There’s a big debate happening in India about how many hours people should work. A billionaire named NR Narayana Murthy said that young people should be ready to work 70 hours a week to help the country. Some people agree with him, but others say that it’s not fair because engineers in India don’t get paid a lot. They also worry that working so much could be bad for people’s health. Some people pointed out that many women already work more than 70 hours a week, both at their jobs and at home. This debate is happening at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has made people think about how much they work and how it affects their lives.

Some experts say that having a good balance between work and personal life is important. They say that it can help companies keep their employees, find new ones, and have fewer people missing work. They also say that people are more productive when they have the right skills, a good work environment, and fair pay. Before the pandemic, people in India worked more hours than people in countries like the US, Brazil, and Germany. But some people think that just working more hours doesn’t mean you’ll get more done.

Working hours is a touchy subject in India because the country has strong laws to protect workers, but some people say that those laws aren’t being followed. Earlier this year, there were protests in Tamil Nadu against a bill that would have made people work longer hours in factories. In 2020, Mr. Murthy got in trouble for saying that Indians should work at least 64 hours a week because of the economic problems caused by the pandemic. But some business leaders in India agree with him and say that it’s important to spend time working for yourself and your country.

While India is talking about working more hours, some other countries are trying to work fewer hours. In Belgium, for example, people can now work four days a week without getting paid less. In the UK, some companies did a test where people only worked four days a week, and most of them decided to keep doing it because it made their employees happier. Maybe in the future, more countries will start thinking about shorter work weeks too.

So, the debate in India is about whether people should work more hours or have a better balance between work and personal life. Some say that working more hours will make people more productive, but others think that other things like skills, a good work environment, and fair pay are more important. This debate is happening while people all over the world are thinking about how much they work because of the pandemic. Some countries are even trying out shorter work weeks to see if they make people happier.

Original news source: NR Narayana Murthy: Why Indians are debating a 70-hour work week (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Each team will take turns acting out a word or phrase related to the article, such as “work-life balance” or “long working hours.” The other teams must guess the word or phrase within a time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: Have students work in pairs or small groups. Each group will summarize the main points of the article in a few sentences. They should focus on key ideas and arguments presented in the article. After a designated time, have each group share their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Provide students with a list of statements related to the article, such as “Working more hours leads to increased productivity” or “A good work-life balance is more important than high pay.” Have students individually rate their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement on a scale of 1 to 5. Then, have students discuss their responses in pairs or small groups, explaining their reasoning and trying to find common ground.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Create a list of vocabulary words from the article, such as “debate,” “balance,” “productive,” or “pandemic.” Divide the class into teams. One student from each team will choose a word and draw a visual representation of it on the board, while their teammates try to guess the word. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group will discuss the advantages of working more hours, while the other group will discuss the advantages of having a better work-life balance. Each group should list their points and present them to the class. Encourage students to consider different perspectives and counterarguments. Afterward, facilitate a class discussion where students can share their thoughts and opinions on the topic.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the debate in India about?
2. Why do some people think it’s unfair to work 70 hours a week?
3. What concerns do people have about working long hours?
4. How have some women already been working more than 70 hours a week?
5. What do experts say is important for companies to have a good balance between work and personal life?
6. How did the pandemic make people think about their work hours?
7. Why is the topic of working hours a sensitive subject in India?
8. What are some examples of countries trying to work fewer hours?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There’s a big (1)______ happening in India about how many hours people should work. A billionaire named NR Narayana Murthy said that young people should be ready to work 70 hours a week to help the country. Some people agree with him, but others say that it’s not fair because engineers in India don’t get paid a lot. They also worry that working so much could be bad for people’s (2)______. Some people pointed out that many (3)______ already work more than 70 hours a week, both at their jobs and at home. This debate is happening at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has made people (4)______ about how much they work and how it affects their lives.

Some experts say that having a good (5)______ between work and personal life is important. They say that it can help companies keep their employees, find new ones, and have fewer (6)______ (7)______ work. They also say that people are more productive when they have the right skills, a good work environment, and fair pay. Before the pandemic, people in India (8)______ more hours than people in countries like the US, Brazil, and Germany. But some people think that just working more hours doesn’t mean you’ll get more done.

