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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to tell my manager about new girls lateness

124 replies

NervousPotato · 13/09/2018 10:18

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 ???

OP posts:

RiverTam · 13/09/2018 13:43

I would just let her know that whilst it may not make any difference to the quality of her work, it's frowned upon and she needs to stop.

Having said that, a new young woman started in DH's team and she was forever slightly late, he pondered saying something (he's her manager) but in the end didn't bother because she's good at her job, gets her work done and often stays late if necessary, so what would be the point? No-one's perfect.

3luckystars · 13/09/2018 13:51

If you hired her, then yes, say something to the girl.

If you didn't hire her, look the other way and keep quiet.

ImAIdoot · 13/09/2018 13:58

It's not something you need to be involved in. You'd be adding a complaint that depending on policy may require managerial action at a time when they have just got cover sorted, could cause more problems than you solve.

If there is a problem, let it occur and be dealt with after they have safely got the "potato goes on mat leave" bit out of the way rather than kicking up a stink and making the whole thing associated with you.

TheFlis12345 · 13/09/2018 14:09

I work in the kind of place where you can pretty much waltz in when you like, people disappear off for long lunches and nobody bats an eyelid of you leave a couple of hours early because you're going away for the weekend and want to skip the rush hour traffic. I'm a manger and judge my team by the work they do, not what time they arrive at their desk. BUT you earn that perk by working hard and doing bloody long hours when needed. Even in our relaxed office, a newbie would be expected to be on time or even early for the first couple of months to show they are keen and mean business. I would take a dim view of consistent lateness from the off before you have earned your stripes.

Have a word with the girl and let her know she will land herself in trouble if she doesn't sort it out.

9amtrain · 13/09/2018 14:16

Why do people suddenly refer to young people / young adults as millennials?

And "millennial excuses" ... fuck off.

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 13/09/2018 14:16

Agree to have a word with her first. She might not realise if it's her first job (though makes you wonder what other basics she is missing!).

But I'm surprised about a lot of the responses! Surely in the vast majority of jobs, being regularly late is frowned upon at best and can be a disciplinary or grounds for sacking if you're on probation. A lot of sarcastic replies along the lines of 'if timekeeping is soooo important to your company' or 'your company has a 'thing' about getting there on time' etc.

I am wondering what jobs most posters have where they can regularly turn up past their official start time without prior agreement with no consequences if the job gets done? Surely if everyone did that there would be an issue in most jobs?

And I say that as someone who struggles with mornings and timekeeping! I got my official hours put back though to cope with this and stayed late

I know of a lot of colleagues who have issues with other colleagues timekeeping. Rightly or wrongly even if it isn't anything to do with them they feel resentful if they stick to the rules and others don't and get away with it. One person taking the piss with no consequences can cause resentment in a team. It's not that unusual! I personally work in a team where no one gives much of a shit as long as the job is done but that's unusual in my company / industry

dw23 · 13/09/2018 14:24

As someone who doesn't get paid if they are late, this thread really makes me laugh, I would be considered a millennial at 29, but I wouldn't dare be late for a shift. Someone turning up 15 minutes later than everyone else and getting paid the same is eventually going to breed resentment but it's her own lesson to learn. As you're going on maternity leave, I would just leave it, it's not your problem and if it becomes an issue, it will all play out in the fullness of time. People need to take personal responsibility at some point and if their attitude is that lateness is okay, they should get judged on that accordingly. Enjoy your time off with your baby and put it to the back of your mind I would say.

EK36 · 13/09/2018 14:29

I would leave it. You're not the manager. I wouldn't expect a collegue to tell me off. A manager...of course.

Gottagetmoving · 13/09/2018 14:34

She isn't your responsibility. If she carries on being late it's up to her manager to notice and sort out. However, you should let her know that your manager will not put up with continual lateness so she should really leave home much earlier until she can work out how to he on time.

Kemer2018 · 13/09/2018 14:43

Why worry? She'll only be there short fixed term.
Just enjoy your mat leave.

OMGItsPierre · 13/09/2018 14:46

Say to her "A few people have grumbled about you being late every day, I don't want you getting into trouble with the boss so thought I'd mention it."

Don't just go straight to the manager, that's just being a grass.

sprinklesandsauce · 13/09/2018 14:59

If she is late every day then she should be making the time up in her lunch hour. She is paid for a certain number of hours of work.

Everywhere I have worked, this would have been a disciplinary matter if it keeps occurring.

I wouldn't tell the manager, but I would tell her that she needs to sort herself out and arrive on time because it will get her into trouble. It is for management to sort out.

holly30 · 13/09/2018 15:19

I wouldn't get involved either.

