The lecturer claims that the new policy, which allows people to work four days a week insteadof five, will have negative effects for companies as well as society. This claim is not inagreement with that of the reading passage, which suggests that such a policy will bebeneficial.
According to the lecture, a company that allows employees to have fewer working hours is likelyto hire more people to ensure that it meets normal levels of productivity. If this occurs,expenses for training and medical insurance will inevitably rise. The reading passage, bycontrast, suggests that employees who enjoy more leisure time make fewer mistakes and workmore efficiently, leading to increased profits for the enterprise.
The second point of difference between the lecture and the reading passage concerns theimpact of the policy on the unemployment rate. The lecturer asserts that for the sake ofsaving money, employers might raise their expectations of 4-day employees rather than recruitmore people. Consequently, employees who work 4 days will be forced to finish what they did in5 days previously, and no additional jobs will be created.
Finally, the lecturer argues that under the new policy, employees will experience not onlydecreased quality of life (as shorter working hours will translate into less pay), but also fewerchances to be promoted to supervisory positions. However, the reading passage contends thatmore leisure hours can create opportunities to strengthen family ties and allow employees todevelop private interests, making them feel more satisfied with their lives