Employee always running late? Dealing with poor time keeping fairly

Occasional lateness by employees sometimes genuinely can’t be helped, and if it only happens once or twice, it’s not really a cause for concern, but when it becomes a regular occurrence it can become an issue.

There can be nothing more frustrating than an employee who has poor time keeping. It not only reflects badly on them, but them arriving late to a shift or coming back late after a break can have a knock-on effect on the rest of the team too.

So, as a line manager or business owner, what can you do about it if it’s becoming an issue?

Have an informal chat

Simply talking to your employee in an informal capacity is a great place to start. There could be a number of factors to consider, such as health issues or travel disruptions that could be causing delays to them getting into work. The chat lets them know that you’ve noticed and hopefully you can come to some sort of solution. Even though it is an informal chat, always follow it up with an email to confirm what was discussed and the expectations going forward - you need that audit trail!

If there is a health issue or disability involved, you may also need to consider whether reasonable adjustments could help.

Be clear about expectations

If lateness is beginning to become a regular occurrence, it’s important to set out your expectations to your employee. Ensure they are clear on their working hours and that there is no confusion surrounding break lengths.

Keep a record

Keeping an accurate record of when the employee is late and their reasoning can give you something factual to refer back to when discussing the issue in a more formal manner.

Have a more formal chat

If raising the issue informally hasn’t helped and the lateness continues, it’s important to have a more formal conversation with them. Make sure they understand that their timekeeping needs to improve, agree a reasonable period before reviewing their timekeeping again.

Consider disciplinary procedures

If there is no improvement, you may need to consider your formal disciplinary procedures. The appropriate action will depend on the circumstances, the employee’s contract, your policies and the reasons behind the lateness.

It’s important not to let repeated lateness slide as it doesn’t set a good example to the employee themselves or their colleagues. A conversation early on can often uncover what’s really going on and give you the opportunity to address the problem before it becomes more serious.

If you’re unsure how to approach a persistent time keeping issue, taking HR advice can help you deal with it fairly. As HR consultants in the South west, we’re happy to help, just get in touch.