Audit managers' work-life balance suffered during COVID

"Many managers in public accounting firms have only been formally managing others for a short time, and COVID forced them to develop their management skills in a fully remote environment, which could be a real challenge. Especially during the traditional audit busy season spanning the first few months of the calendar year, engagement leaders must be in constant contact with their team to wrangle the countless moving parts that go into a financial statement audit."

A study by Steven Maex and colleagues examined how remote work during COVID-19 affected audit engagement leaders—partners, directors, and managers supervising audit teams at Big Four accounting firms. The research focused on how this transition impacted their work-life balance and management effectiveness. Audit engagement leaders face particular challenges during busy season, requiring constant contact with teams to manage complex financial statement audits. Many managers had limited formal management experience before being forced to develop leadership skills entirely in a remote environment. The researchers analyzed Glassdoor reviews from audit employees to understand the real-world impact of this sudden transition on engagement leaders' experiences and well-being.

Read at Phys