To nag about constantly late employee???

[Dollygirl2008]

AIBU - a member of my staff is ALWAYS 5 or 10 minutes late and it's driving me mad! I have no problem with staff being late when something has happened, traffic etc, this happens to everyone. But this is everyday and no word or apology etc. We are a small team and I don't think its fair on the others. However, because it's a small team, its quite difficult to bring it up without causing an atmosphere. I think I will do it as part of a team meeting and apply it to everyone.

Or AIBU?!

YABU to address an issue about one person in a group. Just tell them that you've noticed they're always late and that it needs to change.

Do it as part of a team meeting but I bet everyone else is as hacked off with it as you are.

Are you their manager/team lead? If so there should be no problem bringing it up. You're not there to be their friend after all, and this sort of thing being continually overlooked does piss people off. Take them aside & have a word. It doesn't have to be a stroppy word, keep it matter of fact.
You could introduce signing in for everyone if that would make you feel better.

Are you the manager? Being persistently late is a disciplinary offence. Pull them up on it and formalise it. Bringing it up in a team meeting is a passive aggressive way of dealing with it when the issue applies only to one person, will be ignored by the persistent offender and resented by the rest of the team.

Does this person make up the time at lunch/leave later? If so, I don't see he problem - it's only 5/10 mins. That said, I'm assuming office job rather than retail or bank clerk or something where being late may impact on opening times.

I would agree that you shouldn't do it as a team meeting. You need to formally discipline the permanent latecomer. Start with a verbal warning.

If it is a person for whom you have responsibility then you are not unreasonable in bringing it up. If not you would be.

I'm sure the rest of the team has noticed it and resent the lateness.

But not as much as they'll resent you for not fronting the latecomer. Scattergun tactics always create annoyance and, oddly, bypass the offender. They probably don't think of themselves as late, possibly nearly on time.

You're the employer, so do your job.

If you are the manager of the team, you should have the balls to have a 1:1 with the person and explain that being constantly late is wrong and gives a bad example to the team.
If you are a colleague and you're the only one who minds the person being late, once again, don't hide behind the "some members of the team" etc. and have a talk with the person.
If the whole team doesn't like it, have a chat with your manager where you directly discuss the issue.
You are very very BU and cowardly if you do a group discussion, IMHO. If you have a problem with someone, tell them directly.

I have a staff member that is often late amongst other things. I am tackling it with him alone no not annoying others by including them in any talks about lateness.

Exactly what Stillunexpected said.

Bringing it up in a team meeting is a strange idea unless it's something the majority of staff are doing.

Don't do it at a team meeting. That will just piss everyone off. The others will know who you are really referring to and will be irritated that they have to take criticism for her behaviour because you are too cowardly to say it to her directly. Just ask to speak to her alone.

If you are the manager you need to deal with it directly.
Raising it as part of a team meeting just shows you to be ineffectual and the other staff will lose any respect they had for you.
How will you deal with more serious issues if you can't tackle this one head on?
Be crystal clear with the persistent latecomer about your expectations about arriving on time and the consequences if they fail to change.

Hi all - thanks for your replies - I'm going to talk to him now! It's just not fair on the rest of the team
Thanks for your advice
c

This can be tricky territory. Does this employee work though lunch and/or stay late?

I've worked in corporate environments where my lunch would be at my desk whilst working and the earliest I would ever leave was around 8.30/9 often having to stay until gone midnight (contracted 9.30-5.30). I knew with the industry I've chosen to work in there would be expectations such as these, but with these expectations comes the respect that I was trusted to get the work done whatever and I wouldn't have taken kindly to being pulled up on a few minutes lateness a couple times a week. Sometimes it has to be a bit give and take.

Obviously if she is there at 4.59 with coat on and computer off then absolutely bring it up.

I guarantee that if you bring it up at a team meeting it will cause much more of an atmosphere than tackling the person alone. No one wants to be 'scolded' for something that they aren't actually doing, whilst the person who is doing it sits there oblivious to the fact that the 'scolding' is actually aimed at them.

The business of arriving late and staying later/working lunch is fine as long as you, the employer know and accept the arrangement.

and as long as everyone is allowed to come late and make up time elsewhere if they want to.

It's a big problem for team morale though if it only applies to one person, or is always shrugged off with a 'ha ha, that's just X, he's always late' type attitude.

YABVU to nag. YANBU to tell them it needs to stop and take action if they don't improve - if it is important to the team that everyone be there on time. An alternative is to have a more flexible approach to time keeping if that can fit with the work that needs doing - high trust environments (which flexible timekeeping is a sign of) tend to have higher productivity when well managed.

If you're their line manager just pull them aside to have an initial quiet chat. Is there somewhere out of ear shot? Meeting room, staff room, kitchen?

How you first approach it probably depends on how they are otherwise. Does the person make up the time by not having a lunch break or staying late? Or are they always first out the door too?

With the first you could ask if there is a reason why they are late. Are they dropping a child / elderly relative / dog off somewhere? Then getting caught in unpredictable traffic.

If there is no reason why someone should start at say 9 am on the dot, then you could come to some arrangement. Maybe a trial of a month first.

If the later, or the start time is very important. Then a quick look you're always a little late your contract states 9am, this is when you should be ready to start work, not thinking about walking through the door, sort it out.

I wouldn't get too upset about 5 minutes if it's in an environment where that doesn't really matter too much, e.g. a regular office. If it's 5 to 10 minutes late attending emergencies as a paramedic, however, that's a different matter.

I would, however, make it clear that anyone arriving 5/10 minutes late is expected to make it up by having a shorter lunch hour or leaving 5/10 minutes later at the end of the day. (Should this also apply to smoking breaks?)

If they work Mon-Fri with 25 days holidays per year and 7 days public holidays, then that is 229 working days.

So, 10 mins late per day is 229 x 10 = 2290 mins per year of working missed (or 38 hours).

If they work 7 hours per day (9-5 with an hour for lunch), then its like taking an extra 5 1/2 days holidays per year.

(That sounds a lot - maybe I made a mistake?)

i would worry that as a manager you need to gain consensus from a chat site on the internet over a simple thing like someone being late.

Wafture, I have done sums like this (relating to how much earlier I get up than DP) and it is shocking in terms of actual days a year you don't have that the other person does.

OP, you need to deal with this one to one, it is part of your job. About the "atmosphere" - this is affected much worse when you make it into a general whinge at the team instead of of a short sharp targeted "just don't do it any more, ok?" to the one person. I have been the other people in that team and I hate it when a team meeting that should be a positive session about projects and action points becomes a whinge about little things THAT WE ALL KNOW ONLY ONE PERSON DOES. Please don't be that manager.

Do you have a manager? is there someone you can approach for pep talk and pointers? Help write your script?

If I were you I would start with questions. "How do you think your timekeeping has been?" then you can either agree if he thinks it's bad, or have facts at your fingertips if he's in denial. "I'm afraid that of the last 10 days you have only been on time once." Ask him if there is any reason for it. If there are personal problems be broadly sympathetic but the last part of the meeting should be saying very clearly that it isn't ok and it has to stop. Talk about the other team members and respect. Don't look mean, but look firm and calm. Be confident. This is something you have the right to expect from your team. then end the meeting and treat him as pleasantly as you usually would, as the rest of the team, for the rest of the day.