This text is about the 3 best companies to work for in the world . Useful language is highlighted and explained below. Don’t forget to do the quiz and answer the discussion questions. If you want a print-friendly version of the lesson, click here.
There are good and bad employers in every country. Some companies give their employees long holidays and weekends off. Yet others make their staff work on bank holidays and even on Saturday and Sunday. It is important to find a nice place to work so here is a list of the 3 best employers in the world to work for.
Google is a very famous internet company but it is maybe more well-known because of its amazing working environment. Many employees say working at Google is almost like ‘heaven’ because of the perks. These include free massages, delicious international food, sports facilities and a very relaxed atmosphere. Some employees even take their pets to work with them and are allowed to use skateboards and rollerblades in the office
Boston Consulting Group
BCG is an international consulting firm which works with clients to create solutions to their problems. The main benefit at BCG is the salary because the average employee earns about $139,000 every year. This does not include bonuses and overtime pay. BCG likes to keep its staff fit and healthy so it organises lots of sports and activities. Another benefit is that employees can do voluntary work for charities like save the Children.
SAS institute
SAS Institute is one of the best providers of business analytics software and services in the world. It helps other companies predict new business opportunities and use them to make money. Their staff receive many benefits like unlimited sick leave and high quality child care. They can also use the onsite fitness and health centres. Female staff who become pregnant receive long paid maternity leave but their partners can also take paid paternity leave.
Useful language/Business English Vocabulary
- To give/have weekends off
- Do not work on Saturday and Sunday
- Working environment
- How comfortable it feels to work in a place
- Perks
- Extra benefits
- Sports facilities
- Places where you can do sport like a swimming pool
- Relaxed atmosphere
- A very informal way of working
- Consulting firm
- A company that gives advice to others
- Bonuses
- Extra money when you work well
- Overtime pay
- When you are paid for working more than usual
- To keep staff fit
- To help them stay in a good physical condition
- Voluntary work
- Work you are not made to do but you can choose
- Charities
- Organisations that help people who need help like Save the Children
- Business analytics
- Where you look at statistics about a business
- Predict
- To make guesses about the future
- Opportunity
- A chance of making money or doing something good
- Benefits
- Positive things for an employee like free insurance
- Unlimited sick leave
- You can have as many days off work as you need when you are ill
- Child care
- When someone looks after your baby or child
- Onsite
- In the building or grounds
- Maternity leave
- When a women stops working to have a baby
- Paternity leave
- When a husband stops working because his partner is having or has had a baby
Discussion questions
- Why are these the best employers in the world?
- What are the best benefits for employees?
- What can companies do to become better places to work?
