Đề thi IELTS GENERAL READING: Working from Home

Questions 15 - 20
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 15 — 20 on your answer sheet.

15. What is the main challenge for the company with having homeworkers?

16. Dealing with which emotion can be a challenge for homeworkers?

17. What do homeworkers perceive they are missing out on the most when they are away from the office?

18. What will the decision depend on if an employee wishes to work part-time as well as working from home?

19. What process will have to take place before an employee can begin working from home?

20. What process can employees initiate if their application for homeworking is refused?

Working from Home — Notes for Employees

The number of employees working from home in office-type jobs, or roles involving travel, where home is used as a base, is steadily increasing. We have therefore published these notes about working for us from home.

Homeworking can present challenges to both you and us. For us, the main issue is the staff management of those who work on their own and away from the main business base. For you, it can include overcoming feelings of loneliness and managing the boundaries between home and work life. Often, being away from the managers who are responsible for promotion is felt to be the greatest disadvantage.

Home working can include:

— Working entirely at home apart from attending regular or occasional meetings at the office or with customers.
— Time split between office and home or with customers — for example, two days the office and three days at home or with customers.

— Working mainly in the office and working from home only occasionally.

Homeworking can also be used in conjunction with other arrangements, such as flexible hours, working part-time, term-time working or working our core hours. The employee's post will determine whether this is possible.

While homeworking can be seen as an attractive option, it will not suit everyone. A homeworker needs to be able to cope with working on their own with little supervision. Homeworkers ideally need to be:

- able to spend long periods on their own and be confident working without supervision.

- self-disciplined and self-motivated

- able to separate work from home life

As the employer of all our staff, we have a duty of care for all our employees, and the requirements of the health and safety legislation apply to homeworkers. We are responsible for carrying out a risk assessment to check whether the proposed home workplace's ventilation, temperature, lighting, space, chair, desk and computer, or any kind of workstation, and floor are suitable for the tasks the homeworker will be carrying out. Employees will have to arrange this with us before they start homeworking.

Any application for homeworking should be made in writing and sent to your line manager. Any refusal will be accompanied by an explanation and employees can make an appeal if they are not satisfied.

Questions 21 - 27

Write your answers in boxes 21 — 27 on your answer sheet.

Staying Healthy at Work

Workers can improve their health and fitness at work. Avoiding stress is important and (21) ............ is better than dealing with it after its arrival. Workers should prioritise work and not over-work. Back pain is a common workplace health problem and is caused in different ways. Workers should stay active, use analgesic if necessary, and avoid (22) ........... RSI is a threat and can be caused by poor posture, poor equipment or poor (23) .......... using equipment. Sitting badly can also cause problems. Workers should be assessed and take regular (24) ............. if they use a computer a lot.

A long (25) ................. and working hours are tiring, but workers an exercise at work in different ways or work at lunchtimes. Developing (26) ................. and getting lighter will help workers in all areas of health. As people eat a lot at work, how they eat affects their health, fitness and (27) ....................
commute

vacations

performance

breaks

driving

prevention

bed

surgery

fitness

technique

Staying Healthy at Work

Most of our waking hours are spent at work, which means the working environment can play a big part in our health and well-being.

About 131 million working days were lost through absences due to sickness or injury in 2013. There are many things that workers can do not only to reduce their risk of work-related ill health, but also to use their time at work to boost their health.

Stress About 15.2 million days were lost last year because of work-related stress, depression and anxiety. While not all stress is work-related, knowing how to deal with a lot of pressure at work is vital. Learn to identify the symptoms of stress. Don't wait for it to make you ill before you do something about it. One of the best ways of dealing with stress is knowing how to prioritise your workload and not taking on more than you can handle.

Back Pain About 30.6 million working days were lost due to work-related back, neck and muscle pain and other musculoskeletal disorders in 2013. The main causes are poor posture or an awkward twisting movement (bending or reaching), or a combination of the two. In most cases, the best treatment is to stay active and, if necessary, use over-the-counter painkillers. You may feel like lying down, but this won't help and could make things worse. The longer you stay immobile, the weaker your back muscles will be and the more they'll hurt in the long term.

RSI Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is more likely to occur if you spend long periods of work without a break, or if you sit on an uncomfortable chair or at a poorly arranged workstation. Incorrect procedure when using a computer keyboard and mouse, mobile phone or hand-held device can all cause RSI. Modern technology isn't solely responsible. Anyone who uses certain muscles repeatedly can get RSI.

Sitting If you spend a lot of your time at work sitting at a desk, make sure you're sitting in the right position in relation to your computer. If you're unsure about correct posture, ask your line manager for a workplace assessment. If you work on a computer a lot, it's important to leave the computer periodically. That means for every hour at your keyboard, you should rest for at least five to ten minutes.

Exercise Many of us spend long hours at work and may have long and tiring journeys to and from work. But getting active at work is easier than you may think. Try and cycle or walk to work, take stairs rather than the lift or use your lunch break as an exercise slot. Working out and losing weight will also benefit your posture and help prevent injury.

Eating Most people consume over 35 per cent of their daily calorie intake while at work. What we eat and drink affects not just our health, but our efficiency and success too. If we don't eat regular well-balanced meals or drink enough water, we may get headaches, feel sluggish or have difficulty concentrating.