Accenture is allowing employees to carry unused vacation days into its next fiscal year, making a one-time exception to keep more staff working through August. CEO Julie Sweet urged employees to help deliver a strong quarter by winning sales and serving clients. The move follows weaker bookings, a disappointing revenue forecast and investor concerns over AI disruption.

Accenture has made an unusual move to boost business ahead of the close of its fiscal year. Employees have reportedly been told they can carry over unused vacation days into the next financial year starting September 1, a one-time exception to the company's usual policy designed to keep more staff working through August rather than taking time off to avoid losing accrued leave.

CEO Julie Sweet's push for a strong Q4

In an internal memo cited by Bloomberg, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet urged employees to push harder in the final weeks of the fiscal year, writing that "our shareholders are counting on us to deliver a strong quarter" in which everyone can contribute. Sweet reportedly encouraged staff to find new ways to serve clients and bring in sales, whether small, large, or 'mega', to help the company close the year on a strong note. According to the report, the vacation rollover is itself part of this broader sales push, since removing the incentive to burn through leave keeps more staff available to work through the final quarter.

A rough quarter drove the urgency