I had a conversation last week that stuck with me. A CFO is working 70-hour weeks for six months straight—what was meant to be a temporary hold on hiring after a senior accountant left has turned into a disruptive saga. Instead of leading strategy, he’s grinding through month-end closes—and quietly job hunting. The company thinks it saved $80K. What they’ve actually lost is far greater.

Overtime Isn’t Free

Yes, you’re avoiding hiring costs. But you’re paying another way. Work/life balance is impacted for those who remain. Quality of work, attention to detail, and accuracy decreases as teams are stressed out to meet deadlines.

Turnover Is Expensive

When overwhelmed employees walk away, companies burn cash replacing them. McKinsey-level research shows replacing someone can cost 50–60% of their annual salary. And the broader estimate – according to ADP – including lost productivity and slower performance—is as high as 90–200% of salary.

Low Morale Sends Costs Skyrocketing

Burnout isn’t just a morale issue—it hurts the bottom line. Disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy an estimated $350 billion annuallyin lost productivity, absenteeism, and turnover. In high-stakes finance roles, that cost is amplified—and disguised under “we’re lean and agile.”

The Hidden Math of Understaffing

Scenario: A finance team is short one senior accountant making $120K/year.

• Hiring cost “saved”: $80K salary.
• Real cost: Unhappy employees + lower quality of work + strategic delays.
• Turnover risk: If the CFO or others leave, replacement costs hit 50–200% of annual salary.

The truth: A vacancy isn’t a cost saving—it’s a cost amplifier.

Why Smart Companies Hire Fast

• Overtime and hidden hiring burdens add up faster than onboarded staff do.
• Understaffed finance teams slow decisions, weaken strategy, and cause leader burnout.
• Retaining finance leaders pays dividends—stability, trust, execution.

Your finance org isn’t just keeping the books—it’s your scaling engine. Let’s stop cutting talent to “save costs,” and start investing in stability that fuels growth.