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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

SALARIES
AND SIDE
HUSTLES
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1 Warm up
In pairs, read the definition and answer the questions.

side hustle (n): an extra job that someone does as well as their main
job to earn additional income

1. Are side hustles common in your country? Why/Why not?

2. What kind of work do you think people do as a side hustle?
3. Would you consider having a side hustle? Why/Why not?

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2 Scanning for vocabulary

Find vocabulary in the article on page three that has the same meaning as the following definitions.

1. → having a very clear understanding of how technology works and what can
be done with it (adj., para. A)
2. → a large number of people arriving somewhere over a short period of time
(n, para. A)
3. → someone who was born after the internet became widely used and so is
naturally comfortable with it and modern technology (n, para. B)
4. → a person who regularly uploads videos online talking about subjects which
interest them (n, para. C)
5. → give information about something, particularly when it is usually kept
secret (v, para. C)
6. → the quality which makes something easy to follow and understand and not
hidden or secret (n, para. D)
7. → a belief or an attitude that a person or an organisation has which affects
the way it behaves or thinks (n, para. D)
8. → unclear and not easy to understand (adj., para.D)

9. → the state of not being easy to understand as there are lots of different
aspects to it (n, para. D)

3 Reading for gist

Look at the vocabulary in the box and use it to complete gaps 1-8 in the article on the next page.
There are more collocations than gaps.

A) corporate life F) main feature

B) formal rules G) rising prices

C) sudden fame H) rent increase

D) extra income I) remote work

E) bar work J) job adverts

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Let’s talk about it!

Hustle culture and corporate culture

A. Recent years have seen the money. The potential earnings D. Observers have commented
cost of living for people around from doing this far exceeds more that Generation Z attitudes
the world increasing, financial traditional extra jobs, such as towards transparency about
4
instability and an increase or driving pay will start to be felt in the
1
in . It is a taxi. Some even view it as a workplace. Currently, the official
perhaps these factors which pathway to eventually setting up line tends to be that openness
have fueled the rise of the a business that they will be able will lead to conflict and people
‘side hustle’. Where the need to move to doing full time in the should not have to make their
for people to work an extra future. salaries known. Yet it has
job has always been around, often been noted that having a
it was usually for people who C. An interesting trend with those muddy pay structure benefits
were desperately trying to promoting their online side companies financially and can
make a living and who were hustles is how open many of even help with discrimination.
underpaid or underemployed. them are about the income that The practice of not giving salaries
7
With tech-savvy professionals they earn from it. It can even be in and asking
now also being affected by a 5
with some for previous salaries during the
2
, we have seen bloggers and vloggers who are interview process has already
an influx of people who hold exploring how to escape debt or received a lot of bad press from
steady, white collar jobs needing build wealth in a public forum. younger workers, and rightly
to earn additional income. Videos detailing how much so. Neither is a sign that the
B. Given that Generation Z (those they made in a year or a month company in question has good
born between the late 1990s aren’t hard to find, and are often intentions. As Generation Z
and early 2010s) is entering created as encouragement to more fully enters the workforce,
the world of work in force and others to follow their example. we may see an increasing lack
they are the first generation However, the same people do of ambiguity around pay at all
8
of digital natives, the online not divulge the salaries from levels of ,
route to 3
their main jobs. This is likely making for a very interesting,
has become popular. Many due to this kind of online work and perhaps not unwelcome,
view the side hustle as a way being relatively new without any development.
6
of pursuing an interest, and , while the Sources: bbc.com, indeed.com,
so document their hobbies or corporate world has long had a gusto.com
interests in videos or blogs and culture of secrecy when it comes
use advertising as a way to earn to revealing salaries.

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4 Reading comprehension: Part 1

Read the following statements and decide if they are True (T), False (F), or Not Given (NG).

