BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS

Employers wake up to the power of a

staff nap
1 Warmer

a. Give and compare your opinions about the statements below.

Agree Not sure Disagree

I like to take naps.
Taking naps is good for your health.
Companies should let employees
nap at work.
Employees who nap more are
more productive.

2 Key words

a. Read the definitions and find key words in the article that match them. The paragraph numbers
are given in brackets to help you. Check your answers and your understanding of the words by
using them to complete the example sentences.

1. when two or more numbers relate to each other (paragraph 1)

Science shows that university test results with sleep quality.

2. the fact of something or someone not succeeding (paragraph 2)

The latest ad campaign was a ;only 2% of viewers clicked on the link.

3. a short sleep (usually not in your bed) (paragraph 3)

Sometimes I try to read on the train, but most days I have a .

4. not wanting to accept changes or new ideas (paragraph 3)

Her manager suggested that she apply for the customer service position, but she was

at first. She wasn’t used to working with people.

5. the rate at which a person gets valuable work done (paragraph 5)

Being at the office for longer hours does not necessarily mean more .
Intermediate

6. provide more proof or support for an idea or opinion (paragraph 6)

In the meeting, the consultant the same points that employees have

raised for ages.

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7. reduce or be reduced in importance or size (paragraph 8)

Studies show that having less control over their work

employee satisfaction.

8. take something necessary or pleasant away from someone

(paragraph 9)

It is illegal to someone of a job opportunity because they are pregnant

or plan to become pregnant.

9. the state of feeling healthy and happy (paragraph 9)

Some companies offer game rooms, meditation or yoga sessions, and free massages to

support employee .

10. produce or achieve something that you promised to do (paragraph 12)

We need to the new contract tomorrow.

11. someone who frequently has trouble sleeping (paragraph 17)

I often receive emails from my boss at 3 a.m. He must be an

12. a strong desire to achieve something, usually success, power, or wealth

(paragraph 18)

His main is to complete an MBA programme.

Intermediate

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 BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS
Employers wake up to the power of a staff nap
GROUPS FROM LAW FIRMS TO THE NHS ARE SEEKING HELP FOR THE OVERWORKED
EMMA JACOBS
9 JULY, 2023
1 A friend once mused that the number of babies you
have directly correlates with your ability to nap.
I had one.
2 During maternity leave more than a decade ago,
I became demented by my failure to sleep when
the baby slept. I tried everything. I changed into my
pyjamas mid-morning, Winston Churchill style. I put
on eye masks, made the room pitch black, walked in
the fresh air, sprayed lavender cologne on my pillow
and ate turkey slices. Nothing worked.
3 I am not anti-nap. I don’t see a short snooze as a
sign of idleness or moral decay – if anything, framing
it as fecklessness makes it more appealing. I am
just nap resistant; it’s part of my make-up. Or so
I believed.
4 Cara Moore, an executive coach and founder of
ProNappers, a business consultancy, thought
differently. An evangelist for the power of the nap,
she has become so good at it she can fall asleep
sitting in a co-working space with earbuds and an
eye mask.
5 It increases productivity, she says. “If you go for a
nap with an unsolved problem – an email you haven’t
been able to phrase quite right or a conversation
that’s weighing on your mind, you often wake
up [and] know what to do or say.”
6 The benefits were reinforced by research in the
journal Sleep Health last month. It found regular
napping slowed the pace the brain shrinks
as we age, lowering the risk of dementia and
other diseases.
7 Naps fall into three categories. The refresher: a
Intermediate
post-lunch rest to revive energy; a recovery nap to
remedy broken sleep, perhaps mid-morning; and the
preparatory nap to ready for a night shift or evening
of socialising.
Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2024.
8 Employers are waking up to the advantages. Dr Guy
Meadows, clinical director at The Sleep School, which
runs programmes for businesses and individuals,
detects a shift in attitudes. He says some employers
in law, consulting, banking and the NHS are asking
for help for staff working long or antisocial hours, as
they are worried about diminished concentration and
increased risk-taking.
9 With organisations that require employees to work
late on a deal, for example, Meadows might suggest
“a strategic nap”. “In the past [employers] were coy,
they didn’t want to be talking about sleep-depriving
their employees. [Today] they’re more open about
wellbeing.”
10 How to nap is one of the most common questions
in his sleep sessions for companies. Employees
typically don’t nap, he says, because they don’t know
what to do and they can’t fall asleep.
11 Of course, scornful managers or a lack of facilities
(nap pods or quiet rooms) at the office are also
big obstacles.
12 How many organisations have a napping culture, with
managers truly enlightened about snoozing on the
job? My editor is flexible but I can’t imagine promising
to deliver an article just as soon as my nap is over.
13 Working from home may have eased the way for
some white-collar professionals. Research by
LifeSearch, the life insurance provider, found one in
six admitted to a nap during work time.
14 In overcoming nap resistance, Moore asks me to
examine thoughts holding me back. A common one,
she says, is pride in being busy. I’m past the stage of
hustle-humblebragging — but am guilty of believing
that if I press on, I’ll grind through the work quicker.
This desire to crack on, says Moore, and “tick a few
more things off their list” is fool’s logic.
Continued on next page
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15 As with a good exercise regime, Meadows
encourages scheduling naps in a diary, setting an
alarm or asking someone else to hold you to account.
Meadows suggests experimenting with the napping
time, usually between 10 and 20 minutes.
17 On the fourth day, I enter a kind of twilight
consciousness. Success, according to Meadows,
whose most important advice is, don’t fixate on
sleep. The ambition, he says, creates its own
stress – evident among insomniacs.

