Big 4 On Best Companies to Work For

All the Big Four are on this year's Fortune list of the best 100 companies to work for. You can read the whole list here. While a number of investment and financial companies made the list, no mid-sized accounting firms did.

For a reality check on the list, read the comments posted on Fortune's Web site (here). A notable one:

I worked for Crowe Chizek for a few year, not one of the big 4 (accounting firms) but in their words "The Unique alternative to the big four" and while the firm likes to trumpet how GREAT our jobs are, how HAPPY all the employees are, what a SPECTACULAR work life balance they have...BS. Working 80-90 hours a week in order to have your Fridays off...not fun at all. There was always this HUGE push for more billable hours, more billable time, etc. etc. (ad-nauseum). "Productivity" was something the bigwigs wanted us to focus on constantly, which turns out means..you guessed it...more billable hours. I spent so much darn time entering and tracking down to 15 minute intervals exactly what I worked on, it was silly. I hated it. Politics were very important as well, if you were liked, you advanced. If you weren't, you would languish for years as a staff accountant, and then get fired, or you would just be fired. I had one relationship fall apart due to the hour/time commitment. I now work for a non-profit as an accounting manager, very easy going office, no OT, no Busy Season, and several old Crowe employees work here as well. It's very easy to get burnt out in public accounting. Very Very Easy.

Anyone who works for a Big 4 and wants to chime in, just add your comment below.

100 Best Companies to Work For [Fortune]