CABA is urging accountants to cut back on alcohol consumption this January following the Christmas excess, very much in line with the new government recommendations on curbing drinking.

One in four accountants admit they drink too much while one in five say they reward themselves with a drink following a stressful day at work, according to the latest survey into the drinking habits of accountants from CABA.

Getting on for two third (60%) of respondents admitted to drinking at least twice a week, although this is very much in line with health recommendations, recently updated to tell citizens to keep off the booze at least two days a week, most importantly consecutively.

Top tips include sourcing interesting alternative drinks to alcohol, in order to break the habit; organising social outings that do not centre around drinking; and opting for some physical activity as an alternative to a drink to wind down after a stressful day at work.

The latest survey into salary trends and benefits packages from CV-Library, an online job site, found that accounting professionals are among the most likely to receive perks in the workplace, but an overwhelming majority of them would prefer to have money instead if given the choice.

The survey found that 42% of employees  working in accounting roles receive perks at work, higher than the national average of 24%, with  more holiday ranked top of the list of favourites, followed by free food and discounted and even free gym membership.

However, most accountants would prefer extra cash over any of the perks and over half (53%) say workplace perks are not important when considering new career opportunities.

Lee Biggins, MD of CV-Library, said: ‘It’s important that perks aren’t used as a replacement for fair salaries and bonus schemes, especially if you’re bringing staff on-board in January, when many employees experience a funding-drought after the Christmas period.’

For those still mulling new year resolutions, there are lots of opportunities for accountants to get involved in charitable work in the next 12 months. One of the most worthwhile ways to contribute in terms of accountants’ particular professional expertise is to provide some of your time to TaxAid UK, a charity that offers information and tax advice on tax matters to individuals on low and modest incomes. Find out more at www.taxaid.org.uk

And an easy way to get started is to get involved in today’s micro business day. 8 January will see a million business owners sacrifice eight minutes of their day, as part of the second #MicroBizMattersDay’s #IGave8 initiative.

MicroBizMattersDay is an annual event to support micro-businesses and startups. Volunteers and business owners planning to take part in the #IGave8 scheme can do so in a number of ways. It can be as simple as tweeting or offering RTs to small business for eight minutes, grabbing a coffee with a small business owner to discuss their ideas, or buying products or services from a small, independent business.

Co-founder Tony Robinson said: ‘The fantastic #IGave8 initiative is a great way for business owners to kick off the New Year, helping one another to gain customers, improve their cash-flow or simply increase their confidence.

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