shows that people who are well-rested are better
at their work, more responsive and more creative. We need to start seeing downtime
as an essential ingredient to our work lives, not just something to be cut into when we
need to work longer hours.

Interviewer: OK, what would you suggest then?

Jennette: You need to give your employees the freedom to take time off when they need it, and
not dictate when they can take it. Employees actually respond very well to being given
freedom like that and studies show that they will work much better, with very few taking
advantage. Netflix pioneered a ‘no vacation policy’ which gave employees the ability
to take as much time off as they needed without being tracked. This means making
sure the staff are responsible and have clear goals, knowing exactly what is expected
of them. Managers need to openly use their paid days off and encourage positive talk
around time off. One thing I do is set a competition every year where there’s a prize
for the best holiday photo. Get people to discuss their holiday plans, be happy for
them when they ask to take time off. You can make taking a break an important and
acknowledged part of the company culture.

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Interviewer: That’s a great tip. Do you think there are any downsides to a ‘no vacation policy’?

Jennette: Obviously, there needs to be trust. You can have employees taking advantage. You
can counter this though with having clear goals that they need to achieve that they are
aware of. If they don’t achieve those goals, there must be consequences. Equally, you
can have employees not taking enough time off. You could get around this by having a
minimum holiday requirement, or ensuring that all employees take a minimum of, say,
one week every four months.

Interviewer: Do you have any other tips?

Jennette: Of course, it’s not just about holiday time. Employees need to have regular mental
breaks from work. Encourage their hobbies and get them to talk about them at work.
There’s nothing wrong with taking some time at work to get everyone together to play
a sport, or to have an afternoon in the pub together for a quiz. It’s OK to let your hair
down and encourage others to do the same. When they go back to work, they will be
better for it. I know it’s not always easy and people have a lot going on with both work
and family. But there’s a lot employers can do to foster an atmosphere where taking a
break is positive and encouraged. Your employees will thank you!

Interviewer: Jennette, thank you! I’m just hoping my manager upstairs was listening to that! (laughs)

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TIME POVERTY

Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This gets the students thinking about their own life relative to how much time they spend on different aspects of
their life before delving into the topic.

2. Focus on vocabulary

5 mins.
Ensure students can correctly pronounce the target language. Ask them to complete the exercise unaided in the
first instance, but complete it using a reference if required later.
Part A
1. → d. 2. → h. 3. → e. 4. → g. 5. → a. 6. → b. 7. → c. 8. → f.

Part B
10 mins.
Ask students to complete the sentences having first identified which parts of speech could fill the gaps. Once this
is completed, ask them to discuss the questions in order to practise using the vocabulary.
1. bracket 2. let your hair down 3. domino effect 4. fosters
5. shirking 6. extrapolate 7. diminishing 8. plagued

3. Listening for gist

5 mins.
This gives students an opportunity to listen to the interview ahead of the main comprehension to get an overview
of the discussion.
1. Do you think there are any downsides to a ‘no vacation policy’? X
2. What would you suggest managers do? X
3. What can be done about the problem? X
6. Do you have any other tips? X
7. What is ‘time poverty’? X

4. Listening comprehension

5 mins.
Ask students to read through the options and predicts the answers ahead of listening for a second time to check.
1. c. 2. b. 3. a. 4. b. 5. c. 6. a. 7. c.

5. Skimming for gist

5 mins.
You should set a strict time limit on this to encourage students to skim read rather than read in detail. Note that
two of the titles are not used.

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TIME POVERTY

1. Paragraph C
2. Not used
3. Paragraph A
4. Not used
5. Paragraph D
6. Paragraph B

6. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
Ask students to read in greater detail and complete the sentences with one, two or three words taken from the
text.
1. who live alone 2. social and economic
3. permanently 4. vast increase
5. disproportionally 6. gender roles
7. important elements 8. address their responsibilities

7. Scanning for vocabulary

5 mins.
Set a strict time limit to encourage students to scan rather than read in detail. You may want to do this before or
after the reading comprehension.
1. chronic 2. to advance up the pay scale
3. fetishize 4. protracted
5. channel 6. exacerbate
7. deteriorate 8. intervene

8. Talking point

5 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Circulate and help as needed.

9. Extended activity/homework

45 mins+.
Ask students to plan, write and edit their letters. You may want to do this in class or as a homework activity. Be
sure to give students feedback on their writing.

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