Scott McNaughton has climbed Mount Everest and rowed across the Atlantic. But his exploits have only been possible because as a partner at BDO Stoy Hayward, the firm has given him generous financial support and time off to complete his charitable adventures. The accountancy firm is based in London, with 15 other offices nationwide and 3,147 employees, who are not just figures on the payroll. The array of benefits offered is impressive; staff can choose what they want (or take extra salary) from a list that includes private healthcare, dental cover, life assurance and concierge services. A contributory pension sees the firm match an employee's investment of 6% of salary. People have the option to buy and sell extra holiday in exchange for pay, too, taking their leave to a maximum of 32 days. Employees report high levels of wellbeing, saying they don't feel exhausted most days when they get home (a 53% positive score and a top 30 ranking) or spend too much time working (61%), and are happy with the balance between their work and home lives (68%). The company does its best to help people work in a flexible way, investing in technology and adapting work schedules for busy parents. Mark Tilbury, online manager, appreciates the company's approach. “I work flexibly by spreading my hours over seven days,” he explains. “Normally I'm in a BDO office two days a week, but the rest of the time is spent working from home. I use the telephone redirect system, and work on BDO Stoy Hayward's network through remote access, allowing quicker access to systems than in the office. Working adapted to my lifestyle is important to me because it allows me to nurture the relationship with my wife and son, the most important aspects of my life. This quality family time is priceless.” Atlantic rower McNaughton, who returned in mid-February after 68 days at sea, adds: “After a secondment to the office in New Zealand in my late twenties, I decided I needed personal challenges as well as my career. BDO has really encouraged me when not all employers would. Getting back to work after rowing two hours on, two hours off will be a bit of a shock, though!” About an eighth of staff use these flexible work policies and around half have BlackBerrys, mobile phones and 3G cards. They can take career breaks, and there is compassionate and family-related leave, as well as unpaid time off for “when something unexpected happens”. People say the firm does a lot to protect the environment (71%) and a volunteering policy gives staff six days a year to donate time to good causes such as redecorating a local centre for the blind — with the company last year paying for a total of 373 such days. It also matches up to £500 of individual fundraising and donated £10 to charity in 2006 for each person completing the annual employee survey (a total of £27,100). Christmas cards are replaced with donations to the charity Crisis, and the office kitchens are stocked with fair trade coffee, tea and sugar. In past years this survey has shown that support staff felt less valued than others, and so BDO Stoy Hayward has focused on their career development and training, with five workshops on offer. A six-month leadership programme is aimed at encouraging women to progress to the most senior levels. Jeremy Newman, managing partner, runs the organisation on a sound moral basis (79%) and communicates his message with an annual road show, held at Wembley stadium last year.