I'm excited to share that my latest article, "The Negative Impact of Busy Season Saturdays," has been published on Accounting Today. In this piece, I delve into a topic that touches the core of our profession - the culture of mandatory overtime during busy seasons.

Key Takeaways:

1. Mandatory Overtime's Counterproductivity: Despite the common belief that working Saturdays during the busy season boosts productivity, evidence suggests otherwise. A study highlighted in the article reveals that this practice may actually reduce overall productivity due to increased stress and burnout.

2. Work-Life Balance and Employee Turnover: The article discusses how mandatory Saturdays lead to a poorer work-life balance and higher staff turnover rates. This not only affects team morale but also the firm's long-term sustainability.

3. The Illusion of Productivity: Enforcing overtime often leads to "productivity theater," - where staff appear busy rather than genuinely productive. This phenomenon is detrimental to both individual and firm performance.

4. Alternatives to Mandatory Saturdays: The article proposes practical solutions to avoid mandatory Saturdays, such as better work planning, using workflow software for efficient task management, and rethinking billing practices to focus on deliverables rather than hours.

By reassessing how we approach our busiest times, we can improve our firms' efficiencies and the well-being of our most valuable asset - our people.

Read the full article on Accounting Today here: https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/the-negative-impact-of-busy-season-saturdays