[FullyDepreciated]

When will Big 4 finally adopt more sane hours? I would like to join, but in tax I don’t want to work 70-80+++ hours a week. 60-65 is doable maybe 5-10 weeks a year, but more than that on a regular basis is potentially sacrificing one’s health for career.

Are they going to run out of people willing to work those kind of hours? Millennials want more work-life balance, no?

[Anonymous]

1 year at a regional, big 4 since October. I'm getting out in May, its not worth it to me, life's too short to sit in a conference room 14+ hrs a day.

[mw798]

“Are they going to run out of people willing to work those kind of hours? Millennials want more work-life balance, no?”

A fresh crop of college grads each year feeds the meat grinder.

They will never run out of people willing to work for them. Most accounting majors past and present aspire to work for the Big 4.

[mla1169]

They can only adopt sane hours when highly educated, professional and loyal employees are willing to work only 4 months a year then be laid off May-Dec and commit to coming back the following January. If they were staffed sufficiently to have manageable hours during busy season there's not going to be enough work for the rest of the year and A71 becomes fodder for when is a career at B4 ever going to be dependable.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

When they decide they like money less and hire more people thus shrinking their profit margin…

[mla1169]

In other words when they become H&R Block.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[OnMyWay732]

It could easily be done if they wanted it to. The top guys have the idea that if everyone isn't working that much then not enough is getting done, even if it means sitting around.

AUD - July 2014 - 76
REG - August 2014 - 82
FAR - November 2014 - 78
BEC - January 2015 - 81

DONE!!!!

Used Becker online. Who needs a text when you can burn your eyes out staring at the screen for months on end?

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you're hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

[Anonymous]

Call me workaholic all you want. But what do you do usually after work during Mon-Fri? Certainly you can't go hiking or travelling. You probably will stay in a bar or just in front your TV and enjoy the movies or TV shows.

Sometimes I ask myself: do I enjoy sitting in front my computer for movies for whole day long? Yes, I do. But after 5 or 6 hours, I can't stop wondering what I could achieve if I invest those hours on Excel searching, law school study, or some other professional study.

Here is the deal: it's a life style not just a career.

Some people could just watch movies or chat with families. That's ok. But some other people just like to suit up and meet other business people in a professional club or just stay a while in front of the computer and do things. It's really up to you and it's really your own choice. It's not something the Big 4 decides. If you think Big 4 should take that responsibility, maybe you don't understand yourself enough.

I personally like to study and enjoy at the same time. Why not? Who could stop me? Right?

[waffle_house]

Work to live, not live to work

AUD - 80
BEC - 75
FAR - 84
REG - 76

Exams started Sep 2014 -Exams done Mar 2017

Texas CPA

I put in work, it was evident

[funtiks]

@cycgundam

lifestyle….bla bla bla,

Your career is your life which is okay since its your life and you decided what to do with it.

Most people have friends, activities that they like to participate after work, and family they like to see.

I do not want to stare at useless spreadsheet for 14 hours. My career does not define me, its just something I do to live comfortably and enjoy other things.

FAR - 76*, 73, 85
BEC - 69, 72, 78*, 80
AUD - 72, 71, 90
REG - 71, 74, 85

AFTER 3 YEARS I'M DONE!!!

[Anonymous]

Call me crazy but I agree with cycgundam with one exception, weekends. I can put in hours during the week but I need the 2 days off to recoup with friends and have some fun. I equate big 4 a lot to investing for retirement early. Time spent now will pay off greatly in the future.

Also people don't realize that its not crazy hours year round like IB. Once busy season ends, ill have close 1.5 months of vacation/training. The hours usually even out over the course of the year

After saying all that I did just get picked up on a 9/30 client so I reserve the right to change my opinion at anytime 🙂

[waffle_house]

You know guys, there are other options besides big 4 that offer better pay and get this you can have a life too!! It's funny when college grads go straight to public accounting like it's the only accounting job out there. I'm sure if you dedicated the same amount of time and work ethic in industry you will rise fast.

AUD - 80
BEC - 75
FAR - 84
REG - 76

Exams started Sep 2014 -Exams done Mar 2017

Texas CPA

I put in work, it was evident

[Anonymous]

Many of the people in Big4 Audit are younger, I'd say 22 – 26, and not yet at the point in their lives where they have a family of their own. Their priorities are things like hanging with friends, bars & clubs, fashion, pop culture, etc. College 2.0 basically. They don't have much else in their lives other than their career and are willing to work long hours. I'm doing it as a family man in my mid 30's so, though I get along with everyone, I just don't have much in common.

[Anonymous]

fullydepreciated-

From what I hear 70-80+++ hours a week is not the norm and that 60-65 is for 10-15 weeks a year is more like it. You'll have quite a bit of 50+ hr weeks.

I also think it's important to consider that the teams tend to really put the time in while on site so they can at least get some time at home. I should also add that 70+ CAN happen if you're on a bad client or have a ishtty manager.

[fuzyfro89]

The “norm” (if there is such a thing) is probably 65-ish for ~12 weeks of the year… but that's more of a median across the firm. There will be teams that do more, a lot that are very close, and some that do less.

The 70+ weeks, in my past experience, were usually 2-3 weeks closer to filing… or if something blew up.

The hours may become somewhat more manageable in the future… if the firms start charging a better price for their services. As it stands, the audit practice bills +/- 200/hr across the country, whereas advisory probably averages 250/hr (sort of a blended rate)… at least that was the case in 2013 that I saw in a firm presentation. The issue is that audit has a lot more overhead (seasonality, tons of training, legal risks if you get sued, etc) that consulting does not have, so the incentive is there to cut things down to the point where it stinks for staff.

So… maybe one day clients will find more value in the service, or if the firms simply refuse work that doesn't pay better… then life will improve.

[juuustin]

To piggyback off what billbrasskey said above:

I am on my second busy season client since being hired, so take everything I say with that caveat, BUT:

I have had two 60 hour weeks (mid-January) and that was a large accelerated filer. We came in to the office one Saturday, while working a few hours on two other Saturdays.

I'm now at an FS client in NYC and I am going to struggle to charge 55 hours this week. No weekends at all unless you can't finish something, and then you work from home (hotel). Fridays are 9 hours max.

My impression so far is that the hours, workload, and expectations are 95% related to the specific client, specific seniors, and specific managers. These generalizations you see on here and Reddit about every week of busy season being 80+ hours are just not the norm. Consider the source. The relatively small percentage of people logging those types of hours are the ones more likely to seek out Reddit and complain.

MD Candidate: 10/1/14

FAR - 87 (11/23/14)
REG - 87 (1/30/15)
BEC - 89 (4/19/15)
AUD - 98 (5/30/15)

Ethics - 100

Experience - In Progress!

[Author]

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