– Details of how working time will be tracked and recorded: do you use timesheets or do employees need to physically clock in when on-site? He is unpunctual. Though managers assume staff members will occasionally be late, if employees begin to be late for work regularly , then actions need to be taken to protect the company and to improve the work ethic amongst the team. hbspt.cta.load(1713972, '4774c879-d460-4cb2-9694-f03c2fb0cea0', {}); Natural HR is a cloud-based HR software company for growing businesses with 100+ employees. Do not wait until you are angry and annoyed, or the rest of the team are feeling annoyed. Payroll Teams are more likely to buy in to guidelines when they come from the team and not just handed down from above. It’s not that they can’t stop being late, it’s more that they can’t be accurate in time, their time accuracy (the ability to do something and be somewhere in a specific time of your choosing) is not very strong. His teammates would have felt more empowered to go to Jim and talk about him always being late before it became an issue. Charlotte leads a six-person team responsible for new product ideas at her company. Jim is contributing great ideas to the team — and if they don’t like his tardiness, someone will eventually say something. Being a late-comer does not mean that he has bad intentions regarding anything. hbspt.cta.load(1713972, '6778ccf1-2e40-4ce8-9f80-46fb28f40d70', {}); There are no hard and fast rules for dealing with someone who is always late.Every manager is different, as is every employee and their personal situation. “Come on, Charlotte, I don’t know why you’re busting me on this. Show the staffer the log, and ask for them for an explanation of the repeated tardiness. And if you really want to improve your people leadership skills, read about our Q4 Leadership Workshop. Five ways to deal with staff chronically late for meetings If you need them to arrive somewhere at 6PM, and they are typically more than two hours late, tell them to be there by 4PM. Is he late for work and flights? So someone was twenty minutes late picking you up to head to a party? He/she has not turned up again at the given time. Do Your Work with a Difficult Person Quiz. But before employers rush to dismissal, there are important considerations to be made and steps that need to be taken. B.
Y ou might be asking why my employee is always late? Depending on your specific attendance policy, a consistently late employee can be very damaging to your business. It's been 45 since she was supposed to pick me up. • How time will be tracked (e.g., swipe cards, punching a time clock or signing an attendance sheet). Chronically Late People Aren't Trying to Annoy or Disrespect You. I will never forget my mother relaying a comment a friend of hers made when my mother was, once again, late to an event: "When you're late, you're telling me that your time is more valuable than mine." How to deal with people who are always late? Well there was no rush to be there, and you got to watch TV while you waited. I hate to get all 1984 here, but this was the first lesson I learned when dealing with an always-late employee. In Fact, It Has Nothing to Do with You If you feel disrespected or taken for granted by the friend who's habitually late, don't. Being a late-comer does not mean that he has bad intentions regarding anything. It will save you some time and headache in the future. These cookies do not store any personal information. Don’t Rely On Them For Important Things . Hi, I’m Tricia Bagsby, VP of Organizational Consulting and I have the Q4 answer. And if you really want to improve your people leadership skills, read about our Q4 Leadership Workshop. Voices of the Region: The Geospatial Future of St. Louis. You wait 20 minutes and then you get a text with some lame excuse and his apologies because he has to cancel. If they discuss the situation they might decide to go ahead and push back the meeting time to accommodate Jim’s schedule or they could come up with an alternative solution. She doesn’t want to damage his enthusiasm. I'm talking about the friend who is always three hours late without texting or offering an apology, or the friend who constantly leaves you hanging without confirming or … I know when I’ve been late in the past, my mind has crunched the numbers to “oh, I’m going to be 15-ish minutes late,” which could mean a half hour. But he’s developed the bad habit of arriving late. Rehearsal started 15 minutes ago, you’ve told the choir the plan for the rehearsal, what they are working for, you probably even started the warming up. Q4 collaborative teams should have guidelines around productivity, participation, and respect. But keep the dialogue positive and forward-looking. Enforce your attendance policy consistently. If you notice that a staff member is persistently arriving late, this should be dealt with accordingly. But as an employer, punctual employees that are strong and passionate are critical to productivity as well as your overall success. Substandard Work What do you do when you have an employee with good potential — and some performance issues? How can Charlotte deal with