If you are a small business owner you will have employees, and at some point, you are probably dealing with employees who continually show up late for work. Whether because of public transport, heavy traffic, oversleeping or something even more outrageous, showing up for work on time every day can be difficult for many employees. Most employers understand that things happen. Life sometimes creates situations that are beyond an employee’s control. However, when lateness becomes a pattern, business owners and managers must restrain the behaviour before it turns into a serious problem.

Employees who are regularly late can have a negative impact on productivity, lower employee morale, and affect customer service levels. Not only does it throw day to day operations off, it can set a bad precedent for other employees. This makes it important to set up a policy to deal with late employees.

Employers must handle frequently late employees quickly and in accordance with a set lateness policy to prevent the situation from escalating. The use of a clear late policy in writing and available for all employees to view ensures everyone is treated fairly.

Set up a policy for late employees

The first and most important step in dealing with and preventing chronically late employees is creating a written policy. All employees should be made aware of the policy and it should be printed somewhere visible if possible. Your business needs will dictate a policy that is right for you, but the following should be considered:

• If the employee knows they will be late, which supervisor or manager to report to.

• Acceptable reasons for being late.

• Consequences for repeat offenders.

If you are considering a flexible schedule to help engage employees, consider the following tips.

1. Be consistent: The policy should outline who is eligible for flexible schedules.  You need to make sure you stick to that policy.

2. Coordinate: Make sure everyone is aware of the policy.  Make sure they know who is using it, and in what capacity.

3. Communicate: Make sure you talk openly and honestly about the policy and make sure to address any concerns employees may have.  Keep an open mind to any comments and feedback.

4. Check in: Make sure to meet with your employees on a regular basis to evaluate how things are going with the policy and make changes, as needed.

Accurate Timekeeping

One of the most important components for dealing with late employees is a time and attendance system such as Business in Your Pocket that not only tracks when employees are late but alerts managers and supervisors so that alternate arrangements can be made. Additionally, it will sync exact information to payroll for the time worked, with the late time docked from their pay. If you are having issues with staff rostering Business in Your Pocket is easy-to-use employee scheduling and time clock software. Start scheduling for free!