Balance <amp></amp> Balance Sheets

By: Jena McGregorWed Dec 19, 2007 at 12:50 AM

By now most of the world (outside of the occasional football coach) knows that a woman-friendly workplace is good business. But while many big companies have all sorts of programs to retain and promote women, one obscure accounting firm has been particularly successful at doing so. So what do they know?

When it comes to work-life balance, "A lot of firms think it up and walk it and talk it, but Plante & Moran really lives it," says Julie Lindy, editor of industry publication "Bowman's Accounting Report." The Big Four have done a good job with their initiatives, she hastens to add--Deloitte, for example, has nearly closed the gender gap in its turnover rates. "But [the Big Four] had to do a lot of mind-set changing and culture changing that I don't think Plante & Moran ever had to do."

Mind-set isn't enough to achieve consistent results, and Plante & Moran puts its programs and policies where its mouth is. Employees get four weeks paid time off--five, after five years--and can buy two weeks more. Starting in 2002, all partners began getting a paid four-week sabbatical every seven years. Men and women can take a full six months off for unpaid parental leave. A handbook the firm gives new parents offers tips like "underschedule yourself," and "avoid taking work home."

Ah, but is there a professional price to be paid for following such advice? Apparently not. Plante & Moran promoted its first partner who'd worked a nontraditional schedule in 1994, and 13 of the 96 current partners promoted since then, or 13.5%, had worked reduced schedules. Compare that to Deloitte, which promoted its first employee who'd worked a flexible work arrangement to partner in 1999. Just 17 of the 1,450 current partners who advanced since then, or 1.2%, had flexible schedules. And Plante & Moran is thriving, too. Revenue grew 7.8% last year, when the top 100 firms saw declines on average.

One of Plante & Moran's most unusual programs pairs mothers-to-be with an experienced parent at the firm--a motherhood mentor, so to speak. But this is no girl gab where women bond over babies and birthing. In the months leading up to the birth of associate Tracey Ewing's son, partner Sue Perlin sat in on strategy sessions with Ewing and a team adviser, giving input on how Ewing could hand off her clients before she went on leave. After Ewing's son was born, Perlin gave advice on how to get him to sleep through the night. Perlin's daughter even babysat on occasion.

When the subject turned to how Ewing would return to work, Perlin helped her strategize how to present a part-time schedule to her boss. Ewing now works just 30 hours a week. Most assuring was Perlin's insistence that Ewing do what was best for herself. "It was like the firm was number two," she says.

The extra work doesn't bother Perlin. "My door is open. My job is to help our well-performing staff," she says. That's a good thing for Ewing--and her two younger sisters. Drawn by the firm's policies and culture, they both work at Plante & Moran.

Sidebar: Making Work Workable

Some of the people-friendly policies at Plante & Moran

Parenting "buddies"	Every mother-to-be is paired with an experienced parent to ease the transition into leave and then back to work. The buddy helps new moms step back--and ensures the firm's clients are properly cared for.
Partner accountability	Only half of a partner's evaluation rests on things like bringing in new clients. The remainder depends on how well managers develop employees on their team, with one factor being turnover.
Breakfast clubs	The firm's five managing partners are in the process of breakfasting with all 1,178 employees, three at a time. New hires are quickly invited to breakfast to make clear that they're cared for at the top.
Sabbaticals	In addition to a generous five-week vacation, Plante & Moran now gives partners a paid four-week sabbatical every seven years. They're encouraged to check out completely--no email or voice mail.