Marathon Day 2 (Flexible workplace)

Task 1. Fill in the gaps with the correct words.

pressing, loathe, plough through, commute, walk in the park, draining, rewarding

1. Working from home can be _______________(1) when there are too many distractions around me.  
2. Adjusting to a flexible schedule is like a _______________(2) for some people.  
3. Completing a successful project while working remotely can be very _______________(3) for employees.  
4. I _______________(4) the idea of returning to a rigid office environment after enjoying remote work.  
5. My daily _______________(5) used to take an hour, but now I work from home and save that time.  
6. Sometimes I have to _______________(6) a lot of emails before starting my actual workday.  
7. Meeting deadlines can feel quite _______________(7), especially when balancing different tasks at home.

Task 2. Complete the following dialogue about remote work with the correct discourse markers.

Practically speaking, Actually, Indeed, absolutely, Personally, Funnily enough, Exactly!, definitely, Presumably

Tom: So Lucy, what do you think is the biggest advantage of remote work? 
Lucy: For me, it's _______________(1) the flexibility. I don't have to waste time and energy on a draining commute. 
Tom: Yeah, I hear you. It used to take me almost an hour to get to work every day. Now that I can just log on at home, I feel like I have so much more free time. 
Lucy: _______________(2) And when my work gets too mentally exhausting, I can always take a short walk in the park nearby to break up the day. 
Tom: That sounds so rewarding. The other thing that I _______________(3) loathe about traditional office jobs is having to plough through distractions all day long. 
Lucy: Yes, distractions from colleagues, office gossip, unnecessary meetings...I don't miss any of that. But of course, there are still some downsides to remote work. 
Tom: Oh? Like what? 
Lucy: Well, I find it harder to disconnect from work when my laptop is always within reach. And also, not being in the same physical space as my coworkers makes it harder to form personal relationships with them. 
Tom: I see your point. _______________(4), I've found that virtual team-building activities help to bridge that gap. We did one last week and had a great time. 
Lucy: Hmm, interesting. Maybe I'll suggest that to my boss. Speaking of bosses, how do you think flexible workplaces will affect future job requirements and skills? 
Tom: Good question. With companies becoming more hybrid, employees will need a combination of technical and soft skills to adapt seamlessly between in-person and remote tasks. 
Lucy: _______________(5), communication and time-management would be essential for both remote and in-person environments. 
Tom: Agreed. And no doubt, problem-solving and collaboration skills will also come into play. 
Lucy: Yes, it's evident that the traditional 9-5 office job will become more obsolete. The concept of "work" is changing rapidly. 
Tom: _______________(6), we have to constantly keep updating and learning new skills to stay relevant and competitive in the job market. 
Lucy: _______________(7), what used to be considered a perk or luxury - working from home - has now become a necessity for many companies. 
Tom: _______________(8), and I'm certain this trend will continue even after the pandemic is over. At the end of the day, businesses can save a lot on office expenses by allowing remote work. 
Lucy: And employees benefit too. _______________(9), some studies have shown that remote workers are often more productive due to fewer distractions and more flexibility in their schedule. 
Tom: Really? Well, there you go. It's a win-win situation all around!

Task 3. Write a complaint/explanation letter to your employer, stating why you cannot work in the office any longer. Don't forget to express your reasons clearly and consistently. Don't forget about the correct address (Mr. Smn, sir) and try to make use of the vocabulary from the previous exercises.