Road Warriors Reap the Benefits at Crowe Chizek

Crowe Chizek, a public accounting and consultancy firm, is realistic about travel in the industry. The firm also recognizes that employees who travel too much can burn out and leave a firm. "We know that in our industry we're just never going to eliminate that so what can we do to make this easier for people?" Jane Hoff, human resources leader at Crowe, says the firm asked itself. Tying into the firm's value structure of "care, share, invest and grow," Crowe started its Road Warriors program in 2006. The concept is simple, Hoff says. "What we have done although knowing that we can't eliminate travel for people is implement some programs to make the pain of travel maybe a bit less painful," Hoff says. "And so [Road Warriors is] just various programs or perks, so to speak."

family trip Those perks range from the small, like getting reimbursed for dry cleaning expenses on the road, to the large, like paying for weekend travel to or from a chosen destination while spending weekdays at the client site. So, for example, Hoff says, "if you're traveling extensively, we will fly your family for the weekend to your location if you choose that, or we will fly you to another location to spend the weekend."

Courtney Bolka, a senior staff accountant based in Fort Lauderdale who participates in the program says she is thankful for those perks. On the road about eights months a year total, Bolka says the weekend travel and free BlackBerry program are her two favorite perks. And when asked if it's compelled her to stay loyal to the firm where she's spent the past two years, she says yes, adding that the travel program in particular, makes her feel valued as an employee. "It shows the appreciation for the people traveling," she says.

—J.D.

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