Bender, Weltman, Thomas, Perry & Co, PC
St. Louis, Missouri
Established in 1982
http://www.bwtpcpa.com
Work/Life Balance Award: Small Firm Category
These awards honor firms and companies that promote an effective balance between employees’ personal and professional commitments. Nominated organizations are selected based on their progressive and innovative policies that promote flexibility and positively impact work/life balance. The Small Firm/Company category honors organizations with less than 50 employees.
“To create a home away from home atmosphere.”
With this objective in the firm’s mission statement, it’s clear that Bender, Weltman, Thomas, Perry & Co, PC (BWTP) has made a strong commitment to employee satisfaction and work/life balance.
The firm’s progressive policies include telecommuting, flexible scheduling (even for part-time employees), and compensation time up to 150 hours. The compensation time can translate into four-day workweeks during the summer and extra days off around holidays.
Lee Mullarkey, staff accountant, is an 11-year employee who experienced BWTP’s support for work/life balance firsthand when her husband fell seriously ill 10 years ago. The partners made it clear that she should not worry about work, putting her family first.
“Not only did this increase my loyalty to this firm that cares so much about me and my family, but it took the weight of yet another worry off my shoulders and allowed me to concentrate on my husband getting better,” says Mullarkey. “Over the last 11 years, I can honestly say that I have not missed a single ball game, music concert, school play, or any other event with my family—even during tax season.”
In tax season, the firm strives to make life enjoyable with three provided meals each week, optional weekend hours, and flexibility in scheduling hours during the workweek.
The firm also offers employee wellness programs, such as discounted health club memberships, Weight Watchers employee meetings, and a firm-sponsored kickball team. Other benefits include business casual dress code, monthly employee birthday lunch celebrations, community outreach opportunities, paid continuing education, a cross-department mentor program, monthly firm-wide meetings, and upward evaluations, during which employees have a confidential opportunity to evaluate the partners and managers.
Most importantly, employees who take advantage of these innovative benefits are not penalized in terms of promotions, raises, or bonuses. These policies are especially progressive for a small firm. The partners at BWTP have created an atmosphere in which employees put their personal lives first, and in effect, are more effective workers.
“The true measure I use in defining a proper work/life balance is being able to spend time with my family; that is the reason I go to work,” says Russ Frink, audit supervisor. “BWTP not only provides the means for me to do this, but goes above and beyond what a normal employer would offer to make this possible for all employees.”