Telecommuting at Yahoo

www.anglophonie.fr
page 1/3
Telecommuting Getting Second Thoughts
(NBC Nightly News, 2013)
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/51028992
It’s become a cornerstone of modern work life. More and more companies over the years have made it
possible for employees to do at least some of their work from home.
But that debate over, ah, was renewed this week after Yahoo!’s new CEO ordered everyone back to the
office and she’s not the first to scale back. NBC’s Rehema Ellis takes a look at this issue.
Melissa Potvin has what a lot of workers want. The mother of three is one of nearly ten percent of
Americans who work from home at least one day a week.
Having that ability to, on occasion, work from home allows me the simple pleasures of life: getting the
kids on and off the bus, being home to help them with their homework – all while balancing a career.
Which is why Potvin, who works for a tech company, was disappointed to hear (that) Yahoo! is ordering
all its telecommuting workers back to the office. In a statement Yahoo said, “This isn’t a broad industry
view on working from home – this is about what is right for Yahoo!, right now.”
If Yahoo! needed to cut a lot of fat and it can get a bunch of people who will now walk rather than go
through massive lay-offs, this may go down as a very interesting management move.
But critics are particularly dismayed by Yahoo!’s decision since its new CEO, Marissa Mayer, made
headlines as the first pregnant woman to take over a Fortune 500 company.
Well, I’ve been a mom now for about four and a half months and I’ve been CEO for seven months, and I
would say that I wouldn’t have missed a minute of either experience.
But having the best of both worlds could become harder for her employees now. Two thirds of companies
surveyed say they allow workers to work remotely, nearly twice as many as in 2005. And advocates say
it’s with good reason.
As employees have flexibility, they’re in better physical and mental health; they’re more engaged; they’re
more likely to want their organization to succeed; they’re more likely to want to stay.
Melissa Potvin says that’s exactly how she feels.
My company is telling me they trust me, they believe in me and they know (that) at the end of the day I’m
going to do my job and get the job done.
And she hopes other companies give their workers the flexibility she’s had.
Rehema Ellis, NBC News, New York
Vocabulary
00.
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
telecommuting getting second thoughts
a cornerstone
over the years
debate
CEO
ordered everyone back
to scale back
getting the kids on and off the bus
all while balancing a career
le télétravail repensé
une pierre angulaire
au fil des ans
polémique
(= Chief Executive Officer) PDG
a donné l’ordre que tout le monde revienne
faire marche arrière
faire monter et descendre
tout en conciliant une carrière (et famille)
page 2/3
09.
10.
11.
12.
13.
a statement
a broad industry view
what is right for Yahoo, right now
to cut a lot of fat
to get a bunch of people to walk
14. to go through massive lay-offs
15. this may go down
16. dismayed
17. made headlines
18. to take over a company
19. I wouldn’t have missed
20. of either experience
21. surveyed
22. to work remotely
23. nearly twice as many as
24. advocates
25. they’re more likely to want
26. to get my job done
une déclaration
une opinion générale de l’industrie
ce qui convient à Yahoo maintenant/à l’heure actuelle
dégraisser = réduire les effectifs
faire en sorte qu’un bon nombre de
gens démissionnent
subir des mises à pied importantes
ceci pourrait être enregistré / faire cas d’école
consterné
a fait la une
prendre le contôle
je n’aurais pas râté
ni de l’une ni de l’autre (expérience)
interrogées
travailler à distance = télétravailler
presque deux fois plus que
défenseurs
il est plus probable qu’ils veulent
faire mon travail / finir le travail que j’ai à faire
Telecommuting Getting Second Thoughts
(NBC Nightly News, 2013)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
It’s become a _______________ of modern work life. More and more companies __________________
pierre angulaire
au fil des ans
have made it possible for employees to do at least some of their work from home.
But that _________________ over, ah, was renewed this week after Yahoo!’s new CEO ordered
polémique
everyone back to the office and she’s not the first to __________________________.
NBC’s Rehema Ellis takes a look at this issue.
faire marche arrière
Melissa Potvin has what a lot of workers want. The mother of three is one of nearly ten percent of
Americans who work from home at least one day a week.
Having that ability to, on occasion, work from home allows me the simple pleasures of life: getting the
kids on and off the bus, being home to help them with their homework – ___________________________
tout en conciliant
a career.
Which is why Potvin, who works for a tech company, was disappointed to hear (that) Yahoo! is ordering
all its telecommuting workers back to the office. In a ____________________ Yahoo said, “This isn’t a
déclaration
_____________ industry view on working from home – this is about what is ________________ for
générale
Yahoo!, right now.”
convient / est bon
page 3/3
If Yahoo! needed _____________________________ and it can get a bunch of people who will now walk
dégraisser = réduire le effectifs
rather than go through massive _________________________, this may go down as a very interesting
mises à pied
management move.
But critics are particularly __________________ by Yahoo!’s decision since its new CEO, Marissa
consternés
Mayer, _____________________________ as the first pregnant woman to ________________________
a fait la une
prendre le contrôle
a Fortune 500 company.
Well, I’ve been a mom now for about four and a half months and I’ve been CEO for seven months, and I
would say that I wouldn’t have _______________ a minute of either experience.
manqué, râté
But having the best of both worlds could become harder for her employees now. Two thirds of companies
_______________________ say they allow workers to __________________________________, nearly
interrogées
travailler à distance
_________________________________ in 2005.
deux fois plus que
And ______________________ say it’s with good reason.
les défenseurs
As employees have flexibility, they’re in better physical and mental health; they’re more engaged; they
are more likely to want their organization to succeed; they’re more likely to want to stay.
Melissa Potvin says that’s exactly how she feels.
My company is telling me they trust me, they believe in me and they know (that) at the end of the day I’m
going to do my job and ________________________________.
faire le travail / finir le travail à faire