And I'm Neil.

我是尼爾。

In this programme, we're going to be talking about the world of work.

在這次的節目中，我們將要討論的是工作的世界。

Ah, yes, travelling to an office five days a week, sitting at a desk all day, and then going home.

唉沒錯，一個星期要通勤去辦公室五天，整天坐在辦公桌前，然後再回家去。

Neil, it's not always like that.

尼爾，工作並不總是這樣的。

Office work doesn't have to be such a routine—the usual, fixed way of doing things; it is much more flexible these days.

辦公室工作並不總是這樣的例行公事 (routine)：做一件事情時慣常的、固定的做法。 最近工作的形態越來越有彈性了。

That's true. During the pandemic, we've all had to have a more flexible approach to work.

這倒是真的。在疫情大流行期間，我們必須要用更有彈性的方式來工作。

Yes, we have. And it has, perhaps, changed our attitude to working flexibly.

是的沒錯。而這樣的狀況，或許也改變了我們對彈性工作的態度。

But even before coronavirus, there was an opportunity to work flexibly, and we'll be discussing that soon.

但即便在新冠疫情爆發之前，我們本來就已經有以彈性的方式工作的機會。我們稍後會再討論到這點。

But there's one thing that can't be changed, and that's you setting a quiz question!

但本節目不會改變的一件事就是，你得先提出一個測驗題目！

Ah, yes, I hadn't forgotten.

是的，我可沒忘記。

So, Neil, I know you work very hard.

所以尼爾，我知道你非常辛勤工作。

But according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development—the OECD—workers from which country work the longest hours?

但根據經濟合作暨發展組織 (OECD) 的數據，世界上哪個國家的勞工工時最長？

Is it... a, South Korea, b, Germany, or c, Mexico?

請問是 A）韓國、b) 德國，或 c) 墨西哥？

Mmm, well, as I'm not on the list, let's go for c, Mexico.

這個嘛，既然我不在列表中，我猜是 c) 墨西哥。

OK, Neil, we'll find out if that's right at the end of the programme.

好的，尼爾，我們會在節目的最後揭曉答案。

But let's talk more about flexible working now.

但是在此之前，讓我們先繼續聊聊彈性工作的議題。

Different countries have different laws about working flexibly, but here in the UK, for the last 14 years, employees—workers—have had the right to request flexible working.

不同的國家對於彈性工作有不同的法律規範。但在英國這裡的過去 14 年間，雇員，也就是勞工，有能向雇主要求彈性工作的權利。

But what does it mean to work flexibly?

但是「彈性工作」這個詞的意思究竟是什麼？

Sarah Jackson is a workplace consultant and visiting professor at Cranfield University School of Management.

莎拉·傑克遜 (Sarah Jackson) 是一位職場顧問，也是克蘭菲爾德大學管理學院的客座教授。

She spoke to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour programme about what it means exactly.

他在接受 BBC 廣播四台《女性時間》節目採訪時，解釋了這個詞的準確意涵。

Because of the pandemic, now everybody thinks that flexible working means working from home—it doesn't, it's about common sense.

因為疫情的關係，現在每個人都以為彈性工作就是在家工作的意思，其實不是這樣的，它的核心其實是「常識」。

What does the job need in terms of when, where, how long, and what do you need and what does your family need—and how do the two match?

這個工作要求員工何時、何地工作，以及工時多長？而員工所需要的以及員工家庭所需要的分別是什麼？又要如何平衡這兩點？

So, flexibility really means having some choice and control over when, where, and how long you work, and agreeing that with your manager.

因此，彈性工作的真正意思是讓員工能對何時、何地工作，以及工作多久能有所選擇和掌控，並理出一套管理階層也同意的方式。

So, flexible working is not just working from home—something we've got used to during the pandemic.

所以彈性工作並不只是在家工作而已—而我們在疫情期間已經習慣在家工作了。

It is about common sense—using our judgement to make sensible decisions.

它的關鍵其實在於常識 (common sense)：也就是利用我們的判斷力來做出合理的選擇。

So, requesting to work for two hours a day is not sensible, but being able to work from 12 until 8 instead of 9 to 5 might be.

也就是說，要求一天只工作兩小時不怎麼合理，但要求從中午 12 點工作到晚上 8 點，取代原本從早上 9 點到下午 5 點的工作時段，則可能是較為合理的要求。

Of course, this depends on the needs of the business.

當然，這取決於公司的需求。

And, as Sarah said, you need to match your needs with that of the business.

而正如莎拉所說，你需要將你自己的需求與公司的需求相互匹配 (match)。

Match here means to work equally on both sides.

這裡的匹配 (match) 指的是對雙方都公平以待。

Getting the working conditions that suit you does require some negotiation with your manager.

要讓工作條件符合你的需求，你會需要和管理階層談判。

You need agreement from him or her, and that can be difficult if your manager is inflexible—not willing to change.

你需要取得他的同意，而如果他沒有彈性，也就是不願意改變的話，這將會十分困難。

But of course, in the UK at least, an employee has a right to request flexible working, and this must be considered by the employer.

