Could the rumours be true? All those people on the bench has to mean that something has to give

They've recently announced voluntary additional holiday purchase (up to 20 days), so I think they'll see what the uptake is like for that before taking more drastic measures...

It would be the right thing to do, but I can't see EY doing it for the simple reason that KPMG has already done it and EY would be too afraid to appear that it's a follower. Also, it's far too innovative a policy to ever realistically get signed off at what is probably the most culturally conservative of the Big 4.

I'd disagree. The KPMG approach has resulted in them drastically cutting their pay bill without paying any redundancy. Many of KPMG's staff are also looking for another job, so their job numbers will also fall over the next year, again at nil cost to the partnersITs well known that BAS and FS have been quietly pushing people out over the past six months. This can only last for so long, before they fall foul of redundancy regulations. As the weakest of the Big 4 consultancies (oops, I meant Advisory firms) the logical option has to be to move to a 4 day week

BAS still has a long list of people level that it wants to push out on compromise agreements. That plan isn't likely to waver until the list is exhausted.Performance dismissals + selective redundancies in the areas already ID'd for EY to exit + broad-based 4-day working would in the firm's best interests.However, performance dismissals are out because there's too much dirt that could be raked up on our high profile leaders by going through that process. Overt redundancies are out because leadership is too self-conscious of looking like the practice is failing. 4-day weeks are out because of the facetime culture (and fear of looking like a KPMG-follower). As usual, EY is paralyzed by a fundamental inability to do the right thing.The quetion is not whether EY is next for the 4 day week, but whether BAS will emerge on the other side of the recession in any state to grow or turn a profit.

Its interesting that some firms are having pay freezes (no cash cost to the firm) - and earnestly justify this as a measure to prevent or reduce redundancies.But then won't consider the purchase of additional holiday or shorter hours (no cash cost to the firm) - and would prioritise redundancies ahead of such measures.

Whar BAS really needs is to clear out most of the IBM-ers that have come in over the past 4 years.