to tell my manager about new girls lateness

[NervousPotato]

I am due to go on mat leave. My cover started recently, she is a student (taking a year out of uni) drives her own car (so not relying on public transport) really nice girl who I get on with well blahblahblah

However, she has been late into the office 4 days in a row now. Now, I’m not usually one to care about lateness, I’m not a manager and I wouldn’t like being picked up on it, but 4 days in a row?? It’s been between 10-15 minutes late every morning…

AIBU to let my manager know? Manager is based in another office so isn’t here to notice… only I do…

She keeps saying ‘sorry, can’t figure out the traffic and what time to leave my house!’ – she uses google maps to get here (which tells you how long its going to take you…) surely after being late just the once you would leave super early until you figure it out?

I don’t want to be a ‘snitch’ but I feel 4 times in a row is inexcusable ?

What would you do ???

FFS this sort of thing really annoys me. I am sorry but I simply dont buy the whole ‘never worked before/been at uni/doesnt realise that you have to be on time’ excuse. I managed (and so did everyone else I know) without being specifically told.

4 days late in a row? Well if you are late 2 days in a row then you obviously need to have a rethink about how you are planning your journey!! It cant be beyond the wit of this person to ask google to get her to work at an earlier time since the one she is plugging in clearly isnt working!! If work starts at 9 then the best practice is to arrive 20 mins early thereby giving yourself time to have a pee, make coffee, have a chat etc.

Having said all that, I still wouldnt tell your manager. Just give her a friendly heads up and possibly suggest she starts concentrating on getting in at 8.50 thereby giving 10 mins of wriggle room if things go wrong (as it does for everyone from time to time).

I think I would be quietly irritated as 15 mins over four days is an hour of work she's being paid for and not actually working but I'm a stickler for punctuality. I wouldn't mention it to management but maybe giver her a friendly heads up that whilst it makes no odds to you, you wouldn't want someone else to mention it and get her in a bit of bother so soon into a new job.

If she is this new and already been late 4 days in a row I'd absolutely tell my manager. This is not a good sign and I doubt an informal chat is going to make any difference.

The corporate I work in isn't super strict on lateness but repeatedly in the first few weeks would definitely be raising questions.

To be honest, if it's a non-operations office role and it's under 15 mins late each day I wouldn't waste my time giving much thought to this...as long as she's making up for it by either shortening her lunch break or leaving the office later and completing her work tasks.

My office managers have always been very lax about start times, as they know that my work will be completed and that I'm willing to stay back as late as necessary to finish my workload and take on additional tasks.

However, when working in teaching and operations obviously I had to ensure I was early to work each day otherwise it impacted on my colleagues and students. So it depends very much on her role.

Perhaps have a gentle word with her about timekeeping, and how being early can make others have an even better impression of her which would result in a better reference than being habitually late. But I don't see any benefit in talking to your manager about it, it'll just foster bad feelings unnecessarily.

Does she stay late to make the time up? I assume so. Even then, it is not acceptable to be late every day. Most work places wouldn't put up with this.

I don't know, my attitude to punctuality in staff is correlated to a company's attitude to overtime, are they sticklers for letting you go home at your stated hour without it being an hindrance to your career? then staff ought to be perfectly punctual. The company guild-trips you or bullies you into working over hours with no pay etc.? then be late whenever you can get away with it. (Never deliberately staff around other people, like co-workers or clients, who depend on your being punctual though, not their fault or responsibility.)

It's a two way street in my books! (to be honest, I have never had a job when I had to clock in so my knowledge and understanding is entirely theoretical!)

Speak to her and tell her she will get into a lot of trouble if your manager notices her lateness. Then wish her luck and enjoy your ML.

I would tell her that people can, and have, been sacked/nearly sacked for repeated lateness so for her own peace of mind perhaps she should aim for being 10 minutes early until she gets used to the journey times.

I guess it depends on what sort of workplace she has been used to working in before. Most places that I have worked want the work to be done and for the staff to be available to contact during business hours, but haven't cared about exact start and finish times so long as it doesn't affect the smooth working of the office.

