Few questions about Big4

ManwitaPlan

1. When exactly is the "busy season"

2. Whats the average hours worked a day during busy season and outside busy season?

3. What way is overtime worked? Is it acceptable to claim overtime? Do you first have to work up your exam leave in overtime and after that can you take the money instead? Is it time and a half or only time in lieu.


Very specific questions there but Im just curious.

Pisco Sour

ManwitaPlan wrote: »

1. When exactly is the "busy season"

2. Whats the average hours worked a day during busy season and outside busy season?

3. What way is overtime worked? Is it acceptable to claim overtime? Do you first have to work up your exam leave in overtime and after that can you take the money instead? Is it time and a half or only time in lieu.


Very specific questions there but Im just curious.

1) Busy Season: January to April, a time when you work ridiculous hours with half hour lunches, possibly sent to a different country or a different part of ireland, where all social life is taken away from you and you spend the samll bit of free time that you have sitting in a hotel in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. Expect a few "dont make any plans for the weekend" comments.

2) Depends how busy your department is, some people will work hours similar to those in busy season, all year round. 12 hour days when out on audit are not unusual. Sometimes more.

3) You aren't obliged to take additional study leave so you can cash in your overtime whenever you want. I believe its paid at time and a third.

Sorry I might aswell be honest with my answers!

Fiona44

As regards the number of hours overtime worked during busy season it can vary from none to 150/200 - really depends on what jobs you're on.
I've only worked up about 20hrs since December. but you'll definitely hear of some people working 12 hr days.

Maybe in other firms this is different but I think most of the big 4 require you to work up a few weeks of overtime to go towards extra study leave.(the first few weeks are given for free as paid leave)
The amount of overtime you have to work up depends on what exams your doing. For example, someone sitting their CAP1s has to work up 60hrs to go towards study leave. If you dont work up enough you still have to take the extra study leave but will go into negative overtime.

Pisco Sour

Fiona44 wrote: »

If you dont work up enough you still have to take the extra study leave but will go into negative overtime.

Where I work (BIG 4 Firm) you dont have to take the extra study leave if you dont want to. Plenty of my colleagues arent taking the full amount for CAP 2 this year as they havent built up enough overtime. You can go into negative or take unpaid leave if you wish but you are NOT obliged to do so.

Running Bing

Thanks for that.


So how many hours do you have to work up towards Cap 2 and FAE?

Pisco Sour

Babybing wrote: »

Thanks for that.


So how many hours do you have to work up towards Cap 2 and FAE?

It varies from company to company but where I work its approx 150 hours for CAP2 additional study leave and probably about 175-180 hours for FAE. But as I said you dont have to take it all if you dont want to.

ManwitaPlan

04072511 wrote: »

1) Busy Season: January to April, a time when you work ridiculous hours with half hour lunches, possibly sent to a different country or a different part of ireland, where all social life is taken away from you and you spend the samll bit of free time that you have sitting in a hotel in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. Expect a few "dont make any plans for the weekend" comments.

2) Depends how busy your department is, some people will work hours similar to those in busy season, all year round. 12 hour days when out on audit are not unusual. Sometimes more.

3) You aren't obliged to take additional study leave so you can cash in your overtime whenever you want. I believe its paid at time and a third.

Sorry I might aswell be honest with my answers!

Sounds like a blast;)

aoibhebree

Thanks for asking those questions ManwitaPlan, I'm starting off in a Big 4 in September and was wondering about the exact same things!

Can I add another question - bit of a random one, but I don't think there's much point starting a new thread for it!! What would the dress code be for a female trainee? I'm currently working in a clothes shop but will be quitting soon, so I want to make the most of my employee discount and stock up on work clothes while I can

Mr. Incognito

Business casual,

Shirts, Skirts, Black shoes or heels.

For client meetins you will needs something sharper with a jacket.

Plenty of the girls wear suit trousers.

ninty9er

Where I was working for placement last year it was 3 weeks for Prof 3 last year and 5 weeks for FAE.

I'm starting there in September and it's more that they account for this in the starting salary than expecting you to work it up. Only 1 person of about 8 on study leave was asked to come in during their leave while I was there for 8 months.

It's not Big 4, but is Top 10.

I know that's different to what you asked, but you didn't make it clear whether you have accepted or are applying.