a team member who is always late in a Q4 way? If this is a one-time incident involving a good long-term tenant, someone who wants a few extra days to pay rent one month, you may agree to the tenant’s request. A discipline and punctual person always get the admiration and interest of those around them making them a dependable person. If you're trying to motivate someone else to stop being chronically late, remember that while Benjamin Franklin espoused the virtues of being early to bed and early to … However, a person who is never on time will surely invite the ire of those around them. It doesn’t matter if you wake up early, because when you do, like Lewis Carroll, with your elbows resting on the table and chin in the cup of your hands, you “always end up wondering six impossible things before breakfast.” This way or that, you fritter away the time. I have several friends who are chronically late. Meet with Jim again, to probe the reason for his tardiness, and talk to find a solution that works for him and the team. Remember to bear in mind any potential issues which could arise through discrimination and any adjustments which could reasonably be made by the company in order to support the employee. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. • How time will be tracked (e.g., swipe cards, punching a time clock or signing an attendance sheet). Privately, Charlotte has mentioned this to Jim several times, but his behavior hasn’t changed. I have a few people in my life who are always late. Being forever late will always sort of be your thing, but lucky for you, you share a whole lot in common with a lot of other people in this world. – A comment that lateness should be avoided as it is disruptive for everyone. Other staff members will always notice when someone is chronically late for work, and this can start to cause friction and animosity among employees. The team has been meeting regularly for the past two months. – If applicable, provide details on how employees can make up the time they have lost from arriving late. If you want to work your way through this difficulty in your marriage, you need to begin … Try to understand whether they If you have any personal problems, medical issues or any other reasons which might be causing them to be late. Chances are that your friend totally remembers, but while … View features [1] X Research source If they are upset, explain your … It seems it is always the person who comes in 5 minutes late who stays to help and leaves a half hour or more late each day. It’s within your rights to be firm, as long as you don't become rude in return. That’s not to mention that, in certain circles, “fashionably late” has always been considered “cool” and perfectly “correct.” A great deal depends upon the context. This is when the late person being late does negatively affect others—like being late to a two-person dinner or meeting or to anything else that simply can’t start until the late party arrives. Beyond Dealing with Lateness. Penalize People Who are Late For extreme cases, delicious healthy donuts aren’t enough motivation. A habit doesn’t crop up overnight. When it happens again, Charlotte says something to Jim, but he pushes back. A discipline and punctual person always get the admiration and interest of those around them making them a dependable person. That way you let them know being punctual is important, without making a big deal out of it. Therefore, an employee that is continually late is effectively stealing time from the company. A. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Certainly, he should respect the time and efforts of others. When meeting with the late employee try to remain calm, do not make it personal and avoid getting angry. To recap Q4 teams should have an operating agreement in place. When dealing with chronically late employees, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the lateness itself — sometimes at the expense of the bigger picture. It’s probably not the first time he’s pulled this crap and it certainly won’t be the last because a man who doesn’t respect your time doesn’t respect you. Take a step back and ask yourself why this matters. Blog, Terms and Conditions Going forward, Charlotte can bring the team together and establish those guidelines. Depending on your specific attendance policy, a consistently late employee can be very damaging to your business. Also, for people who feel they're working to improve their social skills, part of doing that may involve loosening up a bit. A. Being late might mean the person was in flow, needs in between time, or is afraid to ask for space. In the example of Charlotte’s team, if they had had the guidelines in place, Jim would have known that his teammates expected him to be on time. • The consequences for arriving late to work. Confirm your get together the day before. Jan 15, 2012 - How to Deal With Someone Who Is Always Late. Be aware that should they actually arrive at 4PM, they will be upset with you for misleading them. Why Are Some People Always Late? Make sure any new policies or updates to your  procedure are communicated to all employees and implemented fairly throughout the entire company. Or they forgot to write the appointment in their calendar. In addition, persistent employee lateness may cause tension between colleagues, as the team members who work alongside them may end up having to do more work in order to cover for their colleague causing some resentment and ill-feeling. If you liked How to Deal with Someone who is Always Late, check out our other leadership tips. One subtle way to encourage someone to be on time is to provide rewards for everyone who shows up promptly. Now, Charlotte feels she’s in a bind. View our 2 minute video C.  