Employees at Crowe Soberman celebrate the holiday season together.Supplied
When senior staff accountant Hailey Nguyen went on maternity leave at Crowe Soberman LLP, the first-time mom realized about a month before her scheduled return that she wasn’t ready to go back. The response from the firm’s human resources team was immediate, giving her an extra month of leave.
“Crowe Soberman truly has a culture of care,” says Nguyen. “It feels like a family where everyone knows everyone. They celebrate your milestones, support you through challenges, and genuinely care about you as a person, not just as an employee.
“From mentoring me through my chartered professional accountant certification to extending my mat leave, easing me back with remote work and simpler files, and pairing me with a senior working-mom mentor, Crowe has shown me over and over that they genuinely care about my well-being and want me to thrive at work and at home.”
Ananth Balasingam, a partner at the Toronto-based full-service accounting firm, says that while careers are important to staff, their personal lives are equally as important.
“The firm understands that,” says Balasingam. “By offering comprehensive parental leave for both mothers and fathers, flexible working hours, and family-first policies, we ensure that our people never have to choose between career and caregiving. Supporting parents through life’s pivotal moments strengthens not only individual well-being but also the resilience and loyalty of our entire team.”
As a new dad, Balasingam structured his time off and paternity leave in two blocks — first taking time away after his daughter was born in December 2024 and then another six weeks the following summer.
“Having the flexibility and support to take time off when I needed it was incredibly helpful,” says Balasingam. “Kids grow up fast, and you don’t want to miss those moments. Being able to spend that extra time with her meant a lot to me.”
Flexibility is key at Crowe Soberman. The firm has a hybrid work model that requires two in-office days a week, with the other three being optional remote days. People can also step out during the day for family time, appointments or personal needs.
“The mix we have works really well,” Balasingam explains. “It gives staff the flexibility to work from home, but we’re also in the office to build on those relationships and build our culture.
“We trust our people to get their work done on their own schedule as long as they’re communicating. People can then fit their personal lives into their work lives a lot better and can find that balance.”
That balance is reinforced by leaders who model it. Balasingam says seeing other partners take similar leave made him feel comfortable doing the same. By visibly stepping away, he hopes to signal to younger staff, especially fathers, that prioritizing family time is both acceptable and supported at the firm.
Additionally, Crowe Soberman builds recovery time into the calendar so people can genuinely rest and reconnect with their families.
“We recognize how hard people work during our busy periods, so we’re off on Fridays in July and August,” says Balasingam. “Even in peak times, there’ll be snacks in our lunch room and people will step away for half an hour, just to connect with people on a personal basis. It makes such a big difference.”
Nguyen agrees the small things matter, such as colleagues remembering her son Oliver by name, or arranging a hotel for her when she was pregnant and had off-site training.
“Those details really make me feel like I belong here,” she says. “The firm truly has my back.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.