34. Working hours and time off work CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION

34. Working hours and time off work

Exercise 1: Complete sentences 1 – 26 with words and expressions from the box. Note that some of the sentences refer to shift work (when employees work for a period and then are replaced by others). Other sentences refer to flexible work systems, where employees can start or stop work at different hours of the day, provided they work a certain number of hours a day or week. allowed time clock off core time double time fixed hours Flexible Work Regulations flexilagger flexileader flexitime full-time graveyard shift homeworking job rotation job-share overtime part-time roster rotating shifts shifts differentials shift transfer time and a half time-keeping time sheet twilight shift unsocial hours work-life balance 1 ___________ is the fact of being on time for work (for example, ‘He was reprimanded for bad ___________’) 2 ___________ is paid time which the management agrees an employee can spend on rest, cleaning or meals, not working. 3 ___________ is a form of employment in which two or more people do a single job or take on a specific role within a company, each person working part-time. 4 ___________ is a short form of the expression flexible time. 5 A company or organisation that puts a lot of emphasis on flexibility in its employment practices is known informally as a ___________. 6 A company or organisation that puts too little emphasis on flexibility in its working practices is known informally as a ___________. 7 An employee who works ___________ works at times such as in the evening, at night or during public holidays when most people are not at work. 8 Employees who work ___________ work for the normal working time (i.e. about 8 hours a day 5 days a week). 9 Employees who work ___________ do not work for the whole working week (for example, they might only work 4 hours a day instead of 8). 10 A time for which work is paid at twice the normal rate (for example, at weekends or on public holidays) is called ___________. 11 ___________ is the normal rate of pay plus 50% extra (for example, when an employee does overtime or works evenings). 12 Hours worked more than the normal working hours are called ___________. 13 ___________ is a period when employees working under a flexible time system must be present at work. 14 The act of changing an employee's shift or working hours is called ___________. 15 If a company does not operate a flexible time system, we say that the employees work ___________ hours. 16 ___________ refers to a system where employees take turns in working different shifts. 17 The ___________ is an informal expression for the night shift. 18 ___________ is a working method where employees work at home (usually on computer terminals), and send the finished material back to the office by email. 19 A duty ___________ is a list of times showing when each employee is on duty at those times. 20 When you record the time you leave work by putting a card into a special machine, you ___________. 21 A ___________ is a record of when employees arrive at and leave work, or one which shows how much time an employee spends on different jobs each day. 22 In Britain, parents who have children under 6, or disabled children under 18, have a legal right to have their working hours arranged to help them with their responsibilities. This right is known as ___________. 23 The ability to devote a sensible amount of time to doing your job, making sure that you have enough time left over to do other things (for example, spend time with your family) is referred to as ___________. 24 ___________ are payments made to an employee in addition to their basic pay to compensate them for the inconvenience of the pattern of shift work. 25 The ___________ is another name for the evening shift, just before it gets dark. 26 When an employee is moved systematically from one job to another, this is known as ___________. Exercise 2: Complete these sentences with an appropriate word or words, and write these words in the grid on the next page. If you do this correctly, you will reveal a hidden expression in the shaded vertical strip which means time off work granted to an employee to deal with personal or family problems. Some of the letters have already been put into the grid to help you. Several of the sentences use the word leave. In these cases, leave is a noun for permission to be away from work (e.g., ‘He isn't here, he's on leave’). Employees can be or go onleave. 1 A certificate from a doctor to show that an employee has been ill is called a ___________ certificate. 2 A holiday from work which is fixed by law is called a ___________ holiday. 3 A period when a woman is away from work to have a baby (but is still paid) is called ___________ leave. 4 Leave during which an employee receives no money is called ___________ leave. 5 A period of leave during which an employee is not allowed into the company offices is known informally as___________ leave. 6 A period of paid or unpaid time off work for the purposes of research, study or travel is called a ___________. 7 The percentage of a workforce which is away from work with no good excuse is called the ___________ rate. 8 A day when all employees in the country are allowed to take a day off work is called a ___________ ___________. 9 A period of paid leave given by some companies to staff who have completed several years of service is called ___________-___________ leave. 10 A person's right to something (for example, their right to a paid holiday from work) is called an ___________. 11 If an employee is away from work without permission and without a good reason, we can say that s/he has taken ___________ absence from work. 12 When an employee is sick and has to wait three days before s/he can claim sick pay, these days are known as ___________ days. 13 If an employee has permission to be away from work, s/he has leave of ___________. 14 When an employee gets time off from work instead of pay (for example, if they work overtime and get some time off work instead of overtime pay), we say that they take time off ___________ ___________. 15 A short period of leave given to a father to be away from work when his partner has a baby is called ___________ leave. 16 Paid time off from work given to an employee to help him / her deal with personal affairs is called ___________ leave. 17 A holiday or period when people are not working is called a ___________ (especially in the USA). 18 A payment made by the government or by a private insurance company to someone who is ill and cannot work is called sickness ___________.

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