Audit firms under fresh scrutiny

The enormous stress and tension employees at audit firms undergo in the pursuit of carrying out their duties have once again resurfaced with the tragic death of Chamith Darshana, a chartered accountancy trainee recently. Though some may view the death as an isolated incident the highly demanding job conditions in audit firms have not been extensively discussed in the mainstream print media though views and strong arguments have been shared across social media.

Chamith is alleged to have died following a motorcycle accident late at night after completing a draining stock verification assignment. It is alleged that he had been working continuous late-night shifts for consecutive days without having proper meals or safe transportation arrangements, 

which is the standard working condition endured by employees of audit firms. The deceased had left the client’s premises feeling exhausted and hungry, and gone back to his boarding place from his bike. On the way, he had lost control and collided with a wall. The sympathisers of Chamith had stressed that had his employers budgeted expenses for travelling - from a ride-hailing app like Pickme or Uber  — and meals, the unfortunate incident could have been avoided.

Regrettably, the modus operandi among audit firms in the country is to push their employees to the extreme without adequate consideration towards their physical health and mental balance. This exposes the apparent harsh treatment meted out to trainees in audit firms  — most of whom are ambitious, bright, and young individuals. Most of these youngsters who work as trainees in professional services firms are passive, obedient people who try to get on with their assigned tasks without complaining about the harsh arrangements they must contend with.

The heart-breaking fate suffered by Chamith has once again questioned the unpleasant aspect of the pathway to the prestigious Chartered Accountancy qualification - the mandatory practical training (Articles) system overseen by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA), which is associated with tough deadlines, extreme work pressure, and extended hours of work with limited breaks.

To become a full CA Sri Lanka member and get a practicing certificate, aspirant accountants must complete two years of practical training in an approved public practice (audit) organisation, focusing on statutory, external audits. It is alleged that audit firms make use of this mandatory requirement of training experience to exploit aspirant accountants by giving extremely challenging tasks that contain tough deadlines under highly austere working conditions while paying meagre training allowances. The leaders of the accountancy profession must realise that health and well-being of aspirant accountants hold greater importance than corporate budgets, client deadlines, mandatory training requirements and the technical rigour of the qualification.

For years, thousands of aspirant accountants have silently endured unfair treatment and extreme workloads in the pursuit of achieving their cherished dream  — becoming qualified accountants. In the aftermath of the untimely death of Chamith, many believe the time is appropriate to take meaningful action to end the pain many of the aspirant accountants have been silently enduring so that the path of becoming an accountant is not associated with disproportionate physical and mental drain.