Working less, resting more

Olia | Sep 14, 2026Sep 14, 2026

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this reading lesson on a four-day working week are to:

• talk about working hours and habits;
• read an article about a four-day working week trial in Australia;
• review basic vocabulary related to work.

In this reading lesson on a four-day working week, students discuss their own working hours and review basic vocabulary connected to jobs and pay (e.g. salary, employees, day off, results). They read an article about a trial in Australia, looking at why companies tried it and what results it produced. Students also discuss company rules that could make employees happier and complete a job advert using vocabulary from the lesson.

WARM-UP AND VOCABULARY

This lesson starts with a warm-up in which students discuss which days they work, how many hours a week they work and whether they’d like to work more or less. Afterwards, they answer yes/no questions about statements containing basic work vocabulary (e.g. work long hours, save money, employees, rest). They then say which statements are true for them. Moving on, students unscramble these words to complete questions and discuss their answers.

ARTICLE AND DISCUSSION

In this part of the reading lesson on a four-day working week, students read the first part of an article and explain what the numbers 80-100-80 mean. They then imagine their own company introducing a four-day working week and say what would change, whether they’d do more or less work and what they’d do with an extra day off. Moving on, students think of reasons why companies might try this system, then read the second part of the article to check their ideas. Following that, they read the final part of the article and explain what a set of numbers from the results mean. Students go on to say which comments about the article they agree with. Then, in pairs, they take turns explaining company rules that could make employees happier and giving reasons why each rule might not work so well.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This reading lesson on a four-day working week also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students complete words in a job advert using the first letters provided. They then say if they’d like to work for the company described. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it, cut it up and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

WORKSHEETS

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