The Overtime Pay Issue in Public Accounting

Randall Hanson, JD, LLM, and R. D. Mautz, PhD, CPA

Accounting professionals are keenly aware that the workflow in public accounting is cyclical and that reporting deadlines can lead to work weeks well in excess of 40 hours. CPA firms and professional organizations are aware of the overtime issue and its potential impact on recruiting and retention. Accordingly, helping employees balance the demands of their professional and personal lives is a topic of interest. Firms' web sites describe programs designed to increase employee satisfaction, journal articles offer strategies for improving work/life balance, and the AICPA Work/Life and Women's Initiatives Executive Committee provides an employee retention guide that offers strategies for retaining top talent (“Employee Retention Guide: How to Keep Your Top Talent on Board,” http://www.aicpa.org/Career/WomenintheProfession/DownloadableDocuments/2945378_EmployeeRetentionGuide.pdf).