Address tardiness by outlining clear work expectations by Jimmie Wilkins
An interesting dilemma recently arose when an owner asked one of our business advisors, “How do I keep a great employee who is perpetually late to work? It is causing growing resentment in our business!” The double edge of this sword is immediately obvious. First, she has a valued employee that she wants to retain. And of equal importance; that person’s behavior is threatening the environment of the office for everyone else.
She is at her wits' end trying to figure out exactly how she can entice, threaten, or even bribe them to get to work on time. Often we allow ourselves to fall into the tardiness trap and when faced with unworkable situation, don’t know where to start. We see that the punctual staff resent the fact that they arrive on time and ready to work while the tardy ones appear to do as they wish. Anarchy begins to set in, and you find yourself where our owner did – ready to fire just to establish peace once more.
This was not a simple “do this, this and this” type of recommendation. The dilemma was to sort out the variables, the “what-ifs” and then to explore solutions.
Obvious first question. Why is this an issue? We all respond to directions better when we truly understand the “why”. Why is being to work on time and ready to work at start time important? (In addition to the fact that is it driving you mad.) Some obvious ones – you may have others:
• Employees need a full workday to complete their responsibilities.
• Many tasks require all participants to be on the job (e.g., assembly lines).
• Many tasks can't be performed effectively unless all participants are on the job (e.g., staffing customer service lines).
• Consistent arrival times are a matter of fairness.
• Consistently late employees unfairly burden co-workers.
Next, is there a “tardiness policy”? If not, you may want to pull the team together and identify baseline expectations and consequences (always better if there is consensus but remember – you are the owner and you have the right to set the parameters in which the policy must fall). You might think this is a bit over the top in the sense of regulations and too much work but stop and think of the time and angst this issues is causing you now. Can you afford not to address the issue?
Starting with development of the policy and then as employees are hired they need to understand:
• What timework officially begins and what time is considered late.
• How to arrange for and report planned and unplanned late arrivals.
• When, why, and how disciplinary action for lateness will be imposed.
• Consequences of repeat offences. Define clearly when lateness qualifies for disciplinary action (it may be a two/three strikes policy; a verbal warning, letter to the file and dismissal; or any way that will clearly tie the behavior to consequences) and what those consequences will be.
Next, have you had a serious conversation with the perpetually late employee? What was the result of that meeting? Were there clear outcomes and “next steps”? Did they understand that this behavior was destructive to the well being of the company and could not continue? If not, steps can be taken now.
• Meet privately with the person with the lateness problem.
_ Review lateness records, including whether employee notified you.
_ Restate (or simply state the new one if needed) the policy on late arrival.
_ Explain how lateness affects the employee's or co-workers' work.
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