1. People needing a side hustle has only happened in modern times.

2. We’ve recently started to see people with full-time office jobs find ways to make extra money.

3. The majority of people with a side hustle connect it to something they’re interested in.

4. Some people use side hustles as a way of starting their own business.

5. People making extra money online rarely talk about what they earn.

6. There are more people earning money online now than doing traditional extra jobs.

7. Companies typically don’t make their pay structures clear or public.

8. Not giving the salary of a job in an advertisement is seen negatively by some Generation Z workers.

5 Reading comprehension: Part 2

In paragraph D, what do you think the author’s feelings are towards changes in attitudes to salary and
the way salary is dealt with in the job application and interview process?

Underline words that indicate their opinion.

Paragraph D

Observers have commented that Generation Z attitudes towards transparency about pay will
start to be felt in the workplace. Currently, the official line tends to be that openness will
lead to conflict and people should not have to make their salaries known. Yet it has often
been noted that having a muddy pay structure benefits companies financially and can even
help with discrimination. The practice of not giving salaries in job adverts and asking for
previous salaries during the interview process has already received a lot of bad press from
younger workers, and rightly so. Neither is a sign that the company in question has good
intentions. As Generation Z more fully enters the workforce, we may see an increasing lack of
ambiguity around pay at all levels of corporate life, making for a very interesting, and perhaps
not unwelcome, development.

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SALARIES AND SIDE HUSTLES

6 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Complete the gaps in the words with the missing vowels (a,e,i,o,u).

1. s_cr_cy (n) - the act of making sure information is not known

2. d_sp_r_ty (n) - a difference between two things, especially when it is not fair

3. c__nt_rp_rt (n) - a person who does the same job as someone but in a different place

4. c_nv_l_t_d (adj.) - being confusing and difficult to understand

5. v_r__nc_ (n) - the amount of change or difference between two things

6. st_nd_rd_s_ (v) - to make different things or activities the same as each other

7. sc_m (n) - a trick used to get money from people

8. m_r_t (n) - a positive feature that deserves a reward of some kind

Part B: Now use the vocabulary from Part A to complete the following sentences.

1. He explained the sales plan to me, but it was so that I had more questions than
answers by the end.

2. They’re very busy at the moment in Accounts as they’ve found a significant between
what our department says it has spent and what it has actually spent.

3. There’s been a lot of around the new products, but I think that they may be aimed
at the North American market which will be a new project for the company.

4. I met Jamie at the conference in London and it turned out we do the same job and she’s my
in the New York office.

5. I think the idea has a lot of and we should give serious consideration to it.

6. Everyone has different ways of recording their expenses at the moment, so the Accounting
department is planning to it by creating a form that everyone will have to fill
out.

7. He thought he was talking to someone from the bank and came very close to giving his card details,
but realised just in time that it was actually a .

8. Unfortunately, there’s still a between the way women and men are treated in the
workplace. Women still have to work harder to be taken seriously.

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7 Listening for gist

Listen to three people talking about whether or not people should be open about their salaries. Match
the following questions to the person answering them. There are more questions than people.

1. Do you think people on lower salaries are happier to be open about what they make than people
on higher salaries?

2. Have you ever discussed your salary with people you work with?

3. Do you think employers should be more open about their pay structures?

4. Why do you think businesses discourage people from talking about their salary?

5. Have you ever been warned not to discuss your salary?

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Is it common for people to know the salaries of the people they work with in your country?
Why/Why not?

2. Do you think salary and pay structures in companies should be open? Why/Why not?

3. Is making extra money online something that you would want to do? Why/Why not?

4. What do you think are the positives and negatives of having videos of yourself talking about a
subject of interest online?

5. Which famous vloggers or YouTubers do you know of? Do you think they would change their
choice to do that work if they could go back in time? Why/Why not?

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9 Extended activity/Homework

You are a CEO in a company where there is no clear pay structure. Recently, a lot of your employees
have been complaining that the company should be more open about the salary, some have even
been sharing their salaries with other people. Write an email to all of the staff explaining what you
intend to do about the situation. Consider the following questions:

• What are the benefits of an open salary structure?

• What are the disadvantages of an open salary structure?
• What are the benefits of keeping the current method?
• What are the disadvantages of keeping the current method?
• What can you do to deal with staff who are unhappy about the current situation?
• Are you comfortable with staff knowing how much money you earn? Why/Why not?

You should:

• Write at least 250 words.

• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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