什么是好的办公室福利？(下)

福利应该充实企业文化，而不是被企业文化所破坏。如果员工的薪酬低于其他公司，那么公司就不应该给员工提供财务幸福方面的建议。

双语精读

Perks should reinforce a culture, not be undermined by it. Firms should not be offering employees access to advice on financial well-being if they pay worse than everyone else.

福利应该充实企业文化，而不是被企业文化所破坏。如果员工的薪酬低于其他公司，那么公司就不应该给员工提供财务幸福方面的建议。

They should not be touting mindfulness courses if they expect employees to work until they drop from exhaustion. And perks should be motivating to the widest possible group.

如果企业希望员工工作到筋疲力尽为止，那么他们就不应该吹嘘他们提供正念课程。福利应该激励尽可能广泛的群体。

Snack cupboards filled with calorific goodies are some people's version of a sugary paradise, and others' idea of obesogenic hell. If your perk is a source of controversy, it's probably not right.

装满高热量美味零食的小吃柜是一些人眼中的甜蜜天堂，也是另一些人心目中的肥胖地狱。如果你的福利是引起争议的来源，那么这个福利可能并不合适。

The framing of a perk matters, too. Mental accounting is a concept that was coined by Richard Thaler, a behavioural economist, to describe how people put different values on money depending on context.

福利的设定也很重要。心理账户效应是行为经济学家理查德·塞勒首创的一个概念，用来描述人们如何在不同情况下对金钱赋予不同的价值。

A discount on a small purchase feels more significant than the same amount off a big-ticket item, for example. Helping people with things they resent paying for can also be more effective than doling out treats.

例如，数额相同的折扣，用于买便宜东西比买贵的东西让人感觉更有意义。帮人们处理他们不愿花钱去做的事，也可能比直接给钱更有效。

In "Mixed Signals", an enjoyable new book on incentives, Uri Gneezy describes an experiment he conducted with three academics in Singapore, in which taxi drivers there were rewarded if they did a certain amount of exercise.

在一本关于激励的有趣新书《混合信号》中，乌里·格尼兹描述了他与三名学者在新加坡进行的一项实验，在实验中，如果出租车司机做了一定量的锻炼，他们就会得到奖励。

Some drivers were given $100 in cash and others were given a credit equal to the value of a much-disliked rental fee they had to pay to the firm that owned the taxi. The rental credit proved much more motivating to drivers.

一些司机获得100美元的现金，其他司机可以抵免他们必须支付给公司的一笔他们很讨厌的租赁费（因为出租车为公司所有）。事实证明，租金抵免对司机的激励作用要大得多。

Employers who offer help with pet insurance or student-loan debt repayments may be onto something.

提供宠物保险或学生贷款债务偿还方面帮助的雇主可能会得到不错的效果。

Perks also work best if they are noticed. Employees can quickly become habituated to something that is unvaryingly available.

如果福利被人注意到，也会让福利发挥最好的作用。员工很快就会习惯于一成不变的可获得的东西。

Ben and Jerry's offers its staff three pints of ice cream and frozen yogurt a day; that risks being a benefit which fades into the background, even if its employees are less likely to.

本杰瑞冰淇淋公司每天为员工提供三品脱冰激凌和冷冻酸奶，这一好处可能会逐渐变得不起眼，尽管这家公司的员工们可能不会这样想。

Time-limited seasonal benefits are a good answer to this: some firms let their people knock off early on Friday afternoons during the summer, for example.

有时间限制的季节性福利是解决这一问题的好办法：例如，一些公司允许员工在夏季的周五下午提前下班。

By the time the days lengthen and the weather warms, that perk might help to keep good employees in their posts.

等到白天变长，天气变暖时，这种福利可能有助于留住优秀员工。

No employer should mistake perks for the things that really matter to their staff. Research into what workers value most reveals the same priorities: stimulating work, being recognised by their managers, good wages.

