With the massive increase of technology in the workplace, many have seen how emails and messages constantly make their way into their free time. There’s no denying that tools and technologies have helped improve productivity, flexibility and collaboration among employees, however, the same technology that gives them the ability to work anywhere also makes them contactable at any time and leaves them unable to switch off.
According to experts, this lack of boundaries between work and private life is not only taking its toll on employees’ right to rest, but also has a significant productivity loss for companies.
In this listening, behavioural scientist and Harvard Business School professor Ashley Whillans, shares three practical steps for reframing the boundaries between work and leisure.
This is a sentence completion listening activity. As usual, read the questions first. Check the meaning for new words as the questions for advanced and proficiency levels usually paraphrase what the speaker said and avoid repeating the exact words from the spoken sample. Then play the video twice filling in the blank with the word or words you hear. Before completing the task, check for spelling errors.
Speak for a minute
- In general terms, has the use of technology helped you gain a work-life balance or has it had the opposite effect?
- How possible is it to leverage technology and make the most of work-life balance?
- What amount of prioritization should one allocate between work, personal life, and family?
- Indeed, research shows that the primary cause of stress is workload, being almost a 50% over other causes of stress. What is, in your opinion, responsible for this?