When Patricia Rochester decided to go back to school after ten years as a staff
nurse at Toronto Western Hospital, her employer not only cheered her on, but
also paid her tuition and gave her a day off with pay every week to study.
Throughout her years at the hospital, Rochester has also taken workshops on
everything from coaching peers to career development—courses that she believes
have helped her advance at work. "I'm now head of the mentoring (指导) program for
new hires, students and staff nurses." she says. "There's a lot of room for
personal improvement here." Perhaps as important, Rochester
says her employer supports and values her work. "If you put in overtime," the
nurse points out, "you get your meals—they'll order in pizza or Greek food or
Chinese." And if staffers feel stiff and stressed from too many hours on the
ward, they can call for a free 15-minute shoulder-and-neck massage (按摩) or even
sign up for an eight-week evening course on meditation skills and stress-relief.
If that's not enough, employees can take advantage of five family days a year
that can be used if the kids come down with the flu or an aging parent needs
ferrying to an important doctor's appointment. And they have access to a range
of perks (好处) such as special rates on hotel rooms, drugstore purchases, and
scholarships for employees' children. You might wonder how an
organization can provide such resources and still survive. But University Health
Network is one of a number of progressive employers in Canada that have
discovered that investing in staff is good business. If such
initiatives help companies cut down on turnover (人员更替) alone, they're well
worthwhile, says Prem Benimadhu, a vice-president at the Conference Board of
Canada. It costs anywhere from $3.300 to rehire support staff, an average
$13,300 for technical staff and a whopping (巨大的) $43,000 for an executive
position, according to one study of Conference Board members.
Innovative initiatives help companies attract talented employees, cut down on
sick days (which cost Canadian businesses an estimated $17 billion a year, or an
average of $3,550 per employee) and keep employees more interested in their
work. With the substantial talent shortage that already exists in Canada and the
prospect of mass retirement over the next five years—as many as 50 or 60 percent
in some sectors—Benimadhu says that intelligent employers are putting a renewed
focus on the people who work for them.
单选题
When Rochester decided to go to school, her employer ______.
A. persuaded her to change her mind
B. fired her
C. cheered her on
D. discouraged her
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 可以在第一段的第一句话中找到“cheered her on”(鼓励她)。故选C。
单选题
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to ease one's
stiffness and stress?
A. To take an eight-week evening course on meditation skills and
stress-relief.
B. To call for a free 15-minute shoulder-and-neck massage.