The Flexible Workday
B2 Business English · Work-Life Balance
01 · Warm-Up
Getting Started
Do you work flexible hours? How does it affect your productivity?
What is the difference between working from home and working in the office?
Do you think a four-day working week is a good idea? Why / why not?
How do you separate your work life from your personal life?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of remote working?
What does 'work-life balance' mean to you?
02 · Vocabulary
Key Vocabulary
| WORD | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|
| flexitime | Many employees prefer flexitime as it allows them to start and finish at different times. |
| remote working / working from home | Remote working became widespread during the pandemic. |
| hybrid working | Our company offers a hybrid working model — two days in the office, three at home. |
| work-life balance | Good work-life balance is essential for employee wellbeing. |
| productivity | Studies show that flexible working can increase productivity. |
| commute | A long commute can be exhausting and reduce quality of life. |
| micromanagement | Employees often feel demotivated by micromanagement. |
| autonomy | Greater autonomy at work leads to higher job satisfaction. |
| output-based | An output-based approach focuses on results, not hours worked. |
| burnout | Overworking without breaks can lead to burnout. |
| wellbeing | Employee wellbeing is a top priority for modern companies. |
| core hours | All employees must be available during core hours, 10am–3pm. |
03 · Idioms & Phrases
Business Idioms
30 essential business idioms and phrases used in the workplace.
burn the midnight oil
We burned the midnight oil to finish the report on time.
clock in / clock out
Employees must clock in at 8am and clock out at 5pm.
pull a long day
I had to pull a long day to meet the deadline.
be snowed under
I can't meet today — I'm completely snowed under.
work around the clock
The team worked around the clock to fix the system.
call it a day
It's 7pm — let's call it a day.
get the ball rolling
Let's get the ball rolling on the new project.
on the back burner
That idea has been on the back burner for months.
touch base
Let's touch base on Friday to see how things are going.
go the extra mile
She always goes the extra mile for her clients.
think outside the box
We need to think outside the box to solve this problem.
the bottom line
The bottom line is that we need to cut costs.
take something on board
I'll take your feedback on board and revise the proposal.
in the pipeline
There are several new products in the pipeline.
a ballpark figure
Can you give me a ballpark figure for the project cost?
hit the ground running
We need someone who can hit the ground running.
move the goalposts
The client keeps moving the goalposts — it's very frustrating.
a steep learning curve
The new software has a steep learning curve.
bring to the table
What skills do you bring to the table?
get the green light
We finally got the green light to start the project.
red tape
There's too much red tape involved in getting approval.
a win-win situation
Flexible working is a win-win situation for employees and employers.
on the same page
Let's make sure we're all on the same page before the meeting.
back to the drawing board
The prototype failed, so it's back to the drawing board.
cut corners
We can't cut corners on safety.
keep someone in the loop
Please keep me in the loop about any developments.
ahead of the curve
Our company is ahead of the curve in adopting AI.
a game changer
Remote working has been a game changer for many industries.
put something on the agenda
Can we put the budget review on the agenda for next week?
from the ground up
We built the new system from the ground up.
0X · Discussion
Discussion Questions
Do you work flexible hours? How does it affect your productivity?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of working from home?
Do you think a four-day working week is a good idea? Why / why not?
How do you separate your work life from your personal life?
Have you ever experienced burnout? What caused it and how did you deal with it?
Is micromanagement ever justified? When?
What does 'going the extra mile' mean to you in your job?
Which of the idioms in this lesson do you use most often?
How has the concept of a 'working day' changed in your lifetime?
What is the ideal work-life balance for you personally?