Grant Thornton earns “Best Place for Working Parents” distinction from Dallas Regional Chamber

The award recognizes businesses that go “above and beyond” in support of employees and their families

DALLAS — The Dallas office of Grant Thornton LLP, a leading audit, tax and advisory firm, has been named a “2021 Best Place for Working Parents” by the Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC). The new initiative recognizes companies that go “above and beyond” the family-friendly policies recommended by the DRC, which include paid parental leave, flexible hours and childcare assistance.

“Grant Thornton aims to holistically support working parents and their needs at all stages of parenthood, both inside and outside the workplace,” said Jarrad Toussant, senior vice president of Education & Workforce at the DRC. “Those benefits complement daily practices that center the firm’s people and their needs.”

In addition to 30 days of paid backup childcare and 12 weeks of paid parental leave for both primary and nonprimary caregivers, Grant Thornton offers parents a suite of benefits designed to support them once they return to the office. When the COVID-19 crisis began, the firm’s leaders bolstered those benefits.

Grant Thornton professionals began working remotely in March 2020. In the early stages of the pandemic, Grant Thornton’s Working Parents & Allies Business Resource Group (BRG) provided firm leadership with some recommendations on how to best support parents juggling work, safety and family. Many of the BRG’s suggestions — including a tutoring program and additional backup care days — were adopted by the firm. Further, leaders like CEO Brad Preber participated in touchpoints such as “story time,” offering programming specifically catered to the needs of working parents. In June 2021, Grant Thornton announced a flexible approach to future office work.

Yet even before the pandemic, working parents could consult with office leadership to construct a work schedule that accommodated their family responsibilities. According to Doreen Griffith, the firm’s Dallas office managing partner, that flexibility is key to Grant Thornton’s mission.

“Grant Thornton believes in making business more personal and building trust into every result, and to do that, we must take care of our people and their families,” said Griffith. “In our Dallas office, and throughout our entire firm, we know prioritizing mental health and bringing our whole selves to work are crucial to client success and the healthy work culture we work hard to foster.”

To that end, leaders at Grant Thornton actively encourage the firm’s professionals to take advantage of the benefits available to them.

Rina Parikh, an Audit partner in Grant Thornton’s Dallas office and a national executive sponsor for the firm’s Working Parents & Allies BRG, says Grant Thornton is intentional about giving professionals space while they are on parental leave.

“When parents are on leave, we want them to be truly present for their families and loved ones,” said Parikh. “Even after they return to the office, we don’t want parents to feel as if work takes precedence over family. Flexibility may look different for each person, but we will always be kind, considerate and supportive of every parent’s journey.”

Grant Thornton’s Dallas operations include more than 400 professionals supporting businesses in industries like energy, real estate, financial services, manufacturing, private equity, hospitality and technology. Griffith, who recently won a “Most Inspiring Leader” award from the Dallas Business Journal, believes the firm’s focus on families will continue to pay dividends for its clients and its people.

“Recognition like this honor from the DRC inspires us to keep strengthening our commitment to every single one of our professionals,” Griffith concluded.

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