任何雇主都不应该把福利误认为是对员工真正重要的东西。研究表明员工最看重的东西和这些东西有同样的优先顺序：能激发兴趣的工作、得到经理的认可、丰厚的工资。

When it comes to office environments, too, basics like natural light count for more than a massage. But perks can help at the margins.

当谈到办公环境时，像自然光这样的基本条件也比按摩服务更重要。但福利可以在边缘地带提供帮助。

If you are going to dole them out, the trick is to find something that is both discretionary and meaningful.

如果你打算赠予福利，诀窍就是找到既可自行决定，又确实有意义的东西。

词汇预习

• source [高考]

  美[sɔːrs] | 英[sɔːs]

  n. 来源；发源地；原始资料 v. 从...获得

• financial [高考]

  美[faɪˈnænʃl] | 英[faɪˈnænʃl]

  adj. 金融的；财政的；[非正式]有钱的

• effective [高考]

  美[ɪˈfektɪv] | 英[ɪˈfektɪv]

  adj. 有效的；生效的；实际的

• context [高考]

  美[ˈkɑːntekst] | 英[ˈkɒntekst]

  n. 上下文；环境；背景

• significant [高考]

  美[sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt] | 英[sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt]

  adj. 重要的；有意义的；意味深长的；显著的

• employer [高考]

  美[ɪmˈplɔɪər] | 英[ɪmˈplɔɪə(r)]

  n. 雇主

• loan [高考]

  美[loʊn] | 英[ləʊn]

  n. 贷款；借出 v. 借；供应货款

• rental [高考]

  美[ˈrentl] | 英[ˈrentl]

  n. 租费；租借 adj. 租借的；地租的

• paradise [高考]

  美[ˈpærədaɪs] | 英[ˈpærədaɪs]

  n. 天堂

• well-being [高考]

  美[ˈwel biːɪŋ] | 英[ˈwel biːɪŋ]

  n. 康乐；安宁

• economist [高考]

  美[ɪˈkɑnəmɪst] | 英[ɪˈkɒnəmɪst]

  n. 经济学家；[古]节俭的人

• exhaustion [高考]

  美[ɪɡˈzɔːstʃən] | 英[ɪɡˈzɔːstʃən]

  n. 疲惫；筋疲力尽；竭尽

• mindfulness [高考]

  美['maɪndfʊlnɪs] | 英['maɪndfʊlnɪs]

  n. 留神；警觉；注意

• reinforce [高考]

  美[ˌriːɪnˈfɔːrs] | 英[ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs]

  vt. 加固；加强；增强；使更具说服力 vi. 得到加强

• access [高考]

  美[ˈækses] | 英[ˈækses]

  n.入口，通道；获得的机会，使用权；（对计算机存储器的）访问，存取；（情感）爆发，发作；探视权 v. 接近，进入；获取，访问（计算机信息） adj.[美]（电视节目或时间等）对外公开的

• purchase [高考]

  美[ˈpɜːrtʃəs] | 英[ˈpɜːtʃəs]

  vt. 购买 n. 购买；购买的物品

• concept [高考]

  美[ˈkɑːnsept] | 英[ˈkɒnsept]

  n. 观念；概念；想法

• equal [高考]

  美[ˈiːkwəl] | 英[ˈiːkwəl]

  adj. 相等的；平等的 vt. 比得上；等于 n. 同辈；平等；(同等的)人或事物

• cash [高考]

  美[kæʃ] | 英[kæʃ]

  n. 现金 vt. 付现款；兑现 adj. 现金的

• discount [高考]

  美[ˈdɪskaʊnt , dɪsˈkaʊnt] | 英[ˈdɪskaʊnt , dɪsˈkaʊnt]

  n. 折扣；贴现率 vt. 打折扣；贴现；不全信；不重视 vi. 贴现；减息贷款

• insurance [高考]

  美[ɪnˈʃʊrəns] | 英[ɪnˈʃʊərəns]

  n. 保险；保险费；安全保障

• debt [高考]

  美[det] | 英[det]

  n. 债务；恩情；负债状态；义务；罪

• access to [高考]

  美[ˈæksɛs tu] | 英[ˈækses tu:]

  接近，有权使用；进入，通向…的路口

• equal to [高考]

  美[ˈikwəl tu] | 英[ˈi:kwəl tu:]

  等于； 和 ... 相等； 相当于

• limited [高考]

  美[ˈlɪmɪtɪd] | 英[ˈlɪmɪtɪd]

  adj. 有限的；被限制的

• onto [高考]

  美[ˈɑːntə , ˈɑːntu] | 英[ˈɒntə , ˈɒntu]

  prep. 到 ... 上

• fee [高考]

  美[fiː] | 英[fiː]

  n. 费用；酬金；小费[br /]v.给…发薪水；聘请

• seasonal [高考]

  美[ˈsiːzənl] | 英[ˈsiːzənl]

  adj. 季节的；依照季节的；周期性的

• hell [四级]

  美[hel] | 英[hel]

  n. 地狱；阴间；苦境；极大的痛苦 n. 究竟（用以加强语气） int. 见鬼，该死（用于表示生气或恼怒） v. 过放荡生活；(车辆)急驰 【名】（Hell）黑尔（人名）

• controversy [四级]

  美[ˈkɑːntrəvɜːrsi] | 英[ˈkɒntrəvɜːsi]

  n. 争议；(公开的)争论

• lengthen [四级]

  美[ˈlɛŋθən, ˈlɛŋk-] | 英[ˈleŋθən]

  v. 加长；延长

• sugary [四级]

  美[ˈʃʊɡəri] | 英[ˈʃʊɡəri]

  adj. 含糖的；甜的；甜言蜜语的

• massage [四级]

  美[məˈsɑːʒ] | 英[ˈmæsɑːʒ]

  n. 按摩 v. 按摩；用...揉擦；美化（事实）；虚报（数量）

• offering [四级]

  美[ˈɔːfərɪŋ] | 英[ˈɒfərɪŋ]

  n. 供品；作品；出售物

• resent [六级]

  美[rɪˈzent] | 英[rɪˈzent]

  v. 怨恨，憎恶

• stimulating [专四]

  美[ˈstɪmjəˌletɪŋ] | 英[ˈstɪmjuleɪtɪŋ]

  adj. 刺激的；令人兴奋的

• perk [专八]

  美[pɜːrk] | 英[pɜːk]

  v. （使）振作；打扮；竖起 vi. 滤煮 n. 额外津贴；特权；利益

• dole [专八]

  美[doʊl] | 英[dəʊl]

  vt. 发放救济 n. 施舍品；失业救济金 n. [古]悲伤

• knock off [考研]

  美[nɑk ɔf] | 英[nɔk ɔf]

  停止做某事； 下班； 匆匆完成； 减少； 抢劫； 复制

重点讲解

Perks should**** reinforce a culture,**** not be**** undermined**** by**** it****.**** Firms should**** not be**** offering**** employees access**** to**** advice**** on**** financial well****-being if**** they**** pay worse than**** everyone**** else****.****

福利应该充实企业文化，而不是被企业文化所破坏。如果员工的薪酬低于其他公司，那么公司就不应该给员工提供财务幸福方面的建议。

reinforce   v.

1. 加强；充实

【例】The climate of political confusion has only reinforced the country’s economic decline.

政局混乱只是加速了国家经济的衰退。

2. 加固；使更结实

【例】All buildings are now reinforced to withstand earthquakes.

所有建筑现都已加固，以抗地震。

3. 增援，使更强大

【例】We reinforce a troop again.

我们又增援一支军队

access    n. &  v.

1. 作名词

（1）通道；通路

【例】The police gained access through a broken window.

警察从一扇破窗户钻了进去。

（2）（使用或见到的）机会，权利

【例】Students must have access to good resources.

学生必须有机会使用好的资源。

2. 作动词：访问，存取（计算机文件）

【例】Users can access their voice mail remotely.

