Last year, we covered ten things for which the profession should be thankful ahead of […]
Tag: Gratitude
McGladrey Employee Not Happy with Firm’s Attempt to Give Everyone a Three-and-a-Quarter Day Weekend
Good morning capital market servants. I know the first day back from an epic holiday weekend is a tough pill to swallow, as many of you couldn’t bear the thought of returning to work today. And because some people like to prolong the agony by taking today off, I’ll do my best to take you back to last Friday. A McGladrey reader dropped this note after I checked out for the day.
The company leaders have recently rolled out this lean working platform [GC coverage here]. They are trying to say work smarter not harder. What most people think lean means though is “do more with less” which is trademark of this company. CE [Andrews] and Joe [Adams] talked on a webcast the other day and they were trying to rile us up. What for? So in the end, they can tell us “despite our great efforts there isn’t money for salary increases”.
CE and Joe and other leaders are all excited about letting the entire firm off at 3 p.m. Friday., July 1 for the weekend holiday WOW! Don’t get too crazy CE and Joe, not 3 p.m. on a Friday? Holy cow!
When Steve Tait was President [of RSM McGladrey] we would get two days off during the Fourth, but under new leadership we get to get off at 3 p.m. on Friday? What a deal. What work-life balance. No wonder we make Working Mothers top 100 each year. Oh and you know what, the firm took away summer hours too…all because they want us to focus on ongoing flexibility…and working lean, which means no one can take time off because departments are too lean.
It’s 3 p.m. now on Friday, and boy I am lucky to be off. Nevermind most employees checked out – officially or unofficially – a few days ago already. I am sure major accounting and tax deals are going down right now on this holiday weekend, but we were fortunate enough to get off at 3 p.m. What a joke!
I think I might get a small putting green cake to celebrate!
Many firms – we’ve confirmed PwC and KPMG – gave their employees last Friday off, which does make for a nice four day weekend. And our tipster is correct, early July is a pret-tay, pret-tay, pret-tay slow time of year for accounting firms so a 3 pm let-out for a Friday before the grandest, pyrotechnic digit-losing holiday of the year might feel like a slap in the face.
That said, if you’re so bent out of shape about it, why not use some PTO (God forbid!)? You’re completely in control of this situation, friend. You want an extra-long weekend? Make it happen. Expecting accounting firms to just hand you a four-day weekend is a little bitchy and you have no excuse if you have a grip of PTO banked. Don’t make the same mistake come Labor Day.
San Jose Mayor Simply ‘Excited’ That PwC Chose to Move into a Building That Was Vacant for Eight Years
Considering this hunk of metal and glass has been empty since before the Iraq War started, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed could probably muster a little more enthusiasm than this:
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said Wednesday that he was “excited” that PwC was staying in San Jose.
Something along the lines of “OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! PwC, we are so grateful that you saved this building from becoming overrun by cobwebs and rats plus, it won’t be the laughingstock of our skyline anymore!”
No, Mayor Reed kept things fairly tepid:
“It’s a big relief for me,” said Reed. “I was worried about a major tenant moving out of downtown.”
Plus, you know, having this eyesore remain empty for a few more years.
Hate Your Job a Little Extra Today? There’s At Least One Recent Accounting Grad That Will Gladly Take Your Place
Okay gang, we know this is a tough day. You quietly wept to yourself on your commute; you’re recovering from sunburns, hangovers and meat sweats. It’s an all-around bitch of a Tuesday. It’s bad enough that your weekends are ruined by your job but now your holidays have to be ruined too? We’d suggest doing away with holidays altogether but then all work and no play makes accountants duller than normal.
But you trudge on, capital market servant. You trudge. A lot of readers recite “I’m thankful to have a job in this economy” mantra which makes some of you sick. Whether your nausea at their grateful attitude is justified is a matter of debate but let it be known, there are people out there that would take that job that you detest with all your heart and soul at the drop of a hat:
Melanie Singer has been preparing for the job market ever since she entered college at the University of Dayton, a private Catholic school in Ohio.
Starting in her freshman year, she began working with a career counselor. She attended networking events, did three internships while in school full-time, and worked with a recruiter to help connect her with jobs.
Singer, 22, got good grades, studied abroad and even chose a degree — accounting — that was supposed to give her one of the best chances of finding work.
“Everything you read, accounting was in the top five positions to get a job in,” Singer says.
But while she was in school, the economy tanked. Today’s job market is worse than it’s been in at least a generation.
Singer can’t remember how many websites or companies she’s applied to — she began sending out resumes at the beginning of her senior year. A month after commencement, she still hasn’t found a job.
We certainly agree with “everything you read” statement. You’d be hard pressed to find a MSM list of any sort that places accounting or accounting firms in a negative light as it relates to a career choice. Maybe the accounting scene has taken a turn for the worse in the Buckeye State and she needs to venture out?
Whatever the problems in Ohio, it sounds like Ms Singer spent most of her college days practicing for job interviews rather than the traditional co-ed activities and yet has had a serious run of bad luck finding a job. This is unfortunate and we know that there are plenty of Ohio accountants out there that probably wouldn’t mind an extended vacation. So if you find yourself hating life a little bit more than usual today, perhaps you’d consider taking one for the team so Ms Singer can fulfill her dream of joining the workforce.
Grant Thornton Employees Can Expect Handwritten Thank You Notes Any Day Now
It’s been awhile since we shared some of Stephen Chipman’s blog musings (mostly because we were too busy watching dust accumulate) but he was probably saving the more interesting stuff for post-April 15th.
“Interesting” obviously being a relative term but in his latest epic, he was not short on praise for those of you that remain with the firm:
Having just passed April 15, the first words I want you to read are “Thank you!” As we move through our busiest season, I continue to be impressed by the long hours, personal sacrifices and collaboration I read about in my e-mail, on our home page and by special letters and words of praise and thanks from our clients. As I’ve met with clients recently, one after another client executive raves about our people. It’s customary in the firm to say that clients rave about “our service,” but what they’re referring to is “you.” They are raving about each of you. The individuals for whom you work and with whom you have formed strong relationships based on excellence and trust are taking the time to tell me how valuable you have been to their respective businesses. Every time you show up, speak up and stay up late, you are demonstrating our global values: collaboration, leadership, excellence, agility, respect and responsibility. You are making a difference.
In case you missed it, your mere ability to drag yourself out of bed every morning, get to work at a decent hour, manage to utter a coherent sentence, and sacrificing your own health by depriving yourself of sleep you are making a difference. Your clients have noticed this by way of your wrinkled clothes, scuffed shoes, that expanding paunch, and your the all around zombie-esque qualities you exhibited every day during busy season (never mind this was all done for very little money).
And because of all those raving clients, Steve-o sent a little nudge to GT partners to make sure that they know, that you know, that they appreciate it because as it stands, they’re not doing that bang-up of a job:
Thank you.
These two simple words make a profound difference.
Feedback from the Voice Your Experience survey indicated that we need to continue to improve how we recognize our people. Interestingly, research shows recognition is not only about money and that a personal acknowledgement is especially powerful in motivating people to achieve exceptional results.
Please use the enclosed stationary to write your people notes of appreciation. By modeling this behavior, you play a key role in perpetuating a spirit of acknowledgement that benefits both our people and our business.
As always, thank you for all you do to make a difference every day.
/s/ Stephen
Okay people, illegible thank you notes (on extra-special stationary!) should be coming your way. Gratitude by way of money is cold and impersonal anyway.