Strategies for Managing Employee Lateness "Late again? Follow me" Employee lateness is a difficult problem to overcome and has been shown to be on-the-rise in recent years. The reasons for being late are vast – from traffic problems to family commitments to having taken on too much work to having a personality that thrives on that last-minute adrenaline rush. It is important for managers to realise that employees generally are not late on purpose. Tardiness is more akin to a bad habit or a problem with time management. And, as we all know: bad habits are difficult to break. Nonetheless, the monetary cost of tardiness to the organization is significant. It has been estimated that lateness costs “U.S. businesses more that $3 billion each year in lost productivity. The effect on the bottom line of the average business is significant: An employee who is late 10 minutes each day has, by the end of the year, taken the equivalent of a week’s paid vacation. Adding to the total cost is the ripple effect of late-starting meetings as productivity is impacted through an entire organization.” www.bnet.comLateness, therefore, needs to be managed effectively in order to increase company productivity. There is debate amongst the HR community as to whether it is better to punish tardiness or to reward punctuality. The answer to this multifaceted problem lies in a combination of methods some of which are suggested below. Action Items - Outline the Punctuality Policy – Be transparent, make sure employees are clear on what is expected of them by providing them with a company policy regarding punctuality that clearly defines excessive lateness and clearly explains the penalties of being late (from written warnings to termination). As one HR manager explains, she tells new hires at the first interview that they are expected to be at their desk and working at 9:00 every morning and if this is going to be a problem for them, that their employer-employee relationship will be short-Iived. This same manager reports a very low incidence of tardiness. Periodically review the policy with employees and be sure to update them on any changes to the policy. Use HRd's Absenteeism & Attendance Policy.
- Consistently Adhere to Policies and Document Everything- Utilize a system of progressive discipline. Take action as soon as an issue is noticed and always follow each step in the discipline process (do not skip steps). Put everything in writing (even one-on-one discussions with an employee that do not result in a warning notice or formal complaint should be documented). Final warnings especially must be adhered to! Don’t issue them if you do not intend to follow through with them.
- Explain the Cost Lateness to Employees and Encourage Punctuality- Many employees do not intend to be late or realise the consequences that lateness has on the organization. Explaining the monetary costs of lateness to employees at meetings or in memos or company newsletters can be helpful. It is also useful encourage punctuality and demonstrate the company’s commitment to punctuality by having managers send meeting reminders prior to meetings, ensuring that bosses and team leaders set a good example and arrive on time, starting meetings on time regardless of whether all participants have arrived (leaving it to late individuals to catch up on what they missed) and so on.
- Reward Punctuality- Set up an incentive program to reward individuals or teams for being punctual or having good attendance. This is both motivational and it reinforces the importance the company places on being on time. Rewards can be monetary (extra pay, gift certificates), symbolic (employee of the month), or just plain fun (spa day, fun activities – get creative!).
- Coach Late Employees Individually-Always be respectful of your employees and deal with them one-on-one as opposed to in front of other employees. Be proactive! Have resources ready that can help employees manage their problems with lateness (Provide an Information Kit with web resources, suggestions). Remember that for many people, tardiness is a bad habit in an otherwise wonderful employee. For employees that require disciplinary action, remain calm and work through the steps of the disciplinary process so that the employee has a fair chance to change their unwanted behaviour.
Final Thought Employee lateness is an issue that affects a company’s bottom line and therefore must be dealt with. However, it is a tricky problem that requires a multifaceted approach that both rewards punctuality as well as punishes lateness. Be sure that managers set a good example by being on time to work and to meetings and that employees are made aware of the company policy surrounding lateness. Be consistent and fair when enforcing the punishments.
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