Employee tardiness is a struggle that all managers face at some point. 
The occasional morning where an employee is running late is forgivable (and even expected.) However, a company-wide problem with punctuality can have a lasting detrimental impact on your organization.
When an employee shows up late for work consistently, it says one thing loud and clear: I don’t take this job seriously. As a manger, it’s your duty to make sure that this attitude is addressed, and also that it doesn’t catch on with any other members of your team.
Here are some of the best ways to deal with tardiness before it gets out of hand.
Make Your Lateness Policy Known.
From Day 1, you need to identify that arriving late for work isn’t tolerated. Make sure that you have a tardiness policy written in your employee handbook so that every new employee is familiar with the company’s expectations when it comes to arriving on time.
Post All Employee Schedules in Advance.
If your company operates on a schedule system where employees check their hours each week, remember to always post their hours at least a week in advance. This guarantees there can never be any confusion about what time an employee is expected to be on the job.
Don’t Let First or Second Offences Slide.
Each and every time an employee arrives late for work, you should get in the habit of asking them why. Perhaps they have a perfectly understandable excuse and offer an apology. That’s fine. But when you ask for an explanation whenever someone is late, you set the tone for the rest of the team. In other words, you force them to realize that if they show up late, someone is going to notice.
Give an Ultimatum if the Behavior Starts Recurring.
It’s absolutely essential that your team fully understands that there are consequences for regular tardiness. If you’ve already issued a warning and an employee continues to arrive late, it might be time to place them on probation. Monitor their punctuality in the following weeks as much as possible and consider Issuing a written warning if matters haven’t improved. If the behavior continues, unfortunately it might be time to let them go.
For more help on how to deal with tardiness in the workplace, Contact the Staffing Experts at PrideStaff Dallas.
