Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafarer on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you reach your destiny. - Carl Schurz, 1829 – 1906
I have worked with many people who I genuinely admired who could never arrive on time whether it be a professional or a social occasion. I have also worked with those who didn’t have my admiration and didn’t show up on time, but they always had a wonderful excuse. And I have worked with people who always show up on time – most of the time earlier than the agreed upon time – these are the people I can count on.
Last night at the movies, one of the main characters was a working mother and she was always late to her job. It was a trait I suppose her co-workers accepted, because she was good at what she did.
How do you handle an employee who is always late? Does it make a difference whether they are a great employee or just “doing their job?.” Do you treat them differently in evaluations? Is there a pay differential? Do you make exceptions? Business decisions like these, no doubt addressed in ye olde employee manual are supposed to be cut and dry… but they rarely are.
The larger the company, the dicier this gets with consequences not even considered previously. Make sure you document the tardiness. Make sure the employee knows why their behavior matters to you and your company. If you don’t have a good time keeping system, get one. They’re not that expensive and they’ll you time and money in all sorts of areas. And finally address the consequences of tardy behavior – even for your good employees.
Promptness is a kind of code – it doesn’t just happen – it requires some planning, it shows respect and it allows for the task to be accomplished when everyone is engaged at the same time. It also sends a strong message – you can count on me.
It’s a rainy Monday – no excuse for being late:-)
Bryan Dear
