Look at the article again and answer these questions. 1 What are ‘Zoom towns’? 2 Why did people start moving away from major metropolitan areas at the beginning of the 2020s? 3 Many employees seem to be happy to work from home. What factors have not been thoroughly analysed yet? 4 What changes will traditional office districts most likely see in the near future? Media task. Have you heard of other atypical or new forms of employment (e.g. ‘zero hour’ contracts, on-demand workers, job-sharing, outsourcing, shift or short work, unpaid internships)? Research one of them on the internet and report about your findings in class. You should: ■■ describe the form of employment you have researched. ■■ discuss advantages and disadvantages of this form of employment compared to a traditional employment situation. ■■ evaluate its (lack of) attractiveness to you. Read the sentences 1–12 and decide what function A–F they have. The first one has been done for you. A stating your position D rejecting a proposal B finding out what the other side wants E setting a condition C making a proposal F calling for a vote 1 Let’s put this to a vote. 2 We’re prepared to accept a 2.5% wage increase. 3 We’d be willing to do more remote work provided we can sort out all the details. 4 I gather you’d like to try the new scenario? 5 Can we have a quick show of hands? 6 I don’t think we can accept that. 7 I feel we’re entitled to financial support if we buy new hardware. 8 I’m afraid we can’t agree to cover the cost of the new software. 9 We believe we should be compensated for losing the chance to eat in the canteen. 10 That depends on what we agree. 11 We can offer a refund on the employees’ internet expenses during the pandemic. 12 What exactly did you have in mind? c Even though market data offers mixed signals about future trends, it seems safe to say that total demand for offices will diminish. The bigger changes will be in what office providers will have to do to remain competitive. Most office activity will not move to homes or to the cloud. Instead, it is likely to be redistributed within and between cities, with a variety of new employment areas popping up and saving many people the trouble of commuting to a central business district. As a result, a significant percentage of office space in traditional employment districts will most likely have to be repurposed into housing, e-commerce fulfillment centers, delivery-only kitchens, healthcare centers, meeting spaces, event spaces and other uses. Residential areas, retail shops and hotels may have to accommodate more daytime workers. Ultimately, new types of live/work communities will evolve. Hospitality brands like Starbucks have been experimenting with converting local coffee shops into work spaces that can be booked by the hour or day. Some large employers are already experimenting with satellite offices in the suburbs of cities in which they already have a downtown headquarters. The main office will remain important for most companies, but fewer employees will be expected to be there all day, every day. The office will become more of a consumer product that will have to meet their needs. Offices will have to provide spaces for specific tasks like focused work, team brainstorming, client presentations and employee training. These changes will be gradual, but they will have a significant impact on urban office buildings. 7 Language focus Negotiating an agreement 8 a F 50 Language skills Extras Explore 4 Work, work, work Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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