Working hours is a touchy subject in India because the country has strong laws to protect workers, but some people say that those laws aren’t being followed. Earlier this year, there were (9)______ in (10)______ Nadu against a bill that would have made people work longer hours in (11)______. In 2020, Mr. Murthy got in trouble for saying that Indians should work at least 64 hours a week because of the economic problems caused by the pandemic. But some business leaders in India agree with him and say that it’s important to spend time (12)______ for yourself and your country.

While India is talking about working more hours, some other countries are trying to work fewer hours. In Belgium, for example, people can now work four days a week without getting paid less. In the UK, some companies did a test where people only worked four days a week, and most of them decided to keep doing it because it made their employees happier. Maybe in the future, more countries will start (13)______ about shorter work weeks too.

So, the debate in India is about whether people should work more (14)______ or have a better balance between work and personal life. Some say that working more hours will make people more productive, but (15)______ think that other things like skills, a good work environment, and fair pay are more important. This debate is happening while people all over the world are thinking about how much they work because of the pandemic. Some countries are even (16)______ out shorter work weeks to see if they make people happier.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your opinion on working 70 hours a week? Do you think it’s fair?
2. How would you feel if you had to work long hours and didn’t get paid a lot? Why?
3. Do you think working too much can be bad for your health? Why or why not?
4. What are some reasons why having a good balance between work and personal life is important?
5. Do you think people are more productive when they have the right skills, a good work environment, and fair pay? Why or why not?
6. How do you feel about the idea that working more hours doesn’t necessarily mean getting more done?
7. Why do you think working hours is a touchy subject in India?
8. How do you think strong laws to protect workers can benefit employees?
9. Have you ever heard of any protests or debates about working hours in your country? Can you share your experience?
10. How would you feel if your country implemented a shorter work week? Why?
11. Do you think working fewer hours can make people happier? Why or why not?
12. What do you think is more important: working more hours or having a better balance between work and personal life? Why?
13. How has the pandemic made you think about your own work-life balance?
14. Have you ever experienced a situation where you had to choose between working more hours or taking care of your personal life? Can you share your experience?
15. What do you think about the idea of countries trying out shorter work weeks to see if it makes people happier?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. debate
2. hours
3. work
4. balance
5. productive
6. environment
7. fair
8. pandemic

Meanings:
(a) A discussion or argument about a topic
(b) Being able to accomplish a lot and get things done
(c) The conditions and surroundings in which someone works
(d) The act of doing a job or task
(e) A global outbreak of a disease affecting many people
(f) The amount of time spent doing something
(g) Having an equal amount of time for work and personal life
(h) Treating everyone equally and justly
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the main topic of the article?
(a) The economic problems caused by the pandemic
(b) The protests in Tamil Nadu against longer working hours
(c) The benefits of a good work-life balance
(d) The debate about working hours in India

2. Who suggested that young people in India should work 70 hours a week?
(a) A group of engineers in India
(b) The government of India
(c) The experts interviewed in the article
(d) NR Narayana Murthy

3. Why do some people disagree with working 70 hours a week in India?
(a) It could be bad for people’s health
(b) Many women already work more than 70 hours a week
(c) Engineers in India don’t get paid a lot
(d) All of these answers

4. According to the article, what can a good work-life balance help companies with?
(a) Finding new employees
(b) Keeping their employees
(c) Having fewer people missing work
(d) All of these answers

5. Before the pandemic, did people in India work more hours than people in the US, Brazil, and Germany?
(a) No
(b) Yes
(c) The article doesn’t say
(d) It’s unclear

6. Why is working hours a touchy subject in India?
(a) The country has strong laws to protect workers
(b) Some people feel that those laws aren’t being followed
(c) There were protests against longer working hours in factories
(d) All of these answers

7. What did some companies in the UK find when they tested a four-day work week?
(a) Their employees were happier
(b) Their employees were less productive
(c) Their employees were paid less
(d) The article doesn’t say

8. What is the main point of the article?
(a) The economic problems caused by the pandemic
(b) The benefits of shorter work weeks
(c) The debate between working more hours or having a better work-life balance
(d) The protests against longer working hours in Tamil Nadu

