Asking for flexible hours: a workplace negotiation
An employee asks her manager for a compressed four-day week; students learn language for making a request, handling objections and finding a compromise, then negotiate three workplace scenarios with role cards.
B2Adults50 minRole play
About this lesson
A B2 speaking lesson (role play). Warm-ups, role plays and discussion tasks — get the whole class talking.
- Level
- B2
- Skill
- Speaking
- Type
- Role play
- Students
- Adults
- Time
- About 50 minutes
- Topic
- Jobs & work
- Activities
- Key words, Speaking / writing task, Reading text, Multiple choice, Gap-fill
- Key words
- flexible working, compressed hours, cover, trial period, I was wondering if we could discuss ..., I appreciate that ..., as long as / provided that, Let's review it in ..., Opening: Have you got a few minutes? I'd like to talk about ..., Request: I'd like to ... / Would it be possible to ...?, Reasons: It would mean that ... / The main benefit is ..., Objection: My concern is ... / What worries me is ...
- Access
- Premium
By the end, students can
- Make a formal request and support it with reasons and evidence
- Respond to objections and propose conditions (as long as, provided that)
- Negotiate a compromise and confirm the agreement