Wells Fargo, a big bank in the US, fired some workers. These workers pretended to be busy on their computers when they were not. They used special tools to make it look like they were working. The bank found out and let them go. This happened because of remote work.
Many people work from home now, especially after Covid-19. Companies use tools to check if workers are really working. Some workers use gadgets to trick these tools. Wells Fargo found out and fired the workers who did this. More than a dozen people lost their jobs.
Working from home is still popular, but not as much as before. Last month, about 27% of workdays were from home. During the pandemic, it was over 60%. Many companies want workers back in the office. Wells Fargo lets workers do both, work from home and the office.
Original news source: Mouse jigglers' pretending to work fired by bank (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a set of cards with different actions related to the article (e.g. pretending to type on a computer, using special tools, getting fired). One student from each group picks a card and acts out the action without speaking. The rest of the group tries to guess what action is being acted out.
– News Summary
Instructions: Ask the students to read the article individually or in pairs. After they have read it, have them summarize the main points of the article in their own words. Then, have a class discussion where students share their summaries and compare them.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: "Do you think working from home is better or worse than working in the office? Why?" Divide the class into pairs or small groups and ask them to discuss the question and share their opinions. After a few minutes, ask each group to share their opinions with the rest of the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Select key vocabulary words from the article (e.g. fired, remote work, gadgets) and write them on separate pieces of paper. Divide the class into teams. One student from each team picks a word and has to draw it on the board without using any letters or numbers. The rest of the team tries to guess the word. The team that guesses correctly gets a point.
– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have each student come up with two true statements and one false statement related to the article. They should not reveal which statement is false. In pairs or small groups, students take turns sharing their statements and the others have to guess which one is the lie. This activity encourages speaking and listening skills, as well as comprehension of the article.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Wells Fargo fired the workers who were pretending to work.
The workers used special tools to make it look like they were working on their computers.
The bank found out because they used tools to check if workers were really working, and they discovered the workers were pretending.
Many people work from home now, especially after Covid-19, because it is safer and more convenient.
Companies use tools to check if workers are really working from home.
The workers who used gadgets to trick the tools were fired from their jobs.
No, working from home is not as popular as before. Last month, only 27% of workdays were from home, compared to over 60% during the pandemic.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Wells , a big bank in the US, fired some workers. These workers pretended to be busy on their computers when they were not. They used tools to make it look like they were working. The bank found out and let them go. This happened because of remote work. Many work from home now, especially after Covid-19. Companies use tools to check if are really working. Some workers use gadgets to trick these tools. Wells Fargo found out and the workers who did this. More than a people lost their jobs. Working from home is still popular, but not as much as before. Last month, about 27% of days were from home. During the pandemic, it was over 60%. companies want workers back in the office. Wells Fargo lets workers do both, work from home and the office.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a bank?
2. How would you feel if you were fired from your job?
3. Do you like working from home or going to the office better? Why?
4. What tools do companies use to check if workers are really working?
5. Do you think it's fair for companies to fire workers who pretend to be busy? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the workers felt when they found out they were fired?
7. What is a pandemic?
8. Do you know anyone who works from home? What do they do?
9. How would you feel if you had to go back to the office after working from home for a long time?
10. Do you think it's important for companies to let workers do both, work from home and the office? Why or why not?
11. What gadgets do some workers use to trick the tools that check if they're working?
12. Have you ever pretended to be busy when you weren't? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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