MGI offers a range of employee benefits including:
All employees undertaking the Chartered Accountants Program through the ICAA are provided with financial support, technical notes, practice exams and paid study leave. The results speak for themselves – we achieve results above the ICAA National Pass rate in nearly all instances (see FAQs for more information on our stance towards the Chartered Accountants Program).
Giving back to the community makes for good corporate citizenship, and to this extent MGI has a strong affiliation with various charities. Organisations who benefit include Lighthouse Foundation and Ardoch Youth Foundation. Two of our principals are involved at board and committee level, and through promotion of the charities at our corporate functions, our contribution goes far beyond the financial. It is this example, set at executive level, that filters through the organisation and creates a culture that encourages and supports community giving. We have recently implemented a Workplace Giving program which allows employees the option of donating some of their pre-tax pay to selected charities. The charities that are currently part of this program are:
Any employee may nominate a recipient for this award. The winner receives a voucher that they can use with one of four suppliers we have an arrangement with. The scheme provides an opportunity to reward employees who have excelled in some way and reinforces behaviour which is consistent with our values.
At MGI we are interested in assisting employees reach their full potential by providing access to first class training. Having qualified and capable employees is part of our business strategy. Our strong commitment to provide a rich learning experience to all employees is partly manifested via our in-house training program which is packed with relevant and informative technical topics such as Due Diligence, Group Structures, FBT and Tax Consolidations. Training takes place twice-weekly for seniors and once a week for juniors in an encouraging and participative environment.
We also recognise the importance of interpersonal skills and to this effect, ‘soft skills’ such as negotiation, conflict management and client service are taught as part of our Professional Development Program which we are in the process of launching. This structured training combined with on the job training ensures employees are kept up to date with the latest developments in the industry, enabling them to provide the high level of service our clients have come to expect.
We aim to assist employees in achieving work/life balance by providing mutually beneficial, flexible working arrangements to accommodate a range of lifestyle choices. To promote a family-friendly culture, employees may opt for part-time or casual work arrangements. Furthermore, in aiming to be responsive to changing employee needs our working hours are flexible too; whilst the majority of our employees commence work at 8.30am, we are willing to tailor arrangements to the individual. We also provide flexible leave provisions whereby employees have been granted extended leave.
Our convenient location on St Kilda Road means that employees get magnificent views over Albert Park Lake (especially at Grand Prix time) and further on to Port Phillip Bay. Many of our employees take full advantage of our location, taking a stroll or run around the lake at lunchtime or heading down to Fitzroy Street or Acland Street for dinner. This makes for a wonderful alternative to the hustle and bustle of the city. Additionally, with Greville and Chapel Streets nearby, access to shops is never far away.
We have established a ‘buddy program’ to assist graduates not only to get acquainted during the first year but to gain knowledge and develop work related skills more quickly than they would on their own. A buddy is a peer, someone you can talk to and ask for assistance when needed. Having a buddy means that you are provided with constant support from the time you commence work, making the transition to the workplace much easier.
Employees at MGI may have the opportunity to gain exposure to areas other than accounting, making for a diverse workload. Employees may be ‘seconded’ into other areas such as wealth management (with BW Capital).
In order to broaden the experience of our employees we offer them secondments (usually on completion of the Chartered Accountants Program). To date, our employees have been offered work in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, however, being affiliated with MGI means that our international network extends to over 70 countries.
We aim to assist our employees with the transition between the workforce and parenthood and as such, introduced a period of paid parental leave subject to conditions. Several employees have taken advantage of the scheme since its debut in January 2005. We aim to ensure that all employees are treated equally and fairly, and providing flexible leave provisions together with financial support ensures that those employees who choose to have a family are thus supported.
Here are the views of the first recipient of our paid parental leave scheme.
“Receiving paid parental leave was terrific for two reasons; Firstly, it was a terrific assistance financially, it certainly helped with meeting the additional costs associated with setting up home for a baby and becoming a one income family. Secondly, and more importantly, it confirmed my view of how much MGI Melbourne values and supports their employees.
I was also very appreciative of the support I received from MGI's in respect of my plans to return to work. They were very supportive of my request to have time off work to care for my baby and to subsequently return to work at a time that suited my family. MGI's are willing to meet the changing needs of employees and are flexible and supportive of their employees work - family life balance”.
Our commitment to building workplace relationships is demonstrated by the variety of social functions our employees can partake in.
We encourage our employees to seek out and successfully complete courses of study which will contribute to their future career with us. We have provided financial assistance to employees who have undertaken their Masters of Tax as well as further education in I.T. and Human Resources.
Whether it be the Chartered Accountants Program, Masters of Tax or other study that has been deemed relevant to the firm, employees are entitled to a period of paid study leave to assist in gaining their qualification. In addition, there is sometimes provision for extra leave which an employee can take as unpaid leave.
MGI consists of six principals of which 2 are women. With women making up at least 40% of the top levels of our organisation including our management team, it is clear MGI is a firm that supports the promotion of women into senior roles.
Some of the policies and practices that support women across the organisation include flexible working hours and leave provisions. We also boast the option of working part-time at all levels which has seen many employees including managers and principals having the ability to balance work and family commitments. The options of casual employment and remote login also help to maintain this balance. It is these practices that have ensured that the return rate from maternity leave has been consistently high. In January 2005, we implemented a scheme of paid maternity leave. This has gone even further to solidify our position as a firm that recognises the need to support and retain all working parents in the workforce.
Whilst we have a commitment to attracting and retaining talented women in our workforce, we make it clear that we are a firm that is dedicated to identifying and promoting all high potential employees.
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