For most people, January is a time to unwind after the holidays and begin pondering what the new year will bring. For tax professionals, however, January symbolizes the start of one of the year’s busiest periods: tax season.  

Between January and April, these workers spend most of their waking hours dealing with tax season stress. A 9-5 schedule is not the norm, and more often than not, they’re skipping lunch. In our recent ezCater survey of 600+ tax professionals, 96% admitted to regularly skipping meals they would usually eat. And, as you can imagine, all this takes a toll. 

According to the Chartered Accountants Benevolent Association (CABA), nearly 80% of accountants claim that tax season stress is a major problem in the industry. Within the first few months of the year, most tax professionals are already burned out and exhausted from work. So, what can you do to help reduce stress and create a positive, encouraging work environment? Let’s take a closer look at what burnout involves and how you can help prevent it.

How does burnout affect tax professionals?

If you’ve ever experienced job burnout, you know it’s a stressful ordeal. It involves mental and physical exhaustion that causes employees to feel bad about their jobs, their work accomplishments, and even themselves. Common symptoms of job burnout include:

• Increased irritability
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Reduced energy
• Lack of satisfaction 
• Decreased productivity 

When someone is burned out, they’re less likely to be satisfied with their job. This leads to lower energy levels, which in turn hurts productivity. Although anyone can experience burnout, it’s most common among employees in fast-paced, demanding environments, like tax professionals. 

How can you help workers avoid tax season stress?

Ultimately, burnout can negatively impact job performance and well-being outside of work. That’s why many tax professionals are becoming more selective about where they work. While tax firms are scrambling to hire employees and meet client demands, employees are looking for an atmosphere that prioritizes their mental well-being. 

To attract and retain the best tax professionals, you must foster an enjoyable, supportive work environment. Here are our top tips for helping your employees navigate tax season stress. 

1. Make work more comfortable 

During tax season, employees are putting in many more hours. Some workers might even see the office more than they see their own homes. Considering how much time is spent there, you should ensure your office is as pleasant as possible. 

First, make sure your seating options are comfortable. For many tax workers, their desks are practically their second homes until April; you don’t want them to wind up with backaches from rigid chairs. You might also want to install standing desks, which allow workers to stretch and get on their feet. 

Along with good seating choices, make sure your office offers natural light. Not only will this illuminate the area, it can also boost morale. Try to keep the blinds open or position desks near windows. And don’t forget about your remote workers. Encourage these employees to work near windows and create cozy atmospheres at home. 

2. Create socialization opportunities 

One of the major side effects of tax season stress is isolation. Employees are dedicating more of their lives to work, which means they have less time and energy for socialization. This is especially true for hybrid or remote workers, as most of their interaction is through a screen. 

Over time, social isolation negatively affects mental health. Not to mention, it can worsen the symptoms of job burnout. If someone doesn’t feel supported socially, they might become more frustrated at work, leading to lower productivity and job performance. 

To help prevent prolonged isolation, it’s important to give your employees some time to socialize throughout the day. Encourage workers to take breaks when needed, or dedicate five minutes of your morning meeting to chatting. You could also host lunches or after-work get-togethers. 

3. Provide food throughout the day 

Employees who are extremely busy at work are less likely to consider their personal needs. For example, your staff may be so preoccupied with paperwork or client demands that they forget about lunch. Instead of leaving workers to their own devices, help fulfill their needs by providing food. 

Offering catered meals is a great way to boost employee morale, reduce stress, and ward off that dreaded job burnout. For one thing, you’re taking a task off your team’s plate — they don’t have to worry about setting aside time for lunch or grabbing food during their commute home. Instead, they know they can rely on you for delicious, nutritious meals. 

Besides saving time and energy, catered food helps workers save money; they no longer need to designate part of their salary to meals during work. Finally, it shows your staff you care about their well-being. That small act of caring can have a huge impact on attracting and retaining the best candidates. After all, people want to work in places where they feel respected. 

Of course, catering food for an entire office is easier said than done, especially if you have many employees. Placing massive restaurant orders takes time, and there’s always the risk someone will get an order wrong. Asking team members to order food themselves isn’t an ideal solution either, as it takes time away from work.

So, where can you find quick, efficient business catering? That’s where ezCater comes in. Our comprehensive service makes it easier than ever to order meals and ensure your employees have the sustenance they need to get through tax season.

How food helps prevent tax season burnout

Long hours, lack of sleep, poor eating habits are all hallmarks of busy season for tax preparers. Explore the findings of ezCater’s report, Fueling Tax Season, which reveals what 600+ tax preparers said they needed to stay productive and on task during their busiest time of year. Read the report.