Dear all,
After twenty-two years here, I have decided to retire at the end of June. I joined this company as a junior employee with no experience at all, and I am leaving as the supervisor of a team I am proud of.
Please do not plan a big party. If you would like to mark the day, join me for coffee in the meeting room at 3 p.m. on 28 June. I would rather spend the hour talking with you than listening to speeches. If that hour does not suit you, send me a note and we will fix an appointment before I go.
My files have all been handed over to Ms. Lin, who will take over my duties from 1 July. Anything still unfinished is listed in the shared folder.
With admiration and thanks,
David Kuo
Get Ready for Your Next Interview
All three sessions are free. Session 3 is open only to those who have finished Sessions 1 and 2. Places are limited to 30 people; sign up at the front desk or call 04-2233-5566.
Bring a printed copy of your application. Laptops are not needed.
Several firms in Europe have moved their staff to a four-day week without cutting pay. Early results are encouraging. In one study, a researcher found that output stayed the same while sick leave fell by almost a fifth.
Not every sector can adopt the idea. A hospital or a factory cannot simply close on Fridays. Still, offices where work is measured by results rather than by hours have found the change surprisingly easy.
The biggest problem is not productivity but meetings. The firms that succeeded had to cut the number of meetings sharply and give each remaining meeting a clear purpose. Many workers still associate long hours with loyalty, and that habit fades slowly.
A company asked its 400 employees to choose the one thing that mattered most to them at work.
| Answer | Under 30 | Over 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Higher pay | 48% | 31% |
| Flexible hours | 27% | 39% |
| A good supervisor | 15% | 22% |
| Chances to learn | 10% | 8% |
The survey was carried out in March; every employee answered.