Sun, sea and flexibility: Coast firm named best place to work

Sunshine Coast accounting firm Grenfell Murray is celebrating after being named one of the country’s best places to work mainly due to its flexibility.

Accountants Peta Grenfell and Brendon Murray run one of the best places to work in Australia.

Sunshine Coast accounting firm Grenfell Murray is popping the champagne after being named one of the country’s best places to work - especially for young mums.

Almost a year after announcing a major rebrand, the firm was a finalist in The Australian’s Best Places to Work 2024 along with Toyota, the Big Banana and Pizza Hut. Directors Peta Grenfell and Brendon Murray say the award was a recognition of the firm’s commitment to provide a work environment where their 25-strong team - 85 per cent who are women - “felt welcome and respected.”

Murray says treating its people well is paying dividends, with revenue climbing from $4.3m last year to $6m this year. He says the firm had implemented every suggestion made in a staff survey - from flexible working arrangements to buying an airfryer for the kitchen.

“We are a team and culture based organisation which means we strive towards ensuring our staff are proud to work with us,” says Murray.

“We have retained employees who have been with us for a long time, even after they have moved interstate. We currently have two long-term employees working from Melbourne and Tasmania. It’s probably easier for them to find a new job locally but they clearly love our culture and work environment.”

Peta Grenfell and Brendon Murray run one of the best places to work in Australia

He says many staff are mums who appreciate the flexibility of working around child-rearing and other family responsibilities.

Grenfell says all staff enjoyed benefits including flexible work hours, full support for parents returning to work following child care and a dedicated training plan to ensure their personal and career objectives can be met. “This is all about our staff getting the absolute best out of themselves which ultimately benefits all of our clients as well as our business,” she says. “We know how tough the job market is at the moment, especially in the professional services sector so providing benefits such as additional leave, flexible work hours and location is really attractive to our staff.”

Generous boost

Sunshine Coast philanthropists Roy and Nola Thompson have made a $3m investment to help boost mental health services on the Sunshine Coast. The funds from the couple will help mental health provider Brain & Mind Hub launch its first clinic in Maroochydore.

Manager of clinical services Dr Megan Dutton says the clinic has five specialists conveniently located in the central Maroochydore location, offering both assessment and treatment for children and adults.

“Our team of specialists range from psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, brain imaging technologies and peer support workers to ensure continuity of care,” Dutton says.

Philanthropists Nola and Roy Thompson

“We offer an end-to-end mental health service, eliminating the need for referrals to multiple clinics, which is often a source of frustration and extended delays for those seeking support.

“We understand the challenge of waiting months for an appointment when facing a mental health condition, so we are committed to providing accessible appointments and availability to see up to 200 clients of all ages per week.” Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics highlights the urgent need for such services, with 45 per cent of Queenslanders having experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives.