Survey opens on caregiving's impact on accounting career

Key Insight: A survey is looking for responses on how caregiving and major life events are impacting accounting careers.
Supporting Data: 8,000 accounting and finance professionals targeted for a career-impact study.

A new survey is asking accountants how care giving and outside life events — such as illness, loss or financial strain — impacts their careers.

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Researchers want to hear from at least 8,000 current and former accounting, finance and related professionals. Respondents are encouraged to participate whether or not they have caregiving responsibilities or have experienced a significant personal event.

The survey is open now through December 18, 2026. It takes about 30 minutes to complete and collects no individually identifying data from respondents. The initial findings will be released in a report in February 2027, in time for National Caregivers’ Day. Full results will be published in a special report and in peer-reviewed academic publications.

The questions cover topics like willingness to disclose these circumstances at work, repercussions for disclosure, burnout, workplace responsiveness to personal difficulty, job and profession turnover intent, and how these circumstances affect workload and advancement.

The study is led by professors from DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business, the University of Portland’s school of Business and the University of Louisville’s College of Business. It is partnering with the Center for Accounting Transformation, the Illinois CPA Society, the Accounting MOVE Project and the Business Alliance of Colleges and Employers.

“Many people don’t realize how a career in accounting can provide great work-life integration, including the flexibility to be a caregiver, while still doing meaningful work — even on a part-time basis,” Donny Shimamoto, founder of the Center for Accounting Transformation, said in a statement. “Most accountants are also natural caregivers and play a role in their own extended family’s financial well-being and care coordination. I’m excited for the insights that this research will provide both about our profession’s role in caregiving, but also how we can make our profession even more attractive for those who are called to be a caregiver.”

“We spend a lot of time talking about attracting people to accounting,” Kari Natale, chief operating and strategy officer at the Illinois CPA Society, said in a statement. “We also need to understand what helps them stay and what makes that difficult. This research can help employers better understand how life outside work shapes career decisions and where their support could make a difference.”

“Our 2026 MOVE research found that firms are already feeling the impact of caregiving on schedules, advancement, turnover, and the leadership pipeline, but they aren’t yet measuring what it costs. By hearing directly from professionals about their experiences, this research can help firms better understand where caregiving and major life events are affecting careers and where changes could make a difference,” Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk, president of the Accounting MOVE Project, said in a statement.

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