“Tax season” - it’s a phrase that strikes fear in the hearts of millions of Americans. That’s why so many turn to tax professionals to help them navigate the process. From late January through mid-April, these unsung heroes grind through the accounting busy season to get client returns filed on time.
With their workload stretching from 51 to upwards of 71+ hours per week, accounting teams need proper support to stay healthy and motivated.
If you’re wondering what are some ways you can make tax season a little easier, keep reading. We’ll cover tips for making your office more inviting, and how a dedicated food program is the key to supporting your tax accountants during the busy season.
We know that long work hours can have a devastating toll on long-term physical and mental health. Unfortunately, extended working hours are an unavoidable necessity during the accounting busy season.
However, by acknowledging the various tolls of the tax season, and offering practical solutions, firms can change how their teams endure the busiest stretch of the year.
It’s practically impossible for accountants to be unaffected by the tax season. According to a 2022 FloQast and University of Georgia survey, 99% of tax professionals reported feeling burnt out during the busy season. This doesn’t happen overnight - it builds as April 15th gets closer.
During this time of year, the trifecta of self-care, professional output, and job satisfaction becomes unbalanced, with the need to produce flawless returns tipping the scales. Even the most experienced and dedicated professionals struggle to maintain their drive and attention to detail.
Naturally, accountants know this happens every year, and can prepare as much as they can, but the stress is unavoidable - accountants are only human. Juggling hard deadlines, collecting client documents, and mounting pressure can make it difficult to stay motivated.
This is where advocating for healthier habits, such as taking a break to eat a nutritious meal, can help your team.
As your team knows, attention to detail is of the utmost importance when handling sensitive information, numbers, and documents. Staying vigilant and on task is critical during the accounting busy season. But it’s more than just willpower: the food we eat can have a large impact on our output.
Nutrient-dense foods, like leafy greens, whole carbohydrates, and colorful fruits can positively impact our brainpower. It’s not a fix for everything, but healthy meal choices snowball over time. Reducing processed foods and refined sugars can ward off energy slumps, helping with productivity.
If you’re weighing different cuisines, the Mediterranean, Nordic, and Japanese diets are popular options for protecting cognitive health. Highlighting these cuisines during the busy season can help your accountants perform their best!
During the busy season, when employees want to maximize their free time, meal prepping and packing lunch can be one of the last things they want to do. Ordering takeout or picking up ready-made meals is a popular option - but as an accountant knows, the costs can quickly add up!
Officially, the tax season lasts 10 weeks and 4 days. Depending on your location, a lunchtime order can average $10 to $20+. Based on a hybrid working model of 3 office days per week, and a fulltime schedule of 5 office days, here are some weekly meal expense estimates to take into consideration:
As you can see, ordering out can get expensive quickly. Of course, these costs will vary significantly. For example, we haven’t even accounted for delivery fees yet. Even more, these costs could potentially double for your team - many busy employees opt to order out for dinner too!
Another consideration is the cost of time. Weighing various restaurants and what to order, and what time, eats into an already brimming mental capacity. Picking up or waiting for delivery can cut into value rest periods.
When every second counts, access to nutritious, convenient, and budget-friendly meals can protect your accountants’ health and wellbeing during the busy season.
Outside of improved project management, automation, and streamlined client communications, your office and its amenities can make the busy season better for your team.
When workers have a full workload, an office people actually want to be in can improve morale, collaboration, and focus.
Here are some ways to get started:
These options may sound small, but they can have a large impact! Encouraging healthier behaviours and transforming your office into a productivity-boosting haven will enable your entire team to take on the tough part of the year with confidence.
We’re all about food here at Fooda - when you promote wellness through a dedicated meal program, you can help make busy season accounting more manageable.
At Fooda, we believe a tasty and healthy meal makes all the difference. We’re the premier workplace food program provider, helping businesses just like yours optimize their cafeterias, canteens, and meal delivery systems.
For busy accountants, lunch is a valuable moment to relax and unwind before tackling more tax returns. Meals organized by Fooda are an opportunity to show employees how much you care, and demonstrate your thanks for their hard work.
Removing the stress of mealtime yields higher productivity, and great food unlocks better motivation. During the busy season, making the office a welcoming environment with helpful amenities can be the difference maker.