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. A billionaire named NR Narayana Murthy believes young people should work 70 hours a week to help the country.
2. Experts argue that a good balance between work and personal life is important for employee retention, recruitment, and productivity.
3. India had shorter working hours compared to countries like the US, Brazil, and Germany before the pandemic.
4. Some people disagree with Murthy, saying it’s unfair because engineers in India don’t get paid well and working long hours could harm people’s health.
5. There is no debate in India about how many hours people should work.
6. While India avoids debating working more hours, some countries like Belgium and the UK are exploring longer work weeks to improve employee happiness.
7. The Covid-19 pandemic has made people reflect on their work-life balance and how much they work.
8. Many women in India already work less than 70 hours a week, both at their jobs and at home.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the debate in India about?
2. Why do some people think it’s unfair to work 70 hours a week?
3. What are some reasons why having a good work-life balance is important?
4. How do working hours in India compare to other countries like the US, Brazil, and Germany?
5. What are some examples of countries that are trying to work fewer hours?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the debate in India about?
The debate in India is about how many hours people should work.

2. Why do some people think it’s unfair to work 70 hours a week?
Some people think it’s unfair to work 70 hours a week because engineers in India don’t get paid a lot. They also worry about the negative impact on people’s health.

3. What concerns do people have about working long hours?
People have concerns about working long hours because it could be bad for their health and well-being.

4. How have some women already been working more than 70 hours a week?
Some women already work more than 70 hours a week because they have both jobs and responsibilities at home.

5. What do experts say is important for companies to have a good balance between work and personal life?
Experts say that having the right skills, a good work environment, and fair pay are important for companies to have a good balance between work and personal life.

6. How did the pandemic make people think about their work hours?
The pandemic made people think about their work hours because it forced many people to work from home and reconsider their work-life balance.

7. Why is the topic of working hours a sensitive subject in India?
The topic of working hours is a sensitive subject in India because the country has strong laws to protect workers, but some people believe that these laws are not being followed.

8. What are some examples of countries trying to work fewer hours?
Some examples of countries trying to work fewer hours include Belgium, where people can now work four days a week without getting paid less, and the UK, where some companies have tested and implemented a four-day work week.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) debate
(2) health
(3) women
(4) think
(5) balance
(6) people
(7) missing
(8) worked
(9) protests
(10) Tamil
(11) factories
(12) working
(13) thinking
(14) hours
(15) others
(16) trying
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. debate
Answer: (a) A discussion or argument about a topic

2. hours
Answer: (f) The amount of time spent doing something

3. work
Answer: (d) The act of doing a job or task

4. balance
Answer: (g) Having an equal amount of time for work and personal life

5. productive
Answer: (b) Being able to accomplish a lot and get things done

6. environment
Answer: (c) The conditions and surroundings in which someone works

7. fair
Answer: (h) Treating everyone equally and justly

8. pandemic
Answer: (e) A global outbreak of a disease affecting many people
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the main topic of the article?
Answer: (d) The debate about working hours in India

2. Who suggested that young people in India should work 70 hours a week?
Answer: (d) NR Narayana Murthy

3. Why do some people disagree with working 70 hours a week in India?
Answer: (c) Engineers in India don’t get paid a lot

4. According to the article, what can a good work-life balance help companies with?
Answer: (b) Keeping their employees

5. Before the pandemic, did people in India work more hours than people in the US, Brazil, and Germany?
Answer: (b) Yes

6. Why is working hours a touchy subject in India?
Answer: (a) The country has strong laws to protect workers

7. What did some companies in the UK find when they tested a four-day work week?
Answer: (a) Their employees were happier

8. What is the main point of the article?
Answer: (c) The debate between working more hours or having a better work-life balance
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. A billionaire named NR Narayana Murthy believes young people should work 70 hours a week to help the country. (Answer: True)
2. Experts argue that a good balance between work and personal life is important for employee retention, recruitment, and productivity. (Answer: True)
3. India had shorter working hours compared to countries like the US, Brazil, and Germany before the pandemic. (Answer: False)
4. Some people disagree with Murthy, saying it’s unfair because engineers in India don’t get paid well and working long hours could harm people’s health. (Answer: True)
5. There is no debate in India about how many hours people should work. (Answer: False)
6. While India avoids debating working more hours, some countries like Belgium and the UK are exploring longer work weeks to improve employee happiness. (Answer: False)
7. The Covid-19 pandemic has made people reflect on their work-life balance and how much they work. (Answer: True)
8. Many women in India already work less than 70 hours a week, both at their jobs and at home. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