FAO steve

Glynis

My thread about the auditors being in my workplace is now turning into a let's have a go at Glynis when all I want is supportive advice. Steve can you offer any constructive advice as to how I can resolve the dispute with the auditors without losing my job.

Glynis

Steve can you offer any advice. I am getting desparate and all I am getting on the other forum is insults.

cornflower

Not sure what everyone else thinks but I reckon you are obsessed with steve. For gods sake why can't you do something for yourself without involving steve.

I know steve is helpful but surely he must be so fed up of your demands on him.

Glynis

I am not obsseSsed with steve and I take offence to your post. I have specifically asked for steve's advice on a subject that could affect my job. Is that ok with you?

messedup89

and because he hadnt answered u in half an hour you asked him the question again! Give him a chance and he will get round to it

Miss_HJ

Glynis wrote: »

I am not obsseSsed with steve and I take offence to your post. I have specifically asked for steve's advice on a subject that could affect my job. Is that ok with you?

Glynis - Please dont take this as an insult as i am only giving my opinion in a bid to help you.

It seems from your other thread that people have given good advice, such as speak to your boss first thing, explain the issues u had etc - they may have said other parts that you took as offencive but if you read through them again there really is some good advice from people on how to handle this.

It doesnt put you in good light as part of being professional is working with auditors to help them achieve their job, after all they are working for shareholders and if a member of staff looses it it may raise concerns on the business (only an opinion) you say you are mature with experience so surely showing them where things are and how you do things isnt an issue, i agree them being their for 2 weeks does make the office tense as everyone is walking on eggshells!! but every company has to do this!

In my opinion only i would approach your manager first thing and ask for a private moment to explain an issue that has arose in his absence, use today to write notes as to what happened to help you from going off track - keep just to the facts and not your opinions of the auditors, and after this, obviously depending on your managers response maybe offer to call the auditors and appolagise, this is not something that you will naturally want to do but it could save ur company being disfaced by the auditors!!!

Good luck, take a deep breath and go out of your way to get this back on tract for you and your career.

NB you say you are looking for another job - i suggest you do some serious grovelling with the current employer to ensure you leave with a good reference as this one event could ruin that for you!

Again this is not aimed as a dig at you its my professional advice of how "i" would attempt to handle the situation.

Rachey

Miss_HJ wrote: »

Glynis - Please dont take this as an insult as i am only giving my opinion in a bid to help you.

It seems from your other thread that people have given good advice, such as speak to your boss first thing, explain the issues u had etc - they may have said other parts that you took as offencive but if you read through them again there really is some good advice from people on how to handle this.

It doesnt put you in good light as part of being professional is working with auditors to help them achieve their job, after all they are working for shareholders and if a member of staff looses it it may raise concerns on the business (only an opinion) you say you are mature with experience so surely showing them where things are and how you do things isnt an issue, i agree them being their for 2 weeks does make the office tense as everyone is walking on eggshells!! but every company has to do this!

In my opinion only i would approach your manager first thing and ask for a private moment to explain an issue that has arose in his absence, use today to write notes as to what happened to help you from going off track - keep just to the facts and not your opinions of the auditors, and after this, obviously depending on your managers response maybe offer to call the auditors and appolagise, this is not something that you will naturally want to do but it could save ur company being disfaced by the auditors!!!

Good luck, take a deep breath and go out of your way to get this back on tract for you and your career.

NB you say you are looking for another job - i suggest you do some serious grovelling with the current employer to ensure you leave with a good reference as this one event could ruin that for you!

Again this is not aimed as a dig at you its my professional advice of how "i" would attempt to handle the situation.

Excellent advice, some grovelling will be needed to your boss and no matter how proud you are, to the auditors too. If a company was considering taking on an accountant with so much experience, references would 'definitely' be taken up. And somehow i dont think them saying you scared away the auditors, was very rude and refused to apologise would go down very well!! Good luck with your boss today, let us know how you get on.

Steve Collings

Glynis,

Please can I ask that you respect the fact that I am not on the forums 24/7. Believe it or not, I do have a life away from accountancy!!

I think you may be blowing your fall out with the auditors out of proportion, to be honest. Maybe your auditors walked out because they felt that they were pressurising you and felt you needed 'time out' - this does happen from time to time depending on the complexity of the audit. It may be no reflection on you, but I think you should consider it because auditors do not generally up sticks and walk off site without extreme provocation, such as intimidation.

Please do not take this personally, but if you have been giving them a hard time over the period they were at your company, then the auditors will be trained in dealing with such clients and maintaining a degree of professionalism. I would be extremely surprised if the auditors walked off site simply because you shouted at them.

As many posters have said on your other thread, the best thing you can do is talk to your boss, explain what happened and then move on.

kind regards

Steve

Glynis

Steve thank you for your reply. I have been so upset about all this over the weekend and just wish the situation could have been handled differently. I am sure the auditors know they have been pressurising me and will make a consession.

I will speak to my boss tomorrow and tell him about the way I have been treated over the last 2 weeks and see if there is a way forward. it's been a terrible time.

Bluewednesday

Glynis do you believe you might have contributed to the breakdown of relations in anyway?

If so a little humility might help your cause?

Steve Collings

Glynis,

I have to agree with Annette here. The auditors would not have purposely set out to offend you or upset you and as an auditor myself I have to emphasise, again, that only in exceptional circumstances would audit staff leave a site before their fieldwork is complete.

I can understand you being frustrated with the auditors, but I would not go into your boss blaming them completely for your fall out. The auditors that are on site will be taking instructions from (a) their audit programme and (b) the audit manager and engagement partner. Again, I reiterate my earlier advice - if you fail to co-operate then not only are you failing to co-operate with the auditors and providing them with the information/explanations they require (which is in contravention of s418 of Companies Act 2006, hence you are guilty of a criminal offence) but you are also jeopardising the opinion the auditors will give on the financial statements. If you fail to co-operate and they fail to gather their audit evidence, this poses a scope limitation on their audit work and they will qualify their audit report which will have a detrimental effect on your company.

There are two sides to every story, and your boss will presumably want to hear both sides. I think you need to admit your wrongdoing in losing your temper because your boss will respect this more than you coming across as the 'victim' which I don't necessarily think you are.

Kind regards

Steve

jorja1986

Glynis

As others have said take time to make a comprehensive reflection of your time with the auditors.

Use it as a guide to improve your relationships at work, and to improve your skills as an accountant / future auditor.