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Accountants have been urged to prioritise their mental and physical health as they embark on supporting clients through the next phase of JobKeeper.
‘We’re all in this together’: Profession braces for JobKeeper workload
25 September 2020
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8 minute read
With the JobKeeper extension due to begin on Monday, practitioners now face a momentous task in helping clients determine their eligibility, and assisting them with the new two-tiered payment rate.
The mental and physical toll on the accounting profession in assisting with a range of COVID-19 stimulus measures has not been lost on the regulators and the professional bodies, with practitioners now urged to look after themselves ahead of the next round of heightened activity.
“I think it’s a very simple issue, but keeping your physical and mental health is really, really important and it goes to providing competent and sound advice,” said Tax Practitioners Board member Greg Lewis.
“When you have a client under pressure and you’re calm and considered, and you can provide the balanced perspective, it’s enormously important.
“A lot of practitioners now are being used as potentially pseudo-psychologists, where clients are reaching out… and sometimes practitioners get burdened with that.
“Some people will be feeling anxious. Some people are potentially even feeling scared and very fearful, and I do recognise that. The Board recognises that. And, in this regard, I cannot stress the importance of reaching out and seeking mental health services, whether that be calling your GP or, in particular, going to Beyond Blue.”
ATO Assistant Commissioner Sylvia Gallagher said the pressures faced by the profession were well understood and reaffirmed the Tax Office’s commitment to helping practitioners in need of support.
“We recognise the pressure that tax and BAS agents are under, and we also recognise the pressure that tax professional associations are under trying to support members, clients and the community,” Ms Gallagher said on a recent ATO webcast.
“We are committed to providing support to those who need help, so please make sure that you do reach out to us. We have a range of options available to be able to provide support.”
‘The oxygen mask mentality’
The Institute of Public Accountants chief executive Andrew Conway also believes accountants will need to look after themselves first before they can assist clients.
“Sometimes we think we’ve got to be all things to all people, we’ve got to be on the phone, answer every query, be there at every stage for the client,” he said.
“At the end of the day, it is that oxygen mask mentality — how am I going to help others if I am not helping myself first?”
For Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand tax leader Michael Croker, he believes practitioners should actively plan for time away from their desks to unwind from the pressures of work.
“We’re all in this together, so your professional community is there to support you. Hopefully, you’ve got some good friends in the professional associations. Colleagues are so important at times like this because they understand the pressures you’re under,” Mr Croker said.
“Family and friends, obviously. Make time with them in your diary. Put it in the diary, get a happy thing happening in your diary every weekend, or after work if you can. Just something to look forward to where you can just unwind and find time to do activities.
“At a more formal level, I’m pretty sure every professional association like ours has created forums or areas for members to access care. The very same facilities that are available to me as an employee of Chartered Accountants, if I’m stressed or needing some confidential help, has been made available to our members, and can be accessed free of charge.”
If you or anyone you know is in need of support, you can contact:
Lifeline - 13 11 14
Beyond Blue - 1300 22 4636
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- What all of this has shown is the there is a great-divide in our community: a chasm between Government workers and the rest of us. One group are totally insulated from personal risk, and the other are carrying the can. Centrelink/ATO staff (and some others) are definitely more under the pump than usual, but they still have NO RISK. And yet statistics show that Government employees are better remunerated than non? The government can complain about unionism, but they are the greatest self-protectionist group of the lot!
Real Reform Please - and don't bother with Royal Commissions if you are just going to scrap it because the going gets tough. What a waste of taxpayer dollars and what a great risk you place back on taxpayers for when the banks fail it will be us footing the bill!0 - Telling us to look after our health is just lip service.
If they recognise the pressure we are under, why not try doing something substantive to alleviate it?
We all know that the expectations are high and support non-existent when the important deadlines are looming.
The last minute release of the legislative instruments is a testament to their disregard for our workload and wellbeing.0 - Should it come to this, should Job Keeper rules and laws be imposed in such manner that the mental health issues of accountants become a discussion. Every empathetic publication mentions the metal health issues faced and finishes up advising accountant to see a GP. How pathetic...
0 - No, we are not in this together. Federation has unravelled, section 92 and reasonable freedom of trade, commerce and intercourse between the States have been shredded, the High Court is not enforcing it, the RBA and Treasury are writing IOU's on us all and public servants get pay rises. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus dispensing JobKeeper and you will have to pay for it.0
- It's all well and good to try and unwind and relax but realistically ATO and TPB have not relaxed much of their rules for Tax and BAS agents. The profession should be recognised as front line workers that make the economy of our country going forward, it would be great to actually receive information early enough from the ATO to enable us to prepare for what they have in store for each one of us rather than put us all under ridiculous time constraints making sure all the deadlines are met and all our training requirements are complete etc.0
- 110% agreed. At no point has the ATO actually engaged with the profession beyond sound bytes, to acknowledge the scale of the task thrust upon the industry.0
- Blame should also be placed squarely at the feet of the government that designed and implemented the scheme. The ATO are just enforcing the JobKeeper rules as written by the Treasurer. God only know how they are going to allow for the December Quarter retest. Are accountants expected to work through Christmas?0
- It is obvious to everyone that the parties that designed Jobkeeper have NEVER actually processed a payroll in their life!0
- Yes and In 2-4 months time, consistently paid, 9-5 ATO officers, will be pressuring Tax Practitioners to provide explanations as to why their lodgement numbers are down, and picking out isolated genuine mistakes in preparing JobSeeker and Grant applications for clients. They will have very short memories indeed. They just sit in judgement as usual, all words and no responsibility.0
