There a lot of people who think that if they are a few minutes late to work, it is not a big deal. Their mentality is that if they don’t get caught, than there is no problem. However, the truth is that for the vast majority of businesses, if an employee arrives late, they not only show disrespect for the job, but their tardiness can have a ripple effect throughout the entire business. One employee’s tardiness can minimize the effectiveness and the productivity of many other employees. When one employee arrives late, all of the other employees in the office may lose their focus and their drive to continue to arrive to work on time.
Employees should have very clear in their mind what the term tardiness means. Tardiness is being late regardless of the time increment. It does not matter if a person is two minutes late or one hour late. At the time they are supposed to be in their office, they are not there. Most businesses use employee time clocks to monitor the arrival and departure of their employees.
A tardy employee is not getting work done at the time they are scheduled to do so. Additionally, when they arrive late, the flurry of activity that they generate trying to get to their desk and explain why they are late will usually throw all of the other employees off. When an employee is constantly late, their employer is not getting what they paid for. For this reason, it is very clear to see why many businesses set a limit on the number of times an employee can be late before they are terminated.
Normally, before an employee is terminated for tardiness, they are given reminders. The first reminder is often verbal. During this conversation, the employer or manager will remind the employee of the hours that they agreed to work. The employer will also emphasize why it is so vital for the employee to arrive on time. If the problem continues, then an employer may give an employee a written reprimand that clearly explains that if the behavior continues, it may result in suspension or termination. If after these two steps are taken and the employee is still is arriving late, then it may be necessary to terminate the employee.
Of course, most employers try to understand the personal circumstances of their employees. If there is something that is just beyond the employee’s control that is making them five minutes late, then maybe a concession can be made and their schedule can be adjusted.