IELTS General Training Reading Practice Test
Part 2: Read Passage 2
Please read the text below and answer Questions 1 – 6.
Exercises & Summary
Policy for Working from Home in the Employee Handbook
Beginning
Our business allows some employees to work from home on a flexible basis. This policy applies to all employees who have been given permission to work from home, whether full-time or part-time. The goal is to boost productivity while keeping a healthy work-life balance.
Eligibility and getting approval
Some jobs aren’t good for working from home. Managers will choose on a case-by-case basis, based on the type of work and the employee’s past performance. You must submit a written request and get it approved before you can start working from home on a regular basis.
A workspace just for you
You need to make a quiet, comfortable, and distraction-free workspace at home. The company doesn’t pay for home office furniture, but with your line manager’s permission, you can get reimbursed for reasonable costs for upgrading your internet or buying basic equipment.
Hours of work and availability
Unless you agree to something else, the core working hours are still Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. During these hours, you must be able to be reached by phone, email, or instant messaging. If you start late or leave early without permission, it will be seen as an unauthorized absence.
Expectations for communication
It is required that everyone check in every day using the team chat channel. The company’s video conferencing tool will still be used for all team meetings. You have to turn on the cameras unless there is a real technical problem.
Keeping data safe and private
Don’t ever use public Wi-Fi for work. Every device in the company needs to have the most recent antivirus software and full-disk encryption turned on. Only the company’s secure cloud drive should hold private documents, not personal computers or external drives.
Duties for health and safety
You need to fill out a short form about the risks of working from home and send it to the Health & Safety team. Make sure your workspace is clean, well-lit, and that you take breaks from your screen often. If you have an accident while working from home, report it in the usual way.
Watching performance
The same way that work quality and output are checked in the office will be used. Managers might ask for progress reports or screen-sharing sessions from time to time. If you don’t meet the goals you agreed to, you may lose the right to work from home.
Ending the deal
The company has the right to tell any employee to go back to working in the office with two weeks’ notice or right away in rare cases.
Questions 1 – 6
