Everyone is occasionally late for work due to dysfunctional alarms, transportation emergencies, or other unavoidable factors. However, something has to be done about employees who are consistently late.
Here is some management advice on how to go about resolving this difficulty.
Let Them Know You’re Watching
Some employees come to work late simply because they don’t think that anyone notices or cares. They may get this impression if you give them the benefit of the doubt and don’t mention anything on several occasions. However, if someone is being consistently late, it’s time to step in and micromanage their time. They need to know that you do notice such things, and being punctual is not optional but mandatory. Make a habit of strolling by the desks of your employees every morning at the start of the workday, and they’ll get the hint that you expect to see them there on time and ready to get down to business.
Talk It Over
If despite your consistent monitoring of the situation an employee continues to be late, it’s sound management advice to speak with them personally and find out if there are any mitigating factors. For instance, you may find out that the employee has a sick family member and has been unable to get enough sleep at night. In circumstances such as these, you may be able to come up with a more flexible schedule for them until the employee’s home life gets back on track.
Resort to Discipline
If oversight and persuasion are ineffective in encouraging an employee to get to work on time, you may have to resort to some form of disciplinary measure to make your point. In a large company, this may involve writing up the errant employee. In other situations, you may have to put them on probation. Regardless of the specific measures you choose to take, you have to let them know that a lackadaisical work ethic is intolerable.
For more management advice, get in touch with Avery James.
