A number of factors can result in a situation in which an otherwise
conscientious employee will be late for work on occasion. Employers
do not normally see occasional tardiness as a serious problem. However,
a chronically late employee can be a serious problem for a manager,
and a drain on the department's resources, and a strain on the morale
of co-workers. A chronically late employee can be:
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A distraction
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A bad influence on co-workers [who may emulate his or her inappropriate
behavior if they see or if they believe there are no consequences
for not arriving on time.]
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The cause of an uneven flow of work, and missed deadlines
If not addressed promptly, an employee who is only occasionally
tardy may become chronically late - and a worker who was typically
only a few minutes late may arrive progressively later. A supervisor
should address the tardiness problem head on. Some potential solutions
include:
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Schedule staff meetings first thing in the morning.
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Establishing deadlines for assignments for first thing in the
morning.
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Warn the employee that tardiness will factor negatively into
his or her next performance review and compensation increase.
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Assign the problem employee to less desirable work, less prestigious
work, or work on a less desirable shift.
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Issue and document a verbal warning.
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Issue and document a written warning.
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Demote the employee, temporarily or permanently. If permanently,
a decrease in compensation is usually appropriate.
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Suspend the employee for one or more days without pay.
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Terminate the employee [since a chronically tardy employee reduces
the effectiveness of the department and disrupts its smooth operation].
One final thought: A supervisor should also keep a record of all
discussions, correspondence [including e-mails] and warnings relating
to a tardiness problem. The supervisor should include times and dates
of these discussions, as well as details relating to the tardiness
problem including dates and arrival times.