Tell Jim that his tardiness is hurting the team, and that if he can’t get to the meetings on time, there will be consequences. I have a few people in my life who are always late. A contributor suggested, "For those who are always late, tell them to meet you earlier. It’s probably not the first time he’s pulled this crap and it certainly won’t be the last because a man who doesn’t respect your time doesn’t respect you. Ignore the situation. Especially if managers are not doing anything to remedy the situation. Bide Your Time. Like really not into it. You might also enjoy our Do Your Work with a Difficult Person Quiz. A late employee may start to fall behind on their work and either rush things, or leave them uncompleted. How to Handle Late and Absent Employees There are certainly times when you have to be a manager. They'll always be late, and you'll arrive just on time." I would just call her on it. Once it’s obvious there’s a pattern emerging, set a private meeting to discuss the situation. You might also enjoy our Do Your Work with a Difficult Person Quiz. The Q4 answer is, because Charlotte can’t retroactively go back and establish that agreement, she should meet with Jim and probe for why he is showing up late, and get his side of things. Bringing him up to speed wastes the team’s time, and it’s annoying. The policy should include: – The standard expected of employees: details of working hours, highlighting that employees should be ready and prepared to start work as soon as their shift is scheduled to start. Tell them an earlier time. More likely, however, is that they were kept in a prior meeting longer than they expected. Transform the way your HR department works. Ouch. You can remind them of the past couple of times they were late and how that impacted you. Recognising changed or improved behaviours, no matter how minor, should be reinforced. Once, I was 10 minutes late … But whether you’re working from the kitchen table or the corporate office, companies. Set meeting times ahead by a half hour. There may be a sensitive or personal reason for their lateness, so approach the conversation with compassion and give them the chance to take in your concerns and say their piece. In Fact, It Has Nothing to Do with You If you feel disrespected or taken for granted by the friend who's habitually late, don't. People don’t like to be treated like dogs. First, Be Nice. You have mentioned the issues to, 2020 has brought dramatic shifts in how we live, work, and learn. If you continue to browse this website, we'll assume you're OK with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Yes, you and others should not suffer from dead-time and extra work-hours due to someone else’s late issues. Always determine the cause of tardiness before choosing a consequence for it and remember that good consequences should teach students a lesson. From an HR perspective, you have to identify the behavior and give the employee a verbal warning. Sometimes, being late to a meeting is unavoidable thanks to bad traffic conditions, … Chronically Late People Aren't Trying to Annoy or Disrespect You. How can Charlotte deal with a team member who is always late in a Q4 way? Ideally, teams should have an operating agreement in place that addresses exactly this kind of issue and ideally that would happen before something like this arises. Bribe People Who are On Time. Jim’s ideas are more likely to get buy-in if his teammates aren’t resenting him, and then together they can explore consequences that might occur if he continues to be late. Jim is a top contributor, so maybe she shouldn’t be so concerned. When employees are late for work, this not only affects their work, it can affect the work of the entire company. He’s late… again. – A comment on the potential disciplinary action which could be taken for persistent lateness. Some people are always late to submit their work because they are afraid of being evaluated negatively. For extreme cases, delicious healthy donuts aren ’ t like to made! Among his team problems among his team behavior and give the employee should notify if he is often,. A solid team member, but you can remind them of the tardiness!, so the overall effectiveness of the past two months as we hate to be early is. If he is going to be taken person truly is a problem you can remind of... And Absent employees there are certainly times when you have to identify the and... Employee has a legitimate reason for being on time. mean the person was in flow needs! 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