6 Work-life balance

Question 1

People talk about … … … or pressure.

Their work is …

Answer 1

being under stress

stressful

Question 2

Work can be stressful, then you feel … or … …

Answer 2

stressed

stressed out

Question 3

People want to find a way to …

(get rid of the stress)

Answer 3

de-stress

Question 4

Some people complain they have a … … …

(sickness, …)

Answer 4

stress-related illness

Question 5

When you’re overstressed you may … … … or a complete …

You’re no longer able to work then.

Answer 5

suffer burn-out

breakdown

Question 6

A … … is someone who advises stress sufferers.

Answer 6

stress counsellor

Question 7

A … … is something that causes stress.

Answer 7

stress factor

Question 8

A … … is a sign that someone is under stress.

Answer 8

stress symptom

Question 9

There are several ways of dealing with stress, this is called … …

Answer 9

stress management

Question 10

Critics that say stress problems are overestimated use the word … …

Answer 10

stress industry

Question 11

Having a lot of … … … … leads to information overload. These demands can become a major stress factor at work.

Answer 11

streams of instant communication

Question 12

Companies react to stress by throwing in training courses. These do not address the … … …

Answer 12

underlying organisational causes

Question 13

It’s important to treat damaging stress symptoms before they … your … and … ….

Answer 13

affect

physical and mental health

Question 14

A common cause of stress:

You try to do too much and you’re overworked = … …

Answer 14

heavy workloads

Question 15

A common cause of stress:

You have problems with colleagues because they want to advance position. They like playing politics. This is called … …

Answer 15

office politics

Question 16

A common cause of stress:

To some their responsibilities are unclear, then we speak of … …

Answer 16

role ambiguity

Question 17

A common cause of stress:

When managers do not provide the necessary help and resources we talk about … … … …

Answer 17

lack of management support

Question 18

A common cause of stress:

Some people don’t get sufficient recognition or pay. Then we speak of an … … …

Answer 18

effort-reward imbalance

Question 19

A common cause of stress:

You don’t have enough time for your family and personal interests. This is called … … …

Answer 19

home-work imbalance

Question 20

Sum up: the common causes of stress.

Answer 20

1) heavy workloads
2) office politics
3) role ambiguity
4) lack of management support
5) effort-reward imbalance
6) home-work imbalance

Question 21

Someone who thinks about very little except work is called a …

Answer 21

workaholic

Question 22

There are also those who are increasingly looking for a better … … …: less commuting, more time with friends and families, etc.

Answer 22

quality of life

Question 23

Journalists often write about people who are … or … their lives, they’re getting a better balance between work, family, etc.

Answer 23

downshifting

rebalancing

Question 24

The people who work at home, …, say they have a better … … … or … … … than when they were in-company.

Answer 24

homeworkers

work-life balance

home-work balance

Question 25

Homeworkers also have more … and …

(they are able to organise their work and their time how they want)

Answer 25

autonomy and independence

Question 26

Some disadvantages of homeworking are that there is no … between work on the one hand and personal life on the other. The two …

Answer 26

boundary

overlap

Question 27

Another disadvantage of homeworking is the fact that you can feel …, there are no collegues around you.

Answer 27

isolated