I did work in one company that had quite a strict policy about time keeping. I had a choice of two trains, one that got me in 20 mins early and one that got me in about 7 mins late. I always got the early train, it also had the advantage that there could be rail delays and I would probably still scrape in on time. That's what she should be aiming for IMO, it's better to be routinely a little early and just make it on time on a bad traffic day than to be routinely almost on time and late on a bad traffic day.

I used to work in an office in central London around the IOD with lots of the tube stations and buses and DLR's directly to my place of work.
We had a small ish team of 3 member and there were 4 teams in my department. There were members of staff that were late every day by about 10-20 minutes, eventually management decided to log the times people came in and out on the door system we had, some people owed nearly a couple of days where they were so late over a 4 month period.
I know being late doesn't always effect your work load, however if your being paid to be at an office and being paid well for this then there really is no excuse.
I'd say something to management, there's nothing worse than someone who can't be bothered to be punctual. I don't know why she can't just leave 20 minutes earlier

The thing is that this young woman clearly needs advice, not just how to do the job itself, but how to behave in the workplace. It's far better coming from you, since she'll be doing your job and you won't be there soon.

If she's used to being late - and let's face it, a lot of people are - she might still think it's cute or funny that she's always late. She does need to be told it's not like that at work.

It's her first week, granted being late everyday shouldn't happen but I fail to see what you gain from snitching? You'll be on mat leave soon so you won't actually be working with this person anyway.

You say you work 9-5.30, I bet you've wasted a good 10 min posting and replying to this on here in work time (unless you take your lunch break at 10am?). Hope she shops you for playing on your phone in work time!!

Just speak to her first before you go telling on her. Surely she has to be decent for you to even consider hiring her to be your cover? She’s probably nervous. New place etc

I wouldn't say anything. She is your cover and you don't want to have to start training someone else up at this stage if she is good in other ways! She will probably sort it out in the end but just warn her that she could get into trouble if management find out she is late. It is hard enough to start a new job as it is without being snitched on.

millenial excuses are hilariously pathetic

If she’s taking a year out of University she’s likely ‘Generation Z’ & not a Millennial.

This would not be acceptable in my workplace. Yes you can stay late, but that would not be helpful the business. A one off would due to accident / weather would be ok, but general poor time keeping is a definate 'no'.

4 days in a week (especially when new) to me would show a poor work ethic.

Its pretty simple - If you "Don't want to be a snitch" then don't be a snitch.

Or in the words of Kath & Kim "You know your beeswax? Why don't you moind it?"

@Specialsubject, if she is a student then she is 20-23, she is not a millennial as millennials are born between 1980 and 1994, Gen z are 1995 to 2009.

If she needs to be there on time then you should mention it - but if so then it should already be picked up by your boss, if it is not monitored by your boss then she does she need to be there exactly on time?

Your not management so not your business really. Don't end up being labelled the office grass as they will remember it after your maternity leave.

If I was the manager and massively concerned about time keeping, I'd be calling and asking to speak to her on the dot of 9.00. The fact that they haven't would tell me everything I needed to know.

Most places I've worked you need to be ready to start work at 9. Not just coming in the door at 9, taking your coat off, booting up your PC etc and being ready to work at 9:15!

I'd love to have worked in one of these offices where it's no big deal if you're 10-15 minutes late in everyday. That's an extra lunch hour. I always aimed to get into my workplace 10 minutes before my day starts to get settled in. Then I started work on the dot. Maybe things have changed.

I also minded my own business though. They hired her, they can keep an eye out for any issues. You don't need the hassle. At least she acknowledges she's being late, maybe she'll improve.

X-posted with Gromance02.

No need to inform anyone else yet; just tell her the boss was in the office first thing, that he wanted to know where she was and that the management take a dim view of lateness

That way it's on her - it is anyway, actually - and she can't whine about anything that comes of it

No, don't be a clock watcher or a grass, especially if her work is OK. Presumably she's a temp and will write her hours in the time sheet accurately.

If 10 minutes is a big deal in your environment and this is a nice girl I would just tell her to her face that she really needs to be 100% sure to be in on time as lateness isn't tolerated in this office.

If I were the manager I would think you were stirring up trouble by coming to me rather than politely letting the woman in question know.