Sometimes it’s simply impossible to get to work on time and there are valid reasons: traffic gridlock, leaves on the line, sudden tantrums by the Scottish weather . . .
Being late is not uncommon. One in four workers don’t make it to their workplace on time at least once a month, according to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.
However, there are times when the reasons given for being tardy are a little less believable.
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One poll threw up some particularly strange excuses.
I had morning sickness (it was a man!).
My fake eyelashes got stuck together.
I forgot we had moved offices.
Of course, being late is not the end of the world but when an employee regularly arrives after everyone else, it not only affects staff morale, it can also have a big impact on the reputation, efficiency and profitability of the business.
Some jobs are not time-sensitive and allow for greater flexibility if an employee is late. Here the time can be made up at the end of the day.
But even when time is of the essence, it’s not always necessary for the HR manager to escalate things to Defcon One.
Often the best course of action is to try to help employees overcome bad habits.
First speak to the member of staff informally but be crystal clear about the occasions you’ve noticed poor timekeeping.
Point out they need to have a clear understanding of what hours they’re expected to work – usually this will have been part of their contract of employment.
This helps to focus the conversation and get straight to the heart of the problem.
You can then begin helping them by making some simple suggestions.
How could they change their morning routine? This could be as simple as getting up half an hour earlier, taking an earlier bus or train or packing their lunch the evening before.
You can also use the HR Bible – aka the company policy – as a reference tool.
This booklet or online page will set out precisely what’s expected when it comes to timekeeping.
It should include what managers expect employees to do if they know they’re running late, such as calling ahead if possible.
Is there a mechanism to log time after normal working hours to mitigate the effects of being late?
And what actions are available if the rules in the policy are breached?
So next time Tim from IT tries to sneak into his computer bunker at 10am, you know it’s time to have a quiet word.
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