用户可以远程获取语音邮件。

They should not be touting mindfulness courses if they expect employees to work until they drop from exhaustion. And perks should be motivating to the widest possible group.

如果企业希望员工工作到筋疲力尽为止，那么他们就不应该吹嘘他们提供正念课程。福利应该激励尽可能广泛的群体。

goody   n. 

1.  好吃的东西

【例】a basket of goodies for the children

给孩子们的一篮好吃的东西

2. 人们渴望得到的东西

【例】The competition gives you the chance to win all sorts of goodies.

这次比赛让你有机会赢取各种各样好玩的东西。

Snack cupboards filled with calorific goodies are some people's version of a sugary paradise, and others' idea of obesogenic hell. If your perk is a source of controversy, it's probably not right.

装满高热量美味零食的小吃柜是一些人眼中的甜蜜天堂，也是另一些人心目中的肥胖地狱。如果你的福利是引起争议的来源，那么这个福利可能并不合适。

goody   n. 

1.  好吃的东西

【例】a basket of goodies for the children

给孩子们的一篮好吃的东西

2. 人们渴望得到的东西

【例】The competition gives you the chance to win all sorts of goodies.

这次比赛让你有机会赢取各种各样好玩的东西。

The framing of a perk matters, too. Mental accounting is a concept that was coined by Richard Thaler, a behavioural economist, to describe how people put different values on money depending on context.

福利的设定也很重要。心理账户效应是行为经济学家理查德·塞勒首创的一个概念，用来描述人们如何在不同情况下对金钱赋予不同的价值。

coin    n. &  v.

1. 作名词

（1）硬币；金属货币

【例】Flip a coin to see who goes first.

抛硬币决定谁先来。

（2）事情的另一面

【例】Making the rules is only part of it. How the rules are carried out is the other side of the coin.

制定规定只是一方面，如何执行规定又是另一方面。

2. 作动词：创造，杜撰〔新词或词语〕

【例】The word was coined in the 1920s.

这个词是在20世纪20年代创造出来的。

context    n.

1. （事情发生的）背景，环境

【例】the political context of the election

此次选举的政治背景

2. 上下文；语境

【例】You should be able to guess the meaning of the word from the context.

你应该能从上下文猜出这个词的含义。

A discount on a small purchase feels more significant than the same amount off a big-ticket item, for example. Helping people with things they resent paying for can also be more effective than doling out treats.

例如，数额相同的折扣，用于买便宜东西比买贵的东西让人感觉更有意义。帮人们处理他们不愿花钱去做的事，也可能比直接给钱更有效。

dole out  发放（食物、钱等）；施舍

【例】Vera was doling out candy to all the kids.

维拉正在给所有的孩子分发糖果。

【拓展】dole   n. &  v.

1. 作名词：救济金；失业救济金

【例】Too many young people are still on the dole.

还在吃政府救济的年轻人太多了。

2. 作动词：分发〔钱、食物等〕；〔给多人〕提供〔建议〕

【例】The food was doled out to the poor.

食品分发给了穷人。

In "Mixed Signals", an enjoyable new book on incentives, Uri Gneezy describes an experiment he conducted with three academics in Singapore, in which taxi drivers there were rewarded if they did a certain amount of exercise.

在一本关于激励的有趣新书《混合信号》中，乌里·格尼兹描述了他与三名学者在新加坡进行的一项实验，在实验中，如果出租车司机做了一定量的锻炼，他们就会得到奖励。

dole out  发放（食物、钱等）；施舍

【例】Vera was doling out candy to all the kids.

维拉正在给所有的孩子分发糖果。

【拓展】dole   n. &  v.

1. 作名词：救济金；失业救济金

【例】Too many young people are still on the dole.

还在吃政府救济的年轻人太多了。

2. 作动词：分发〔钱、食物等〕；〔给多人〕提供〔建议〕

【例】The food was doled out to the poor.

