GRE Argument Topic 30

NOTE: The above topic has wording similar to Argument Tasks 97, 98, 99 and 159 of this Website. However, if you read carefully you will notice that the topic and the task instructions are different. Hence, it is very important to read the topic as well as its instructions completely before you start to write your response.

Sample 1:

Quiot Manufacturing's vice president has used faulty reasoning to reach the conclusion that shortening work shifts will reduce the number of on-the-job accidents at the plant. Fatigue and sleep deprivation certainly can contribute to workplace accidents, but so can several other factors. Before deciding to shorten the work shifts, the managers should consider all the conditions that affect safety at Quiot Manufacturing.

The vice president of the company assumes that worker fatigue is the culprit behind the high number of on-the-job accidents. Is there evidence of fatigue? Are workers falling asleep on the job? Are they coming to work late? Has anyone surveyed the employees? Without answers to these questions, his assumption may be erroneous. He may be basing his assumption on the fact that Panoply Industries, with its shorter work shifts, has fewer workplace accidents. The writer should examine the reasons behind Panoply’s lower incidence of accidents at its facility.

If it turns out to be true that the workers at Quiot Manufacturing are sleep deprived, what is the cause? Most workdays are eight hours, and that is likely the length of each shift at the company. If Quiot workers are not spending more time than the average worker on the job, the length of the work day is not the most logical cause of their fatigue. The nature of the work may be tiring. Is it arduous, physically taxing, or is it monotonous and boring? Regularly scheduled breaks may solve that.

Quiot Manufacturing should examine its own culpability for creating an unsafe workplace. Has the company installed safety equipment that reduces accidents? Have the workers been trained to follow appropriate safety procedures? If the managers at Quiot were to question Panoply Industries, they may find that Panoply has recently reduced the number of accidents occurring at its plant. They may have installed safety features and instituted employee training that account for the lower incidence of accidents. On the other hand, safety features and training may be identical at both businesses and the shorter shifts have led to a reduction in accidents.

This writer must discover the actual figures behind the 30 percent more accidents at Quiot Manufacturing. How many accidents did each company report? If Panoply reported 3 on-the-job accidents, and Quiot had 30 percent more than that, then Quiot reported 4 accidents. This is hardly a number worth changing the structure of work shifts at the plant. On the other hand, if Panoply Industries reported 30 accidents, then Quiot Manufacturing would have had 39 accidents. An additional 9 accidents would be cause for concern, and the company should investigate the cause.

Shorter shifts may not improve either workplace safety or productivity. The vice president assumes that workers will rest more if they work less. The workers are just as likely to use the extra time to go shopping, socialize with friends, or watch television. Introspection may be a better approach than innovation to ensure worker safety and increased productivity.