Today we’ll watch a video about picking up the pieces after a layoff. Many employees feel desperate and devastated when they lose their job. However, they can take some steps that will help them regain control of their life and secure the well-being of their family.
Pre-watching
Read the hints from the video you are about to watch. They form a list of steps one should take after getting laid off. Make sure you understand the underlined expressions. - Apply for the employment insurance because that will often serve as a gateway to the gamut of funded services that are available.
- Visit your financial institution, have your mortgage renegotiated, consolidate your loans to negotiate lower interest payments.
- After recessing your finances throw yourself into the job search.
- Set up a structured daily routine, set targets for yourself, update your resume, make some cold calls, brush up on your interview skills.
- Network, focus on the positive, don’t give up = see the light at the end of the tunnel.
- Search for governmental programs that offer training for high demand fields, look at the whole situation as an opportunity to upgrade your career.
Now, you are ready to watch the clip.
Post-watching
Answer the following questions about the expressions from the video:
1) How can a boss notify the employee about the termination of his/her employment?(0:05-0:08)
2) Which expressions from the video refer to (0:20-0:47):
a) someone who is the breadwinner?
b) an event that changes one’s life for the worse?
c) spending all that you earn without saving anything?
d) someone without any money?
3) What’s the mistake that some unemployed make soon after their layoff? (1:48-1:56)
Key: 1.by handing in the employee’s pink slip=a discharge notice 2.a) a sole provider of the family b) a huge blow c)living paycheck to paycheck d)to be dead broke 3.they drag their feet =deal with things slowly
Use the expressions from the post-watching activity and the video to fill in the following gaps:
-
When I was unemployed, my wife was the only ………… It was a hard time for our family, we ………….. from ………. to ………. .
-
My accident was a ……… ……. to our family. Fortunately, I’m a very optimistic and goal-oriented person so I got over pretty quickly. In times of trouble you should always see the ……………… at the end of the ………………
-
Come on! Stop whining and …………. your ………….. It’s not the end of the world, do something to change your situation! Act now!
Key: 1. breadwinner/were living…paycheck….paycheck 2. huge blow / light….tunnel 3. dragging….feet
Maja Witowska-Rubaszek- ACT Advanced Corporate Training
Doświadczona lektorka języka angielskiego, specjalizująca się w przygotowywaniu i prowadzeniu szkoleń z zakresu Business English i ogólnego języka angielskiego dla klientów korporacyjnych. Ukończyła Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języka Angielskiego i Amerykanistykę na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim. Z ACT współpracuje od 2005 roku, prowadząc zajęcia regularne oraz szkolenia specjalistyczne dla pracowników działów HR, księgowości oraz dla finansistów, a także warsztaty z dyplomatycznych rozmów towarzyskich (tzw. small talk).
Swoim bogatym doświadczeniem dzieli się z innymi lektorami prowadząc warsztaty metodyczne w ACT oraz opracowując autorskie materiały szkoleniowe, które cieszą się wielką popularnością.
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Autorem sekcji HR English @work jest ACT Advanced Corporate Training.