食品分发给了穷人。

Some drivers were given $100 in cash and others were given a credit equal to the value of a much-disliked rental fee they had to pay to the firm that owned the taxi. The rental credit proved much more motivating to drivers.

一些司机获得100美元的现金，其他司机可以抵免他们必须支付给公司的一笔他们很讨厌的租赁费（因为出租车为公司所有）。事实证明，租金抵免对司机的激励作用要大得多。

be onto sth.  了解；处于有利地位

【例】Scientists believe they are onto something big.

科学家相信，他们将会有重大发现。

【拓展】be onto sb.

1. 发现（某人做了坏事）

【例】The police are onto him.

警察盯上他了

2. 与…谈话；询问

【例】They've been onto me for ages to get a job.

很久以来，他们一直催促我找份工作。

Employers who offer help with pet insurance or student-loan debt repayments may be onto something.

提供宠物保险或学生贷款债务偿还方面帮助的雇主可能会得到不错的效果。

be onto sth.  了解；处于有利地位

【例】Scientists believe they are onto something big.

科学家相信，他们将会有重大发现。

【拓展】be onto sb.

1. 发现（某人做了坏事）

【例】The police are onto him.

警察盯上他了

2. 与…谈话；询问

【例】They've been onto me for ages to get a job.

很久以来，他们一直催促我找份工作。

Perks also work best if they are noticed. Employees can quickly become habituated to something that is unvaryingly available.

如果福利被人注意到，也会让福利发挥最好的作用。员工很快就会习惯于一成不变的可获得的东西。

fade   v. 

1. （使）变淡，变暗

【例】All colours had faded from the sky.

天上的颜色都退去了

2. 逐渐消逝；逐渐消失

【例】Hopes of reaching an agreement seem to be fading away.

达成协议的希望看来已逐渐渺茫。

【拓展】fade away 衰弱；病重死亡

【例】In the last weeks of her life she simply faded away.

她在生命的最后几个星期已是草枯灯油尽了。

knock off  

1. 停止、中断某事；（尤指）下班，收工

【例】Do you want to knock off early today?

你今天想早点儿歇工吗？

2. 迅速而轻松地完成

【例】He knocks off three novels a year.

他一年轻松完成三部小说。

3. 偷（东西）；抢劫

【例】to knock off a bank     抢劫银行

Ben and Jerry's offers its staff three pints of ice cream and frozen yogurt a day; that risks being a benefit which fades into the background, even if its employees are less likely to.

本杰瑞冰淇淋公司每天为员工提供三品脱冰激凌和冷冻酸奶，这一好处可能会逐渐变得不起眼，尽管这家公司的员工们可能不会这样想。

fade   v. 

1. （使）变淡，变暗

【例】All colours had faded from the sky.

天上的颜色都退去了

2. 逐渐消逝；逐渐消失

【例】Hopes of reaching an agreement seem to be fading away.

达成协议的希望看来已逐渐渺茫。

【拓展】fade away 衰弱；病重死亡

【例】In the last weeks of her life she simply faded away.

她在生命的最后几个星期已是草枯灯油尽了。

knock off  

1. 停止、中断某事；（尤指）下班，收工

【例】Do you want to knock off early today?

你今天想早点儿歇工吗？

2. 迅速而轻松地完成

【例】He knocks off three novels a year.

他一年轻松完成三部小说。

3. 偷（东西）；抢劫

【例】to knock off a bank     抢劫银行

Time-limited seasonal benefits are a good answer to this: some firms let their people knock off early on Friday afternoons during the summer, for example.

有时间限制的季节性福利是解决这一问题的好办法：例如，一些公司允许员工在夏季的周五下午提前下班。

fade   v. 

1. （使）变淡，变暗

【例】All colours had faded from the sky.

天上的颜色都退去了

2. 逐渐消逝；逐渐消失

【例】Hopes of reaching an agreement seem to be fading away.

达成协议的希望看来已逐渐渺茫。

【拓展】fade away 衰弱；病重死亡

【例】In the last weeks of her life she simply faded away.

