KPMG makes every weekend a long weekend in July and August
KPMG Canada has given its employees an extra seven paid days off in July and August, making every weekend a long weekend in those months.
The accounting and consulting firm will provide Fridays off to its 10,000 employees, except in the weeks that have federal and provincial holidays (i.e. Canada Day and Civic Holiday/whatever it’s called outside Ontario).
KPMG says the initiative – titled “Summer Splash” – is a response to pandemic-related impacts on employee wellbeing and aims to help create a more resilient workforce. The move builds on the firm’s 2021 “Summer Shakeup” initiative, which granted six extra paid days off to its employees.
"Our people have told us that having time off matters to them and their well-being," said Emily Brine, managing director of firm operations, talent, and culture at KPMG Canada. "We are wellness-focused when it comes to our people, and this is a reflection of that.”
More paid time off is another part of the mix as consulting firms aim to retain and recruit talent amid booming demand for services. After an initial devastating second quarter in 2020 prompted many to cut jobs, consulting firms have rebounded strongly amid healthy demand for business transformation, digital, corporate finance, M&A, and government advisory services. Competition has heated up in a tight market for skilled labour, forcing firms to increase salaries, benefits, and perks.
According to a recent survey from Robert Half, 49% of Canadian companies plan to add new permanent positions in the first half of 2022 and 45% plan to fill vacated positions. To attract talent, companies are offering remote options (47%), higher salaries (46%), loosened education and experience requirements (31%), signing bonuses (30%), and more paid time off (29%).
On the salary front, many firms have recently made mid-year salary adjustments to remain competitive and outstrip rampant inflation. These include Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG (but not EY), as well as mid-market firms like BDO, Grant Thornton, RSM, and Crowe.
