Facing pressure to close out a weak financial year on a stronger note, Accenture chief executive Julie Sweet has asked employees to prioritise winning new business over the coming weeks, offering them a one-time incentive.
The reported incentive is that unused vacation days can now be carried into the next fiscal year, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The consulting giant's fiscal year ends this month, and the policy shift, a departure from Accenture's usual leave rules, is aimed at keeping more staff at their desks through the final quarter rather than rushing to use up accrued time off, some of the sources told the outlet.
Employees will be permitted to roll over unused leave into fiscal 2027, which starts on 1 September. Accenture's spokesperson declined to comment when approached by Bloomberg.
The directive came via an internal memo from Sweet, reviewed by Bloomberg, in which she called on employees at every level to help drive revenue and originate sales of all sizes before the quarter closes.
"Our shareholders are counting on us to deliver a strong quarter in Q4 — everyone can contribute," she wrote, adding that the company needed to "finish strong."
The urgency stems from a rocky third quarter, in which Accenture reported a 2% fall in new bookings for the period ended 31 May and issued fourth-quarter revenue guidance of $17.75-18.4 billion — short of the $18.47 billion analysts had projected, per reported estimates.
ALSO READ: Accenture Urges Employees To Delay Unused Vacations In Final Push For Q4 Revenue
The miss rattled investors, sending shares tumbling 18% to $127.98 in a single session on 18 June, one of the stock's steepest one-day drops on record.
Underlying the selloff is growing investor anxiety that artificial intelligence could erode demand for traditional consulting services, even as Sweet has repeatedly framed AI as a "tailwind" rather than a threat for Accenture.
Accenture stock has clawed back some ground since the earnings rout, closing at $171.11 on 7 August, but remains down over 36% since the start of the year, a reminder of how deep investor concerns run heading into the company's year-end push.
ALSO READ: Accenture Earnings Preview: Revenue To Top $18 Billion Amid AI Frenzy — Should You Buy?
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