她在生命的最后几个星期已是草枯灯油尽了。

knock off  

1. 停止、中断某事；（尤指）下班，收工

【例】Do you want to knock off early today?

你今天想早点儿歇工吗？

2. 迅速而轻松地完成

【例】He knocks off three novels a year.

他一年轻松完成三部小说。

3. 偷（东西）；抢劫

【例】to knock off a bank     抢劫银行

By the time the days lengthen and the weather warms, that perk might help to keep good employees in their posts.

等到白天变长，天气变暖时，这种福利可能有助于留住优秀员工。

margin    n.

1. 页边空白；白边

【例】a narrow/wide margin     窄／宽空白边

2. 利润

【例】Margins are low and many companies are struggling.

利润很少，很多公司都在苦苦挣扎。

3. 边缘部分；非主体部分 

【例】people living on the margins of society     生活在社会边缘的人

4. （获胜者在时间或票数上领先的）幅度，差额，差数

【例】He won by a narrow margin.

他以微小的差额获胜。

No employer should mistake perks for the things that really matter to their staff. Research into what workers value most reveals the same priorities: stimulating work, being recognised by their managers, good wages.

任何雇主都不应该把福利误认为是对员工真正重要的东西。研究表明员工最看重的东西和这些东西有同样的优先顺序：能激发兴趣的工作、得到经理的认可、丰厚的工资。

margin    n.

1. 页边空白；白边

【例】a narrow/wide margin     窄／宽空白边

2. 利润

【例】Margins are low and many companies are struggling.

利润很少，很多公司都在苦苦挣扎。

3. 边缘部分；非主体部分 

【例】people living on the margins of society     生活在社会边缘的人

4. （获胜者在时间或票数上领先的）幅度，差额，差数

【例】He won by a narrow margin.

他以微小的差额获胜。

When it comes to office environments, too, basics like natural light count for more than a massage. But perks can help at the margins.

当谈到办公环境时，像自然光这样的基本条件也比按摩服务更重要。但福利可以在边缘地带提供帮助。

margin    n.

1. 页边空白；白边

【例】a narrow/wide margin     窄／宽空白边

2. 利润

【例】Margins are low and many companies are struggling.

利润很少，很多公司都在苦苦挣扎。

3. 边缘部分；非主体部分 

【例】people living on the margins of society     生活在社会边缘的人

4. （获胜者在时间或票数上领先的）幅度，差额，差数

【例】He won by a narrow margin.

他以微小的差额获胜。

If you are going to dole them out, the trick is to find something that is both discretionary and meaningful.

如果你打算赠予福利，诀窍就是找到既可自行决定，又确实有意义的东西。

margin    n.

1. 页边空白；白边

【例】a narrow/wide margin     窄／宽空白边

2. 利润

【例】Margins are low and many companies are struggling.

利润很少，很多公司都在苦苦挣扎。

3. 边缘部分；非主体部分 

【例】people living on the margins of society     生活在社会边缘的人

4. （获胜者在时间或票数上领先的）幅度，差额，差数

【例】He won by a narrow margin.

他以微小的差额获胜。

课后练习

• Which of the following is true about a good perk?

  A. It is based on a high salary.

  B. It promotes work-life balance.

  C. It satisfies the needs of everyone.

  D. It focuses on a healthy lifestyle.

• Uri Gneezy’s experiment shows that ____.

  A. people don’t care about a small amount of money

  B. people have wrong ideas about how to spend money

  C. people prefer rewards that are related to their work

  D. people feel differently about the money in different forms

• The example of shorter work hours in summer suggests that ____.

  A. shorter work days are more popular than high salaries

  B. it is important to give employees enough time to rest

  C. it is advisable to make perks variable and noticeable

  D. shorter work hours may improve overall productivity

• The guiding principle of offering perks is that ____.

  A. give employees things that matter to them

  B. give what employees value most

  C. improving office environments helps

  D. find something unessential but meaningful