Essay topics: TPO-01 - Integrated Writing Task

The lecture and the passage are devoted to a four-day week idea. The writer supports the idea with three reasons but those supposed advantages are criticized in the lecture. Below positions of both the speaker and the author will be discussed in details.

Firstly, from the reading passage we learn that working four-day week will benefit the companies which adhere to the proposal. However, the lecturer debunks the writer's claim because if the businesses hire more staff members, they will have to allocate more money on medical benefits, and training programs. Additionally to it, an increase in the number of employees will require more equipment such as computers and bigger offices as well.

Secondly, in the text it is said that the country as a whole will benefit from the new policy. At the same time, in the audio we hear that the four day proposal may hurt the state's economy because the employers may not hire new workers but instead ask incumbent members of staff work additional hours or the managements' expectations may rise and they will expect that the job would be done within 4 days instead of five. Therefore new jobs might not be created.

Finally, the author mentions possible benefits for the worker who chooses the four day week. The lecturer disagrees with it and points out on dire disadvantages of the policy. Management may not promote people who stick to the proposed idea because manager who works five days may do his or her job better. Than employees with the four day week, may have instability in a workplace due to the fact that in case of trouble in the state's economy they will be the first to be fired.