2024-03-31 15:18:18
Listening transcript:
NeilHello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.
BethAnd I’m Beth.
NeilBeth, have you ever had a
horrible boss, not been paid enough, or simply got tired of doing the same old boring job?
BethI love presenting Six Minute English – of course, but some of my previous jobs have been pretty
awful, Neil. When I waitressed in cafes
I was on my feet ten hours a day – it was
exhausting!
NeilMost people have had bad work experiences at one time or another - maybe a job that was boring, badly paid, or just working too much and getting
burned out – lacking energy or
enthusiasm because of working too hard.
BethBut does work have to be like this? Since most of our waking day is spent at work, how can we make sure our job doesn’t make us unhappy? That's what we'll be
discussing in this programme, and, as usual, will be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.
NeilSounds good, Beth, but first
I have a question for you. The worst job I ever had was the summer I spent working as a portable toilet cleaner at music festivals, but according to a recent survey by Forbes magazine, what was voted the worst job in the UK? Was it:
a) a call centre worker?
b) a bartender? or,
c) a traffic warden?
BethI think the answer might be a call centre worker.
NeilOK, Beth, I'll reveal the answer later in the programme. Now, it's interesting that survey was
carried out in the UK, because being unhappy at work could be related to the British working culture which emphasizes working
at a fast pace.
BethCompared to some European countries, British workers have to meet more targets and deadlines - a time or date by which a particular job must be finished.
NeilThe pressure to work quickly means you might have your boss
breathing down your neck, an idiom meaning that someone is watching you very closely and checking everything you do… Not a nice feeling to have at work!
BethThat’s right. A good job is about more than pay and conditions, it's one that uses your talents, and gives you some choice over how and when you work. In 2022, Britain's biggest employer, the National Health Service or NHS, lost more than 15,000 nurses, many quitting because of the long and
inflexible working hours.
NeilAnother sector with long working hours is the construction industry. Low paid, dirty and physically
demanding, construction workers also risk high levels of work-related injury.
NeilMaybe more flexible working would help some of the jobs I mentioned earlier in my question, Beth - according to a recent Forbes magazine survey, what was voted the worst job in the UK?
BethI guessed it was a job I've done myself - working in a call centre.
NeilAnd that was… the correct answer, although I think my summer job cleaning toilets was even worse! Right, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this programme starting with burnout – lack of energy or enthusiasm because of working too hard.
BethA deadline is the time by which a particular job must be done.
NeilIf someone is breathing down your neck, they’re watching you very closely and checking everything you do.
NeilWork-life balance is the amount of time spend doing your job, compared with the amount of time you spend doing things you enjoy.
BethAnd finally, a win-win is a situation or result that is good for everyone. Once again our six minutes are up. Join us again next time, but for now - get back to work! Goodbye!
NeilBye!
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