但當然，如果是在英國的話，員工有權利要求彈性工作，而雇主則需要認真考慮這個要求。

This law initially was just for parents with a child younger than 6 years old or a disabled child less than 18.

這項法律最初只是為家裡有年紀小於 6 歲的兒女，或是年紀小於 18 歲殘障兒女的家長所設計的法律。

But since 2014, everyone has the right to request flexible working.

但在 2014 年之後，每個人都有權要求彈性工作。

And that includes men.

當中也包括了男性。

Which is an important point, as Sarah Jackson explains.

這是很重要的一點，而莎拉·傑克遜將會解釋為什麼。

Fewer men seem to have their requests for flexible working accepted. Let's find out why.

男性似乎較難申請彈性工作。讓我們來瞭解箇中原因吧。

Men, when they do ask, are more likely to be turned down, so there's a real bias there in the system.

當男性要求彈性工作時，他們更有可能被拒絕。這顯示了整個系統中確實有著偏見。

And so what—the... the most important thing that needs to happen here, I think, is for... for employers to really actively start saying to their men:

我認為在這個狀況下最重要且需要發生的事情，就是雇主應該要主動去向男性員工說：

"We know you want to be active fathers," because there's a whole generation of young men who do want to be active fathers.

「我們知道你不想當個缺席的父親」，因為現在有一整個世代的年輕男性想要當對家庭更有貢獻的父親。

Please use the right to request flexible working. Work... work flexibly if you can because until men are enabled to be active fathers, we won't get equality at home and we certainly won't get equality in the workplace, either.

請好好利用你申請彈性工作的權利，並盡可能有彈性地工作，因為除非男性也能參與家務，否則我們永遠無法達到家庭內的性別平等，更不可能在職場上達到平等。

OK, so men are more likely to have their request turned down—or rejected.

好的，所以男性對彈性工作的申請更可能被拒絕。

And Sarah says there is a bias in the system—unfairness, treating one group of people more favourably than another.

而薩拉說體制中有偏見 (bias)。偏見就是不公平，以更好的待遇來對待另一群人。

And this is unfair because it can prevent some men being active fathers—actually being involved with childcare.

而這是不公平的，因為它會阻礙一些男性參與家務，也就是實際參與照顧孩子。

But having more active fathers can lead to equality—or fairness—at home and in the workplace.

而有更多參與家務的父親，則能促進家庭中與職場上的性別平等與公平。

It sounds like something that needs to be looked at.

這聽起來像是個需要關注的重要議題。

But now, Neil, let's get the answer to my question:

但現在，尼爾，讓我們先來核對一下先前問題的答案吧：

According to official data, in which country do workers work the longest hours?

根據官方數據，哪個國家的勞工有最長的工時？

And I said Mexico.

我猜的是墨西哥。

Which is correct, well done!

你答對了，太棒了！

According to the OECD, the average Mexican spends 2,255 hours at work per year—the equivalent of around 43 hours per week.

根據經合組織，墨西哥人每年平均花了 2255 小時在工作上，相當於每星期約 43 小時的工時。

Germans, on the other hand, clock up the fewest hours.

而德國人則是工時最少的。

Well, my working day is nearly over, so let's just recap some of the vocabulary we've discussed.

嗯，我一天的工作就快結束了，所以就讓我們來回顧一下剛才討論到的部分單字吧。

Starting with routine—the usual, fixed way of doing things.

從例行公事 (routine) 開始：也就是做事的慣常、固定的方式。

Common sense is our judgement to make sensible decisions.

常識 (common sense) 是我們根據判斷所做出的合理決定。

When you need something to match, it has to work equally on both sides.

當你需要匹配 (match) 兩件事情時，雙方都必須是相等的。

And when someone is inflexible, they are unwilling to change—sometimes we say they won't budge!

而當某人的思考沒有彈性 (inflexible) 時，代表他們不願意改變。我們有時會說他們不懂讓步！

Bias is unfairness—treating one group of people more favourably than another.

偏見 (bias) 就是不公平，用更好的待遇對待另一群人。

And being active with something means being involved with it.

而積極參與 (being active with sth.) 的意思是投身於某事之中。

Well, there's no flexibility in our 6 minutes, so we're out of time.

呃，我們節目 6 分鐘的時間限制可沒有彈性，所以我們已經超時了。

We have plenty more 6 Minute English programmes to enjoy on our website at bbclearningenglish.com.

但在我們的 bbclearningenglish.com 網站上，還有更多的 6 分鐘學英文節目。

And check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

歡迎追蹤我們的 Facebook、Twitter 和 Instagram。

Don't forget that we have an app, too, which you can download for free from the app stores.

不要忘記我們也有手機應用程式可供使用，直接前往應用程式商店即可免費下載。

We help you learn English on the move!

幫助你隨時隨地都能學英文！

Grammar, vocabulary, and interesting topics—we have them all!

文法、單字以及有趣的主題，我們全都包了！

Bye for now.

下次見囉。

Goodbye.

再見。