Interested in transforming your lunchroom into the highlight of your office? Check out our blog on designing corporate cafeterias here!
The tax season is the time to prioritize your team’s health and show your appreciation. When accountants can’t always get a good night’s sleep during this time, their immune systems can get compromised. This would be one of the most inconvenient times to get sick.
Nutritious meals aren’t a failsafe, but they are a great layer of protection against immunodeficiencies! Not only that, a great tasting meal is comforting. Enjoying a tasty dish gives our brains a chance to slow down. When crunching numbers and handling sensitive documents, any opportunity to reset is crucial.
Fooda can help you build a custom meal program for your team: invite local restaurants into your space through cafeteria Popups, office catering, and meal deliveries. When your team is pressed for time, meals organized by Fooda are efficient and stress-free.
Simply choose where you want to eat, what dishes, and when, and we’ll handle all the challenging logistics. Whether accountants have time to eat in the cafeteria, or want to bring portioned meals back to their desk, Fooda ensures everyone is well-fed.
Want to see how it works? See Fooda in action here!
Snacking can help maintain consistent energy levels, and healthy snacks ensure you’re getting essential nutrients - like Omega-3s, antioxidants, and B vitamins to boost focus!
When employees are too busy to grab a proper meal (we hope this doesn’t happen too often!), or are working odd hours, a convenient and well-stocked pantry is a great reinforcement to your lunch program.
Fooda Pantry can help you upgrade your office’s food options, such as offering a coffee bar, ready-made salads and sandwiches, and micro markets. Our experts will accommodate your budget and help you maximize your space, ensuring employees have access to the snacks they crave during the accounting busy season.
To show employees you care, your company might want to offer meal subsidies during the busy season.
Built on a per-use basis, the Fooda App makes it easy to reimburse accountants - you can opt for partial or full subsidies, and modify payments for any scenario - it’s up to you. When it’s time for lunch, employees show their QR code on their app to the vendor to redeem their subsidy.
With Fooda, accountants can enjoy restaurant-quality meals, without the delivery fees and markups. This makes Fooda an overwhelmingly more convenient and budget-friendly option than going out for, or packing a lunch.
The Fooda App and team learn the habits of your employees, noting dietary requirements, favorite restaurants, hybrid working schedules, and more.
We make it simple to build an employee nutrition program: our model is flexible and dynamic, growing with your team and understanding its unique needs. This ensures your accountants get the meals and snacks they want most, without over or under-ordering.
With a completely streamlined food budget and reduced waste, you can reinvest in your business, order higher-quality meals, or plan a bigger event to celebrate their efforts. All your accountants need to do is show up hungry!
The tax season will always bring long hours, tight deadlines, and high pressure - but access to great food can make busy season accounting less daunting.
By partnering with Fooda, you can show your appreciation by offering competitive food programs, so employees feel supported and motivated. They can benefit from improved morale and collaboration - producing error-free returns.
From curated Popups and catering to flexible meal subsidies and pantry solutions, Fooda makes it effortless to prioritize your team’s health while keeping productivity high.
Ready to boost your team’s resiliency? Get in touch with Fooda today!
In the United States, the busy season for accountants runs from January 31, which is when the IRS starts accepting tax returns, through April 15, when all returns are due.
These two and a half months are extraordinarily demanding for accounting teams across the country. They have to execute multiple preparations at once: managing changing regulations, client communications, and complex filings - all while maintaining precision and accuracy. While an unavoidable industry standard, the busy season is an extremely demanding and stressful time for tax professionals.
Employers can make a difference by cultivating a supportive and wellness-focused work environment. You can promote regular breaks, stock healthy snacks, and offer subsidized meals. These options can help accountants stay energized throughout long shifts.
Making the office inviting and reducing stressors, such as deciding what to eat, can boost morale and productivity. When teams have access to nutritious meals and snacks, they’ll be better equipped to handle the demands of busy season accounting.
Pantries are more than just quick snacks - they provide employees with convenient and healthy options that can help maintain energy and focus. When accountants are working extended hours or odd schedules, having grab-and-go options onsite ensures they never have to skip meals or rely on low-quality takeout.
