Topic 1: Does increasing travels between countries enable people to learn different cultures or to

Topic 33: People tend to work longer hours nowadays. Working long hours has a 
negative effect on themselves, their families and the society, so working hours should 
be restricted. Do you agree or disagree?
 
(easily induce fatigue and stress), (a threat to health);
(a drop in leisure time), (lead to work-family conflicts ) ;
(long hours are not necessarily productive hours); (extra pay ) (high pay can't compensate for 
unrelenting time pressure);
(low morale), (high absenteeism and turnover},
( commitment toward their work )
( improve take-home pay )
( increase job security and promotion opportunities)

 
In recent years, working hours have become a controversial issue, at a time when 
employees' benefits have been given serious thought. Although the extension of working 
hours is believed to have an impact on general well-being and result in work-family conflict 
and job stress, this practice is remarkably popular in many countries. I am supportive of the 
argument that long working hours have a negative impact upon individuals, the organizations 
they work for, and ultimately upon the national economy and society as a whole. 
To job holders, working long hours triggers at least two problems. It is not only to 
damage personal relationships (with families particularly), disrupt social lives and impede 
community activities but also to cause a feeling of stress, a psychological disturbance that is 
experienced by many working people. It also tends to exert pressure on the employment 
market and make fewer employment opportunities available. Those with caring 
responsibilities for example, would be disadvantaged, because they are either unable or 
unwilling to work long hours. A high unemployment rate is always regarded as a threat to a 
country's economy. 
To employers, long working hours, although promising maximum benefit from limited 
resources every now and then, have destructive effects in the long term. The primary reason 
is that employees tend to be less productive, and meanwhile, at greater risks of sickness. It 
would lead not only to the lower quality of work outputs but also to high turnover and 
absenteeism. As a result, employers have to spend much more on recruiting and training new 
workers. To a country as a whole, it has chronic effects, disabling the optimization of 
resource use, human capital and natural resources.
Some might argue that it is reasonable for an employer to expect some degree of 
flexibility during a particularly busy period, but to those employers, reliance on the jobs with 
extended hours has the tendency to become a regular event. Tolerance of this practice would 
allow employers to exploit labour and disregard the benefits that employees are entitled for, 
thereby posing a challenge to the legal system. It is time that employers assessed alternatives 
like re-scheduling, flexible working arrangements and job redesign to explore the full 
potential of each employee. 
As shown from the above discussion one can see no reason why working long hours is 
acceptable. 
It would lead to low productivity and frequent sick leaves, thereby doing more harm than 
good to employers and the society alike.
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1. Impede=hold back=hinder=hamper
2. Productive= fertile = yielding
3. Chronic=persistent=never-ending
4. Optimization=best use
5. Tolerance=forbearance
6. Disregard=pay no attention to=ignore=take no notice of
7. Scheduling=arrangement=preparation 
8. Arrangement=roster=timetable
9. Redesign=re-arrangement=re-scheduling=re-organization
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