Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. morale (n.) [muh-ral] – a mindset that is confident, cheerful, and enthusiastic
Example: Being praised for doing a
good job increases morale.
2. perceived (adj.) [per-seev] – thought of
to be something
Example: The perceived glow of the planet makes it appear like a bright star.
3. significant (adj.) [sig-nif-i-kuhnt] – important
enough to be noticed or to mean something
Example: The rising temperature each
year is a significant evidence of climate change.
4. promote (v.) [pruh-moht] – to encourage the
progress or development of something
Example: The organization promotes
good working conditions for employees.
5. pet (v.) [pet] – to touch with one’s
hand in a friendly or caring way
Example: The dog was petted
by his owner as a reward for doing the trick.
Article
Read the text below.
A US research found that having access
to pet dogs at work boosts employee morale and lessens employee stress
throughout the day.
The study, published in the
International Journal of Workplace Health Management, was conducted by
researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). They observed 75
staff from a manufacturing company that allows the bringing of pets to work.
A comparison was made between employees
who brought pets to work, those who had dogs but left them at home, and those
who did not own pets. Researchers took several saliva samples from the
employees each day for one week to measure stress hormone levels.
Based on the observation, there was not
much difference in stress levels between the groups in the morning. But as
the work day went by, stress levels greatly decreased for those who brought
pets, while stress levels increased for non-pet owners and dog owners who left
their dogs at home.
Lead researcher Randolph Barker added
that there were significant differences
in employees’ perceived stress on
days when their dogs were brought to work and on days without their dogs. He
says having dogs in the workplace may help lead to better employee
performance and higher job satisfaction.
Blue Cross, an organization that promotes
bringing pets with good behavior to work, says that employees can take small
breaks throughout the day and release some stress by petting dogs. As
for the dogs, they become happier because they do not have to separate from
their owners for long periods of time.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
● If you were a CEO, would you allow
employees to bring pets to work? Why or why not?
● In what other ways can stress at
work be lessened?
Discussion B
● What are some of the reasons why
people own pets?
● Do you think people who have pets
are happier than those who do not have pets? Please explain your answer.