You aren't her manager so let them deal with it, if they are a good manager they will pick up on it eventually. At my work people are often later but it is fairly relaxed as many of us work at night in our own time usually without additional pay. One worker comes in at 9.40 but often stays up until 2pm off his own back so no one says anything. He does his work and meets his deadlines, as do the rest of us.

Unless is directly impacts you I would just stay out of it i think.

YetAnotherThing · 13/09/2018 15:25

you might need 15 mins slack if you go back to work post mat leave. it might not be in yohr interests to be such a stickler to others' time keeping.

CaMePlaitPas · 13/09/2018 15:33

@Padparadscha

CaMePlaitPas · 13/09/2018 15:34

"but I feel 4 times in a row is inexcusable ?"

Nope OP, you can't be judge and jury, not your problem. Go on mat leave and forget about it.

FlipnTwist · 13/09/2018 15:35

she may have an arrangement to come in ater and make the time up, or be paid for less time

I really can't see an upside to tellin management.They will just think you are a trouble maker.It may come back to bite you on the bum if she ever ends up senior to you.

CaMePlaitPas · 13/09/2018 15:35

Also, if she's under the age of 22 she's not a millenial. Just saying.

Rosered1235 · 13/09/2018 15:51

Personally I wouldn’t have a problem with it if she’s making up the time at the end of the day or through lunch and there’s no harm caused by the lateness ie missing meetings/deadlines. BUT you’ve said that your company is strict about start and finish times so I guess the new girl needs to know this. It may be that she’s previously worked for more relaxed employers. Don’t tell on her though. Just take her for a coffee at lunch as part of a handover - ask her how she’s settling in and then casually mention that the management are really strict about lateness. I wouldn’t do any more than that. You may find that once you return to work you need a bit more flexibility yourself - it’ll be harder work getting to work on time once you’re juggling childcare and you may find you’re the one who needs to ask about working through your lunch to make up time.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 13/09/2018 16:07

Don't go running to the manager. FGS.
Unless it's someone in danger or something. Being a grass will not exactly cover you in glory. Why are you so hell bent on getting this women into trouble.
Any lateness ect is up to the managers to pick up on, not little Hitlers

Gettingbackonmyfeet · 13/09/2018 16:11

As you've explained the context I would speak to her and warn her that lateness isn't ok in the company

However I agree with some other pp's I'm an manager and I would think less of you of if you contacted me and told on her especially using your choice of wording

CandidaAlbicans · 13/09/2018 17:10

Her excuses are a bit lame IMO. I've spent years having to be at unfamiliar places at set times and I was never late because I always allowed more time than I thought I needed. Using Google maps is a useful guide but if you've been late once or twice surely the common sense thing to do is to say to yourself, "Oh, I keep underestimating how long it takes to get to work, I'd better leave home earlier to allow more time to get there". She needs to shape up because her lax attitude to timekeeping could come back to bite her.

Being habitually late, yet still earning the same as people who stick to their contracted hours is unfair and builds resentment. If she had a shorter lunch or stayed late to compensate for getting in late then that's fine, but she doesn't.

I wouldn't tell the manager but I would give her the heads up that lateness is frowned upon in the organisation and tends to get noticed.

exWifebeginsat40 · 13/09/2018 19:02

lol at ‘snitching’. come on, now. this is paid work, not school, or prison.

hee. as if. tell her it isn’t acceptable. if you are responsible for her handover/training then you should tell her. i don’t see why you wouldn’t, really. you can choose whether you just plain say it, or whether you go to the breakout area, have a tiny, gentle chat then hug it all out. BUT either way, you should tell your manager. it’s important, right?

i mean, if your actual hired maternity cover doesn’t seem to be working out you should tell your manager, shouldn’t you? why WOULDN’T you? if she were leaving early every day, or cursing like a sailor in front of clients, or insisting on playing Heart FM aggressively loudly through tiny speakers would it be ok? surely you are not so passively handing over that you aren’t giving feedback to your manager at all?

snitching. ha. christ.

exWifebeginsat40 · 13/09/2018 19:15

i just...why would you not raise this? and ‘as a manager’, i would for sure prefer that you let me know rather than finding out after you go on your maternity leave that your replacement couldn’t arrive to work on time four days in a row during what i presume is a vital handover period?

how does ‘leave this for your manager to deal with’ work if said manager has no idea that there is anything to deal with? and a manager who would think less of a team member for raising an issue that affects their team is, i would say, not really coming at this from the right angle.

bizarre.

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