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)

– 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.

There's a big ? 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 ?. Some people pointed out that many ? 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 ? about how much they work and how it affects their lives. Some experts say that having a good ? between work and personal life is important. They say that it can help companies keep their employees, find new ones, and have fewer ? ? 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 ? 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 ? in ? Nadu against a bill that would have made people work longer hours in ?. 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 ? 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 ? about shorter work weeks too. So, the debate in India is about whether people should work more ? or have a better balance between work and personal life. Some say that working more hours will make people more productive, but ? 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 ? out shorter work weeks to see if they make people happier.

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?

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