[Anonymous]

Does your firm or workplace offer paid time off on test day? My firm does not (we must use vacation time) and I’m curious to know if that is the norm.

[Gatorbates]

When you work in some firms (mostly public accounting), and you go through busy season, they allow you (or force you) to “bank” all the OT you put in, to use for future use as additional time off. Pretty sure that's what she meant.

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[MICHI2D2G]

@gatorbates- wow i've never heard that. do you know which firms have it? I'm pretty sure they don't have that at any of the big 4

[MICHI2D2G]

@gatorbates- wow i've never heard that. do you know which firms have it? I'm pretty sure they don't have that at any of the big 4

[Anonymous]

i take my exams first thing in the morning (usually 7:30-8am start) and come in afterwards and i don't have to take any vacation time. if i want to take the day before off to study i have to take a personal/vacation day. i work in industry for a public company fyi.

[Anonymous]

i take my exams first thing in the morning (usually 7:30-8am start) and come in afterwards and i don't have to take any vacation time. if i want to take the day before off to study i have to take a personal/vacation day. i work in industry for a public company fyi.

[Gatorbates]

Not sure of the big 4 … but I worked for 2 smaller, local CPA firms and they forced us to do it. And then made you decide if you wanted to get that time paid out at the end of the year, or take it as extra vacation throughout the year. It's the firm's way of controlling cash flow. If you put in 70-90 OT hours in a two week period, which I often did, it's hard for a smaller firm to immediately pay all that time out to employees, especially if they have just billed for it.

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[Gatorbates]

Not sure of the big 4 … but I worked for 2 smaller, local CPA firms and they forced us to do it. And then made you decide if you wanted to get that time paid out at the end of the year, or take it as extra vacation throughout the year. It's the firm's way of controlling cash flow. If you put in 70-90 OT hours in a two week period, which I often did, it's hard for a smaller firm to immediately pay all that time out to employees, especially if they have just billed for it.

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[MICHI2D2G]

@gatorbates- if you don't mind me asking- are you paid salary or hourly?

[MICHI2D2G]

@gatorbates- if you don't mind me asking- are you paid salary or hourly?

[Gatorbates]

Right now, I'm not getting paid at all 🙁

But when I did that, I was salaried. If I worked 140 hours in a two week span, then I'd have 60 hours that I could bank.

They'd take your salary rate, say 50k, then back into your hourly rate for the payout (if you decided the cash option at the end of the year). Otherwise, just more time off. When slow season rolls around, it's easier/better for both the firm and employee to take time off.

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[Gatorbates]

Right now, I'm not getting paid at all 🙁

But when I did that, I was salaried. If I worked 140 hours in a two week span, then I'd have 60 hours that I could bank.

They'd take your salary rate, say 50k, then back into your hourly rate for the payout (if you decided the cash option at the end of the year). Otherwise, just more time off. When slow season rolls around, it's easier/better for both the firm and employee to take time off.

Licensed Florida CPA:
B: 71, 73, 79
A: 83
R: 78 (expired), 77
F: 74, 74, 80

It's finally freaking over.

[littlenumberrobot]

I work for a very small firm and we get to choose what to do with our overtime. One year I used it for extra days off and never touched my vacation. Because while studying I didnt have time to do anything fun ha! But this year I cashed out my overtime and used vacation for studying. Now that I passed I have about 4 days of vacation left, but we get good amount of holidays coming up so I am happy(and so is my wallet).

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[littlenumberrobot]

I work for a very small firm and we get to choose what to do with our overtime. One year I used it for extra days off and never touched my vacation. Because while studying I didnt have time to do anything fun ha! But this year I cashed out my overtime and used vacation for studying. Now that I passed I have about 4 days of vacation left, but we get good amount of holidays coming up so I am happy(and so is my wallet).

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[Anonymous]

My firm is salary only. So all OT is banked and used as PTO later. We never have an option to have OT paid to us.

I'm having some issues with time off and I'm wanting to find out industry norms. I pay for all study materials and testing fees, I am not allowed to study at work (even when no billable work is available) and I use PTO for any exam related time off. I would like to at least address the time off issue. In my view it won't impact the firm financially to have exam day paid for by the firm seeing as billable work is not available anyway.

[Anonymous]

My firm is salary only. So all OT is banked and used as PTO later. We never have an option to have OT paid to us.

I'm having some issues with time off and I'm wanting to find out industry norms. I pay for all study materials and testing fees, I am not allowed to study at work (even when no billable work is available) and I use PTO for any exam related time off. I would like to at least address the time off issue. In my view it won't impact the firm financially to have exam day paid for by the firm seeing as billable work is not available anyway.

[Author]

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