16 The first day at home after lunch, I start with 10 18 Two weeks later, on a sporadic nap schedule,
minutes, setting the alarm in case I enter deep sleep. I find that rest has become its own reward. I’m
I lie in a hammock with a cushion over my eyes to going to persevere. A nap habit takes practice, after
reduce the light. Worrying that my neighbours will all – Moore suggests at least a month, and Meadows,
wonder why I’ve got a cushion on my eyes prevents three. No one can accuse me of lacking ambition.
me from sleeping. Moore suggests listening to
something to slow my whirring internal thoughts. I try
a guided meditation, interrupted by a request to fund
their podcast. The next day, I listen to a boring book.
It works for a bit and then my mind wanders: how did
the narrator discover his knack for sending people
to sleep? Does it interfere with his dating life? Better
was Moore’s ProNappers’ meditation, which declares
“napping is a great use of your time”, accompanied by
the sound of waves.

Emma Jacobs, 9 July, 2003

© The Financial Times.
All rights reserved.
Articles republished from the Financial Times.
Intermediate

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3 Understanding the article

a. Are these statements True (T) or False (F) according to the article? Fix any that are false.

1. The author has never been able to nap easily.

2. Cara Moore can easily fall asleep in the office.

3. Moore says that napping is great for problem-solving.

4. Sleeping too much can increase the risk of some diseases.

5. More employers are telling workers who have active social lives to take naps.

6. Dr Meadows recommends taking a preparatory nap if you finish work early.

7. Some people don’t like the idea of napping because they want to keep busy.

8. Your naps should always be the same length.

9. The writer tried meditating and watching television to fall asleep.

10. You shouldn’t worry about sleeping; just try to relax.

4 Business language – collocations

a. Complete each sentence with the correct preposition(s).

1. When will companies wake the benefits of office naps?

2. There was a shift the team after the conference.

3. Do not let fear hold you from new experiences.

4. Let’s press and get the job done.

5. If we each take a few pages, we can grind them more quickly.

6. I love the feeling I get when I tick things my list.

7. Telling others about your goals is a great way to hold yourself account.
Intermediate

8. Let’s not fixate whose fault it is. Let’s ask, how can we fix it?

9. Every winter, we are a tight schedule to meet customer demand.

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b. Now, write phrases from the previous activity to match each set of synonyms.

1. continue working

2. focus on, obsess over

3. discover, realise

4. finish, complete, achieve

5. a change in, a transformation in

6. be in a hurry, work against the clock, have a tight deadline

7. prevent from, hinder

8. be accountable, be answerable

9. work towards a goal despite difficulties or obstacles

5 Discussion

a. Discuss these questions.

