【推荐2】Flextime is a flexible hours schedule in which employees choose their own working hours, usually working within approximate limits set by the employer or by the government.     1     flextime has a clear advantage.     2     For example, people can use flextime to create schedules which will allow them to go to school, handle childcare, assist relatives, and perform other tasks. Employees may also use their flextime to create a schedule which optimizes creativity, as in the case of someone who would prefer to work earlier in the day to get more accomplished.

    3     First, it tends to increase employees’satisfaction. This makes the company a better and more productive place to work. In addition, flextime can allow companies to serve clients for a great portion of the day, as employees will be around at varying hours to answer phones, attend meetings, and so forth.

Most flextime schedules include core time.     4     Employees are also usually given an hourly, daily or weekly limit to ensure that they do not violate laws about working hours Or the company is only willing to pay wages for so many hours of work each week.

A classic example of a flexible time schedule is that someone who works four 10-hour shifts a week can take three days off. Flextime can also be combined with flexplace, in which the environment is better than that of the office.     5     Employers may also allow people to work in untraditional settings such as coffee houses.

【推荐3】Because of the financial crisis in the US and UK, college students are beginning to struggle to find ways to pay their tuition fees and accommodations.

Recently, two major US student loan (贷款) lenders, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase, announced they were leaving the student loan industry altogether. Because banks currently have a lack of credit, they are reluctant to offer students low-interest loans that need a several-year wait for any return of interest.

In the US, many undergraduates fill up their financial needs with a private loan, although the majority can get government-funded loans. In the 2015-2016 academic year, $ 17 billion in private student loans was used to finance higher education. The lack of private funding has yet to be covered and will hit many US students hard.

Across the Atlantic, UK students have been less troubled by the crisis. Most undergraduates in the UK cover their university expenses with government-funded loans and grants. Their biggest concern is a sudden increase in student rent.

Most young professionals now rent houses, since 80 percent of UK mortgage schemes (按揭计划) have disappeared—a direct result of the credit crisis. This has boosted the house rent market.

In large cities, UK students are paying almost 6.5 percent more in rent than the previous year. Figures from the UK organization Accommodation for Student show students in big cities such as London paying an average weekly rent of $ 203.

Yet, despite students’ suffering, the number of this year’s university applications is expected to grow. During economic slumps, people regard further education as a way to survive tough job market.