US Businesses Give in to Worker Demands to Keep Employees
As many American businesses struggle to fill jobs, some have started negotiating demands that used to be non-negotiable for most hourly employees.
One of the top demands for many workers is scheduling — the days and time they spend on the job.
A recent study from an employment company found that nearly 40 percent of jobseekers worldwide said schedule flexibility was one of their top three issues in career decisions. Instawork is an employment marketplace that connects local businesses with hourly workers.
Such changes are happening as companies try to hire more workers for the upcoming holiday season. Target Corporation, for example, said this month it will pay $2 an hour more to employees who agree to work schedules during busy days of the holiday season. Sumir Meghani is co-founder and CEO of Instawork.
During the pandemic (大流行病), hourly workers were hit especially hard when businesses like department stores and restaurants were forced to close for a few months during the spring of 2020. Those who remained employed at essential businesses like grocery stores found themselves working too much and too hard.
A.There are currently many job openings in the United States. |
B.Hourly workers are now seeking more flexibility in their schedules. |
C.He thinks companies are learning that money alone cannot solve their hiring issues. |
D.Now, he notes, it’s more about what you need as an employee and how we can make you happy. |
E.It says the rate at which employers were able to fill weekend schedules dropped from January through August compared with weekday work. |
F.That contributed to a labor shortage, forcing employers to look for ways to make their jobs seem more attractive while also cutting back on hours of operation. |
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【推荐1】Tea Cottage Wants You!
Join us in Tea Cottage—the best Chinese restaurant in town.We are now looking for someone interested in working with us.
2 Cooks
At least two years’ work experience in a restaurant kitchen
Good at making Chinese dishes
Able to work on weekends
Work 16:00—21:00 every day (USD$600/week)
Waiters/Waitresses
At least one year’s work experience in cafes or restaurants
Part-time welcome
Work 11:00—15:00 or 16:00—21:00 (USD$16/hour)
2 Cleaners
No experience needed
Part-time welcome
Wash dishes, clean the kitchen
Work 12:00—15:00 or 17:00—22:00 (USD$12/hour)
We’re also looking for singers and bands for Wednesday nights!
Call 213-333-6789 Ms Wu
1. What you have read is a(n) ________ .A.report | B.advertisement | C.message | D.notice |
A.Singers. | B.Waiters. | C.Cleaners. | D.Cooks. |
A.send a letter | B.make a call | C.send an email | D.visit the boss |
【推荐2】Today’s workers are suffering from a burnout. The danger of this is that burnout is linked to under performance and feelings of hopelessness. Would you know how to fight burnout?
Find out the cause.
To fight burnout, you may have to get rid of anything that weighs you down. Remember, the less you have on your plate, the better you may feel.
Separate work from home life.
When you stop working at the end of the day, leave your “office hat” in the office. And while we’re talking about balance and relaxation, make sure you schedule real days off from work. No work emails, no work text messages, and no wok phone calls—a day devoted entirely to you, your family and rest.
Set realistic goals.
Maybe you have short-term and long-term goals for your life. Goals are an excellent motivator.
The best solution to burnout is seeking out rich interpersonal communications, and continual personal and professional development. Find coaches and mentors who can help you identify positive relationships and learning opportunities.
Take short breaks during the day.
When you’re working throughout the day, schedule short 10-minute breaks every hour or every hour and a half.
A.Seek out social connections. |
B.Social support can be beneficial. |
C.Maybe the problem is not your job itself, but rather a specific task or project. |
D.But If you reach too high too fast, burnout is unavoidable. |
E.Close your eyes for a few minutes, leave your computer, grab something drink, or simply sit in your quiet office and clear your mind. |
F.Here are some methods you can follow to solve the problem. |
G.If you are overwhelmed with work, you probably don’t have a lot of time to sleep |
【推荐3】“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I faced disappointment. “If you can carry on, one day something good will happen.”
After graduating from college in 1932, I decided to try for a job as a sports announcer (播音员) on the radio. I took the bus to Chicago and knocked on the door of every radio station. But I was refused every time. In one studio, a nice lady told me that big radio stations didn’t want to accept inexperienced (没经验的) persons. “Go to the countryside and find a small station that’ll give you a chance,” she said.
I returned home, Dixon in Illinois. My father said Smith Ward had opened a store and wanted a local sportsman to manage its sports department. Since I had played high school football in Dixon, I applied. The job sounded just right for me, but I still failed in the interview. As I left his office, I felt sad. I asked aloud, “How can a man become a sports announcer if he can’t get a job in a radio station?”
I was waiting for the lift when I heard Smith Ward calling, “What did you say about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he made me stand before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary (想象的) game. As a result, I did a wonderful job and was told to broadcast Saturday’s game!
On my way home, I thought of my mother’s words again: Everything happens for the best if you carry on. One day something good will happen.
