An employee handbook is usually designed to cover everything a new hire needs to know to get started at their job. Depending on the size of the company “everything a new hire needs to know” can be either a vast amount of information or a much smaller amount. Many small, closely held businesses may not have an employee handbook because they don’t feel they are large enough to warrant it or they (mistakenly) believe that necessary information is getting communicated effectively and consistently to all staff members. Often having an employee handbook isn’t something most businesses think about until it’s too late (for example, when an employee files a lawsuit for discrimination or a worker’s compensation claim). Even businesses that have an employee handbook may not give it much thought once it has been developed. But developing and maintaining a useful employee handbook is just good business. Why? The employee handbook explains a company’s culture and values and is a valuable reference tool for employees looking for information on company policies. It can save management time (and money) and can help to prevent or mitigate legal issues for the company.
The Tax Professional Self-Care 10 Commandments
Every Spring there is some point in the tax season that I have to remind myself why I chose to become a tax professional. I am often comforted to find out that I am not the only person questioning my career decision. Tax pros nationwide share on social media that they are thinking the same thing. So let me ask you.
Why did you choose to do this to yourself again?
You promised yourself to fire problem clients and improve systems. Yet we’re here in March, how did you do with keeping your promise to yourself?
My first busy season Thomas Reuters released a video that I found funny, at one of their tax conferences. There are children that talk about why they want to be a tax accountant. A few reasons they give are:
• To work 22-hour days;
• To work with numbers that are changing all the time;
• Having lots of turnover with burned out employees.
My personal favorite is to have 3 people do the work of 8.
In hindsight it almost sounds like they were describing the tax industry during 2020 and 2021. When I first watched the video, it was hilarious. But 12 years later I still smirk, but for different reasons. I can totally relate to the sarcasm. Nobody goes into this industry for those reasons yet here we are each Spring on the verge of burnout.
Did you think of your why? I want you to write it really big and post it somewhere that you will see it every day when you are working at your desk.
I want to share with you 10 things that you can implement to protect you and your why. I like to call them the Tax Professional Self-care 10 Commandments.
