Survey: Employees Tap Company Time and Resources to File Taxes

• 29 per cent of workers say it's common for employees to use company time for personal income tax preparation
• Nearly two-in-five workers say employees routinely use office resources to complete tax paperwork

TORONTO, March 28, 2019 /CNW/ - As the Tax Day deadline approaches, a new Accountemps survey suggests some employees are prioritizing personal income tax preparation over work responsibilities. Twenty-nine per cent of workers surveyed said it's common for employees at their firms to prepare their taxes during business hours, with thirty-eight per cent of respondents indicating employees used company equipment and resources to complete paperwork.

Workers were asked, "In your opinion, how common is it for employees at your firm to spend time on personal income tax preparation (e.g., printing paperwork, filling out forms, talking to their accountant) during work hours?" Their responses:

Very common	8%
Somewhat common	21%
Somewhat uncommon	16%
Not common at all	40%
Don't know	14%
	99%*

*Responses do not total 100 per cent due to rounding.

Workers were also asked, "In your opinion, how common is it for employees at your firm to use company resources (e.g., copier, printer, scanner, mailroom) to complete personal income tax paperwork?" Their responses:

Very common	12%
Somewhat common	26%
Somewhat uncommon	21%
Not common at all	26%
Don't know	15%
	100%

The research also indicated some companies are proactively addressing potential tax-time distractions with 12 per cent providing perks like discounts for financial software/services or onsite tax preparers to their employees.

"Your taxes don't belong on your office to-do list," said David King, Canadian president of Accountemps. "Not only can there be professional ramifications for using company time and resources to work on them, you also run the risk of potentially exposing sensitive information or overlooking important details. Schedule time outside of work to give your taxes the attention they deserve."

About the Research
The online survey was developed by Accountemps and conducted by an independent research firm. It includes responses from more than 500 Canadian workers 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments.

About Accountemps
Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has more than 300 locations worldwide. More resources, including job search services and the company's blog, can be found at roberthalf.ca/accountemps.

SOURCE Accountemps

Natasha Ferraro, 647-956-5575, [email protected]