Workplace Trends (5)
SUMMARY
Pearson says stress is a very serious matter in the workplace and lists such related issues as health problems, insomnia and inappropriate diet choices. Grace describes a workplace design trend that is expected to take off in the next few years. And Pearson talks about creative employee benefits that companies are using to increase loyalty and satisfaction.
VIGNETTE
Lidia Grace: Some authorities see stress as the biggest health issue that employees have to deal with.
Paul Pearson: Yes, how to deal with stress has become a hot topic lately. People make light of being stressed out, but it's no laughing matter. Stress can lead to physical and mental health problems, reduce life expectancy, insomnia, absenteeism, inappropriate lifestyle and diet choices, and many other problems.
Pat McMillan: Many companies are trying to create a more relaxing and healthier working environment.
Lidia Grace: One workplace trend likely to take off in the next few years is what's known as "Biophilic Design" or how a given living or working environment incorporates natural elements. That includes things like air quality, aesthetic and acoustic design, optimal use of natural light and creating comfortable physical spaces in which to work. All of this can have big influence on performance and overall well-being.
Paul Pearson: Some companies are getting creative with their employee benefit packages and perks to increase loyalty and satisfaction. They're offering treats like free lunches or staff discounts at local eateries, sleeping pods and relaxation rooms, and yoga or meditation sessions at work.
WORDS AND PHRASES
authority 専門家/大家
Grace is using "authority" to mean an expert in some area. Such as "He is an authority on the Meiji era". If you make it plural, this expression can also mean the people or group in command of something; in charge. Like a newspaper article will often say "Authorities have taken the suspect into custody".
日本語でも「オーソリティー」という。ある分野の大家、専門家のこと。
複数のauthoritiesは、「当局」という意味で使うこともある。
deal with ～に対処する/～に対応する
make light of ～を軽視する
Up at the top, Pearson says, "People make light of being stressed out, but it's no laughing matter". If we make light of something, we treat it like it's not important; not serious. People also make light of insufficient sleep. But that's also a serious thing and it can cause health problems. Or "Don't make light of customer's complaints. We have to take their feelings seriously".
no laughing matter 笑いごとではないこと/重要なこと
life expectancy 平均余命
How long people are expected to live. A Japanese women (and men, of course) have some of the longest life expectancies in the world.
insomnia 不眠症
The prolonged inability to sleep. For example, just one night, that's not insomnia. But if, like, I can't sleep properly for a week or a month, then I've got insomnia. And a person with this problem is insomniac. In a similar fashion, indigestion is the inability to digest food properly and the stomach pain that comes with it.
take off
(仕事などが)軌道に乗る/(事が)うまく行きはじめる/人気が出る
Grace means become successful or popular. "That new sore has really taken off. There are long lines just to get in". Or "That new model didn't take off. So they stopped production".
Biophilic Design
バイオフィリックデザイン(自然を活用する/自然と共生したデザイン)
Grace goes on in the vignette to define this term for us. There's also the word "biofilia" and this means a strong attraction or emotional attachment to the living world.
incorporate 組み込む/取り入れる
aesthetic 美感に配慮した/美の
acoustic 音響の
optimal 最適な/最善の
The best; the most advantageous, appropriate etc. I've read lots of articles about the optimal amount of sleep for good health or the optimal intake of vitamins and minerals.
optimalと同じ意味でoptimum 「最適の/最善の」
perks 特典/特権
Down at the bottom, Pearson says some companies are offering creative perks to increase loyalty and satisfaction.
treat 特典/もてなし/ごちそう
eatery (口)飲食店
This is an informal way to say a place where you eat and drink. It combines the word "eat" with suffix "ery" which is a place where you do, make, sell, whatever a certain thing; like a bakery or a winery. "A cannery" is a factory where food is put in cans.
(接尾辞)eryで場所を示す: bakery、winery、cannery
lunchery 昼食を食べるところ
hot-doggery ホットドッグを売る店
reduced 短縮された/減らされた
Among the side effects of stress, Pearson mentions reduced life expectancy. Shortened, lessened. "Her doctor recommended a reduced sodium intake", for example. Or "Vitamin X has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease".
sodium intake ナトリウム摂取
get creative 工夫をする
Pearson says at the bottom some companies are getting creative with their benefit packages and perks. They're showing creativity; they're using a creative method or approach. You could say, "He got creative with his presentation and added an animated segment". Or "She got creative with the cake recipe and added chili pepper".
creative book keeping
数字をごまかして業績がよく見えるようにすること
Illegal! You know, it's in English too. It's a joke.
WORD WATCH
sleeping pod
スリーピングポッド/仮眠用スペース/休憩用スペース
「pod は「豆のさや」、豆の形に似たものや小さなサイズ/ energy pod
SAY WHAT YOU MEAN
matter
A serious concern that should not be taken lightly is no laughing matter. As in "Sleep deprivation is no laughing matter. It can cause serious health problems".
no laughing matterといえば、笑いごとではないこと、重要なことという意味。
incorporate
This vignette uses the verb incorporate to mean integrate, include. Such as "I'm trying to incorporate more exercise into my daily schedule".
treat
A special indulgence or experience is a treat. For example, "She bought a new dress as a birthday treat for herself".
特別な贅沢や経験という意味。
QUOTE UNQUOTE
Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody. - Mark Twain (U.S. writer)
人は皆月である。決して誰にも見せない暗い面を持っている - マーク・トウェイン (アメリカの作家)