Why do Accountants Work on the Weekend?
No one wants to work on the weekend, so why do accountants do it? Sometimes, it’s just part of the job and we just have to deal with it. However, it’s very often the case that an accountant will choose to work on the weekends here and there of their own free will before any firm or company requirements, and today I’m going to share three reasons why an experienced accountant might do that. Let’s jump in!
#1 - Deadlines are Stressful
Deadlines are an unfortunate part of being an accountant. Whether it’s because of a month-end close, a tax deadline, an SEC filing requirement, most accountants will deal with the stress of some kind of deadline. The most stressful part of any deadline is coming down to the wire when it comes to the many steps of preparation and review involved and therefore, one of the easiest ways to mitigate that stress is to get the work done ahead of time. For some, this means getting a head start to the week and doing a few hours of work on the weekend. Is it for everyone? No. Is it ideal? Certainly not. But is it worth it to some? Absolutely. This reaction to deadlines is what we call stress management, and many people can manage their stress by shifting their work around to give themselves a bit more breathing room on the calendar. Even if it’s just 1-3 hours, it can make a big difference!
#2 - People Won’t Bother You (Usually)
CPAs and accountants tend to wear a lot of hats within their organization and have lots of different tasks to complete as a result. On a normal day in my role, I need to balance client work, client meetings, internal meetings, business development, internal initiatives, and team management. With all these things going on, it can be difficult to have dedicated focus time for working on certain projects. But on the weekend my hours are more flexible, and I don’t have half of my calendar blocked with meetings, which makes it the perfect time to sit down with something and just get it done. For those of you who must bill a certain number of hours in a timekeeping system daily, it’s also great to not have to worry about reaching a certain number of hours on a weekend before putting work down. This change in environment allows some people to be much more efficient with their work, leading to better results.
#3 - Upward Communication is More Effective
If you are in a position where you may need to work on the weekend sometimes to get ahead, it’s likely that there’s someone above you who will also be in a similar position (CEO, CFO, Partner, etc.). Those higher ups can be incredibly hard to track down during the week because of their schedules and they tend to be more responsive on the weekend, probably because they are dealing with some of the tasks I mentioned above. What’s great about weekend emails is that there (usually) isn’t an expectation to respond quickly since it isn’t a working day, which makes emailing the higher ups less stressful. In a good work environment, a weekend email has more upsides (showing good work ethic, proactive communication) than downsides (needing to immediately respond or do something). In my experience, having some level of upward communication on the weekend is good because it helps me gain direction for the week ahead when it’s otherwise a battle to get the attention of my higher ups.
Everyone will have their own preference and tolerance for the timing and number of hours they work in this profession, and it’s important that you understand your own limitations. Personally, I’d rather work for an extra hour on Sunday morning instead of an extra hour on Monday evening to get my projects done. My message to up-and-coming accountants out there is to figure out what works for you, and to put in those extra hours when it makes the most sense for your personal schedule!