Flexible schedules are often viewed as a workplace perk, especially in fields like accounting where deadlines and client expectations can dominate. But recent findings published in Harvard Business Review suggest that flexibility, when not managed with clear boundaries, may contribute to the very burnout it’s supposed to alleviate. 

The article traces the experience of professionals at different career stages who tried to maximize their work-life balance by shifting hours, attending family events, and keeping up with leadership responsibilities. Instead of feeling fulfilled, many ended up working late into the night or waking before dawn to catch up, never fully present in either space. 

This is a familiar change for many CPAs. During busy season or client-facing roles, flexibility can mean simply shifting the long hours rather than reducing them. Yet, according to HBR, professionals often feel like they’re underperforming both at work and at home. 

The piece identifies a few practical adjustments: defining clear thresholds for what counts as “enough,” reevaluating meeting attendance, and rethinking how to protect time for deep work.

One executive, for example, reduced late-night calls by asking international colleagues to plan farther in advance. Another placed their phone on silent during dinner, drawing a clear line between being “on” and “off.” This instance demonstrates that in accounting and other professions where expectations are high, flexible schedules are most effective when paired with strong boundaries and realistic planning.