1. Did anything in the article surprise you? What is it?

2. Have your ideas about napping changed? How?

3. Should all companies allow employees to nap?

4. What should a napping area look like?

6 Wider business theme – employee wellbeing

a. Read the employee complaints below. Which two issues are the most common in your
work culture?

• Lack of recognition for employees

• Lack of emotional safety

• Always being overworked and tired

Intermediate

• Lack of career growth

• Boring or meaningless work

• Changing tasks constantly

• Not being able to make their own decisions about how they work

• Always being available and ‘on’

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b. How can these two complaints be addressed? Work in pairs or small groups.
Have a meeting to discuss and agree on the two complaints that should be addressed first.
Brainstorm how to address them and share your ideas with the whole class.

Useful language

I think that we should prioritise … because …

While … is important, … is crucial.

Since employees must / need …, … should be our priority.

The impact of … on employee wellbeing is undeniable.

Absolutely! / I can’t agree more.

This may be true, but … / That’s a good point. However, …

Intermediate

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 BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS
Employers wake up to the power of a
staff nap
8. deprive
Level: Intermediate (B1–B2)
9. wellbeing
10. deliver
Time: Approximately 90 minutes
11. insomniac
12. ambition
Business topics: Employee wellbeing,
productivity, ways of working
3. Understanding the article
Business language: Useful vocabulary,
business phrases, collocations a. Ask students to skim the article first. Then, have them
(prepositional phrases) scan the article to locate the relevant paragraph for
each statement and select the correct answer.
Activities: Key words, understanding the text,
business language (prepositions, register), Key:
discussion, brainstorming solutions to 1. True
employee well-being issues 2. True
3. True
Groups: Whole class, one-to-one, 4. False. Sleeping more can slow the pace the brain
small groups shrinks as we age and lower the risk of dementia
and other diseases.
5. False. They are encouraging staff working long or
antisocial hours to take naps.
Overview: This article discusses the benefits
6. False. He suggests a “strategic nap” for workers
of staff naps, new trends, practical napping
advice, and the writer’s own anecdotes. required to work late.
7. True
8. False. Naps with different lengths and at different
times of the day have different benefits.
1. Warmer 9. True
10. True
a. Ask students to complete the survey individually. Then
have them compare their opinions in small groups 4. Business language – collocations
or pairs. After talking for a few minutes, get students
to share their thoughts and ideas with the rest of the a. Ask students to see if they can guess the answers
group. Write students’ contributions to the relevant before referring to the article again if necessary.
target language on the board.
Key:
2. Key words 1. up to
2. in
a. Ask students to scan the article to find the key words. 3. back
Then, ask them to compare their answers in pairs or 4. on
small groups before going over the answers. 5. through
6. off
Intermediate

Key: 7. to
1. correlate, correlates 8. on
2. failure 9. on
3. snooze
4. resistant b. Ask students to work together to complete the
5. productivity activity. Encourage them to look back at the previous
6. reinforce, reinforced activity and see which phrase they can substitute the
7. diminish, diminishes synonyms for.
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Key:
1. press on
2. fixate on
3. wake up to
4. tick things off
5. a shift in
6. be on a tight schedule
7. hold you back from
8. hold yourself to account
9. grind through

5. Discussion

a. Put the students in pairs or small groups and ask

them to discuss the questions. When students have
covered all of the questions, bring the whole class
back together so that they can share their answers
and any interesting information that arose from
their discussions.

6. Wider business theme – employee

wellbeing

a. Put students in small groups and ask them to discuss

and prioritise the issues. Encourage them to focus on
their personal experiences and knowledge.

Give students time to think of their ideas and note

them down.

b. Tell students they will have a brainstorming meeting to

discuss solutions to the two most pressing issues. Ask
them to look over the helpful language and add any
other phrases that might come in handy.

Then, ask them to participate in the meeting in their

groups. Remind them that they must first agree on the
two most pressing issues. Following their negotiation,
they should brainstorm solutions.

If time allows, regroup students and get them to share

Intermediate

and compare their brainstorming notes.

Extension
Students can write an email summarising the meeting
outcomes. You could suggest a structure as follows:

1. Background (two identified issues and reasons

why they are essential to address)
2. Summary of best suggested options
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