KPMG fines workers £100 for late paperwork

Employees of the “Big Four” firm who submit their time sheets late will face losing £100 from their individual bonuses — boosting the bonus pool for other staff, the Financial Times newspaper has reported.

The policy, which began in September, relates to digital logs which track how long it takes employees to complete tasks.

It follows a similar policy KPMG trialled earlier this year in which staff would be charged for lost computer equipment such as mice or phone chargers which was shelved following employee reaction.

And the latest brainwave from bosses appears to be meeting with a similar backlash, with employees at the firm responding angrily to the measure, with several staff in its consulting division complaining about being treated like children by an overbearing parent.

A partner at a rival firm, speaking privately, told the FT that the policy was as “desperate”, adding: “What a way to treat your professional staff.”

KPMG, which has 16,000 staff in the UK, said the fines were introduced “so that we can accurately track our revenue, record our work for clients and plan our resource effectively”.

Staff who are unwell or out of the office for “other reasons” will have flexibility on the deadlines to complete their time sheets, according to the firm.

The company added: “We are aiming for a 100 per cent on time completion rate and have informed all colleagues why time sheets are important. Our partners who run our individual business areas are in charge of making sure their teams meet their responsibilities and in all areas do or will impose financial penalties for colleagues who breach the policy.”