Part 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

North Sydney Council

A

North Sydney Council recognises the importance of balancing the demands of your work with the demands of your personal life.

B

The standard working week for full-time council employees is 35 hours for ‘Indoor Staff’ and 38 hours for ‘Outdoor Staff’ , worked over 5 days. Indoor staff are able to access the benefit of flexi time. A number of these occasionally work from home where appropriate – an example of an initiative that can provide flexibility at certain stages of an employee’s career.

C

Staff are entitled to 3 weeks per annum sick or carer’s leave. In addition to the normal parental leave/maternity leave provisions,women who have completed 12 months of continuous service can access a total of 9 weeks’ maternity leave that can be taken either as 9 weeks at full pay or as 18 weeks at half pay.

D

The annual entitlement to paid holidays is 20 days, pro-rata for part-time. After 5 years of continuous service, employees are entitled to 6.5 weeks Long Service Leave (LSL).

Our Financial Advice Program is conducted in partnership with FuturePlus Financial Services. We provide the services of advisors specialising in pensions, and all our employees are given the opportunity to meet them as part of the induction process.

E

The Employee Assistance Program(EAP) is a counselling service provided at no charge to all employees and their families.The service is available by phone or face to face. The EAP provides registered psychologists for employees wishing to discuss work or non-work matters confidentially. Employees can also access information, such as articles and self assessments, online via eapdirect.

Questions 15 – 20

Answer the questions below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 15-20 on your answer sheet.

Which employees may choose not to work regular hours? 15_______________

How much time off each year is an employee able to take to look after a relative?16______________

What kind of leave involves a choice between two alternative periods of time?17______________

How long must employees have worked without a break before being entitled to additional holidays?18______________

What does the Financial Advice Program advise staff about?19______________

What kind of professional people can employees see if they want to talk about their job in private?20______________

Questions 21 – 27

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in each gap.

You and your employer will need to sign a 21______________before training starts.

Employers may have different minimum requirements regarding applicants’ 22______________and experience.

Each industry has its own standardised 23______________of training.

You may be given credit for work experience or if you have done relevant 24______________.

You will be considered as a member of 25______________theduring the apprenticeship.

While at work, apprentices are supervised by what are known as 26______________.

Employers are consulted when deciding the 27______________and schedule for lessons.