1. When did the writer graduate from college?A.In 1931. | B.In 1932. |
C.In 1933. | D.In 1934. |
A.a small station | B.a big station |
C.a small city | D.a big city |
A.The writer. | B.Smith Marx. |
C.The writer’s father. | D.Smith Ward. |
A.Thursday’s game | B.Friday’s game |
C.Saturday’s game | D.Sunday’s game |
A.you will make money if you keep on trying |
B.you will lose money if you keep on trying |
C.you will succeed if you keep on trying |
D.you will fail if you keep on trying |
【推荐1】Letters to the Editor
Nurses’ strike
Sir, I have worked in the public sector for more than 30 years and know that the idea that nurses will be “driven out” of the health service by the 1 per cent pay offer is poppycock(胡说) (news, Mar 8). What attracts and keeps people working in these areas is public service and, as the Queen said in her message, a “selfless devotion to duty”.
Tim Kerin
London E7
Doorstep heroes
Sir, I can understand why so many people now like to have their milk delivered (“Pint-sized heroes are back on doorstep”, Mar 8) but don’t know why it has to be at such antisocial hours. I have often been woken up by the loud noise of Milk & More delivering to one of my neighbours in the early hours, and one day last week it was even at 1:50 a.m. , which made me sleepless the following hours.
Helen Hinde
Ruislip, Middx
Wine of the weak
Sir, Jane MacQuitty excelled (突出) herself in her wine column this week (“Red wine for lightweights: the best 12% and under bottles”, Weekend, Mar 6). The eight bottles on offer were flavoured as follows: forest-fruited, meaty, mocha, beetrooty, tobacco leaf, lemony and samphire. The star flavours (调味) in a Reisling from Chile were fat and lime pickle (酸菜味). Of the eight bottles of wine only one was described as “grapey”.
Tony Stafford
Harston, Cambs
Note: Letters to the Editor should be sent to letters@thetimes.co.uk or by post 1London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF.
1. Why did the three people write these letters?A.To make themselves famous. | B.To make some complaints. |
C.To promote The Times. | D.To improve their writing skills. |
A.the health service | B.the nurses’ devotion to their work |
C.the practical idea | D.the medical workers’ strike |
A.Shocking. | B.Pleasant. | C.Unbearable. | D.Popular. |
【推荐2】Laurie Santos, the psychology professor behind Yale University’s most popular course, recently launched a free six-week class aimed at teenagers, called “The Science of Well-Being for Teens”. It was developed to address rising rates of anxiety and depression and suicide (自杀) rates for kids between 9th and 12th grades, Santos says.
In the first lesson, she mentions one of the course’s pre-recorded lectures: Our brains lie to us about what makes us happy. “For adults, this may mean pursuing money or success at work, and for teens this might mean focusing on the perfect grades and getting into the best colleges,” Santos says. “The problem isn’t that we’re not putting work into feeling better—it’s that we’re doing the wrong things, prioritizing the wrong behaviors.”
Instead of focusing on reaching a financial milestone or perfect grades, aim to program your brain with thoughts and behaviors that make you feel better, Santos recommends. Regularly connecting with friends, taking care of your health and learning how to accept negative emotions all contribute more significantly to your well-being than having the right job, car or relationships, she adds in a course lecture.
The timing of the teen-specific course, which already has at least 17,000 members, is good, More than a third of teens self-report experiencing poor mental health, and nearly half feel constant sadness or hopelessness during the pandemic, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey that surveyed participants through mid-2021. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, those numbers had already increased by 40% from 2009 to 2019, the CDC noted. The agency’s survey also found that 20% of teens had seriously considered and 9% had attempted suicide.
Santos says she wants to help change those numbers by making the science of happiness accessible. “Happiness isn’t just about enjoying our day-to-day lives,” she adds. “It helps you land jobs and live longer, contributing to your success when you’re not really chasing it.”
1. Why did Laurie Santos start a free class?A.To assist college students in finding good jobs. |
B.To encourage young children to get perfect grades. |
C.To attract more students to apply to Yale University. |
D.To help teenagers deal with mental health problems. |
A.People today know well how to be happier. | B.Today’s people don’t pursue happiness properly. |
C.Adults do better in pursuing happiness than teens. | D.Rich people know how to accept negative emotions. |
A.Teenagers were happier before mid-2021. | B.Few teenagers know their health problems. |
C.Teenagers’ mental health issues are serious. | D.The teen-specific course has gained popularity. |
A.To explore the factors for teenagers’ unhappiness. |
B.To introduce an effective way to live a successful life. |
C.To recommend a free course about happiness for teens. |
D.To warn teenagers to pay more attention to their health. |
【推荐3】“Always wear sunscreen.” “Eat a balanced diet.” “A penny saved is a penny earned.” You probably all learned these lessons as a kid. But chances are, despite knowing these, you still stepped outside without putting on sunscreen, gulped an entire bag of chips in one go or spent more money than you had expected.
It’s a mistaken idea that knowing is half the battle. In most situations, just knowing something is not nearly enough for you to put it into practice.
A.How to address that? |
B.But it is often not the case. |
C.So what is the reason for it? |
D.Information doesn’t always change behavior. |
E.Behavior change is not educational pursuit but an environmental one. |
F.They refer to financial education as a way that can make money for them. |
G.Targeted ads are getting more personalized; everything around you is focusing on spending. |