Read my IELTS Essay on the topic of a shorter working week. The essay comes with a plan, a vocabulary list and some practice exercises.
Task
The working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. Do you agree or disagree?
Cambridge IELTS Academic 19 (Test 2)
Plan
Position: strongly agree
- Reason 1: shorter working week enhances productivity
- workers are better rested
- companies experimenting with 4-day workweek: more energy and focus
- Reason 2: better work-life balance
- longer weekends -> more time with family / chance to recharge mentally -> lower stress
- eg Japan: culture death from overwork / Denmark more satisfaction + wellbeing
- Reason 3: reduces unemployment
- companies may employ more workers if each works fewer hours
- 35 hour workweek (eg France) can reduce unemployment
Essay
In recent years, there has been a growing debate over whether the traditional five-day working week should be shortened to allow for longer weekends. I firmly agree that reducing the working week would yield significant benefits for both employees and employers.
Firstly, a shorter working week can enhance productivity. There is increasing evidence to suggest that reduced working hours can equate to increased output because workers are better rested. For instance, some companies have experimented with a four-day workweek and observed that employees not only maintained but often exceeded previous productivity levels. The additional rest allowed workers to return to work with renewed energy and greater focus, leading to more efficient performance.
Secondly, extending the weekend promotes a better work-life balance, which is crucial for mental health. Longer weekends provide employees with more opportunities to engage in leisure activities, spend quality time with their family, and recharge mentally. This can reduce stress levels and prevent burnout. In countries like Japan, where the work culture has even led to death from overwork, it is evident that insufficient rest can have dire consequences. By contrast, nations that prioritise work-life balance, like Denmark, often report higher levels of employee satisfaction and well-being.
Moreover, shortening the working week could help alleviate unemployment by distributing available work amongst more people. If companies require the same amount of labour hours but individual employees work fewer hours, they will need to hire additional staff to meet their needs. Indeed, some countries, such as France, have adopted a 35-hour workweek, which aims to reduce unemployment by spreading work more evenly across the population.
In conclusion, shortening the working week and extending the weekend offers multiple advantages, including increased productivity, improved mental health, and potential reductions in unemployment. Therefore, it is a proposal that merits serious consideration by both policymakers and businesses seeking to optimise performance and enhance quality of life.
Vocabulary
- a growing debate over whether
- shortened
- yield significant benefits
- enhance productivity
- increasing evidence to suggest that
- equate to increased output
- better rested
- not only maintained but often exceeded
- renewed energy and greater focus
- work-life balance
- engage in leisure activities
- quality time
- recharge mentally
- stress levels
- prevent burnout
- death from overwork
- it is evident that
- dire consequences
- by contrast
- prioritise
- employee satisfaction
- alleviate unemployment
- hire additional staff
- spreading work more evenly across the population
- multiple advantages
- it is a proposal that merits serious consideration
- policymakers
- optimise performance
- enhance quality of life
Practice Exercises
Now, try these practice exercises.
Exercise 1
WITHOUT looking at the essay again (unless you REALLY need to!), can you fill the missing spaces with the correct words and phrases? Good luck!
Exercise 2 (Easy)
Put the paragraphs into the correct order.
Exercise 3 (Hard!)
There are 16 sentences in my essay. Without looking at the essay again, can you put the sentences into the correct order?
