How to deal with talents who have an unbeatable problem with coming on-time? How to make them come office on time?

Hi all,

I am working in an IT company. My company's strength is 30+. We have 7-8 individuals who are crucial to the team. These individuals consistently arrive late to work almost every single day. When questioned, they often attribute their lateness to being stuck in traffic, oversleeping, or attending to personal matters. This pattern has persisted for the last 3-4 months.

It is evident that these individuals are not compensating for their late arrival by working extended hours after the regular office timings. It appears that they are deliberately arriving late and providing various excuses.

Their habitual tardiness is not only disrespectful to their colleagues but also setting a negative example for new employees and freshers who are now also beginning to arrive late after observing the seniors' behavior.

Our office hours are from 10 am to 7 pm, and currently, we do not have any specific policy addressing late arrivals. Consequently, individuals seem to be taking advantage of this lack of regulation.

The key question is: How should we address employees who consistently struggle with punctuality? How can we ensure that they arrive at the office on time in a firm yet supportive manner?

I am seeking suggestions or policies that could be implemented in our office to address this issue effectively. Thank you for your input.

Hi Kirti,

Your approach is worthy of appreciation as you wish to handle it assertively. However, it depends on your tenure in the workplace and your relationship with them to initiate these discussions on a friendly note.

The best way could be to propose suitable HR policies since they are not currently in place. But before that, have you tried to bring it to the notice of your seniors? (or is it that they are one of them?) What they think about this does matter. I would suggest you first discuss with your boss/management before taking any action as they should support your actions.

You can present them with the facts and evidence and stress the need that it's disturbing the company culture as new employees tend to follow their seniors.

Once your seniors give you a green signal, issue a suitable circular not pinpointing or targeting anyone in particular but to bring some discipline to the office in a harmonious way.

With best regards,

Vaishalee Parkhi

[LinkedIn Profile: Vaishalee Parkhi](https://www.linkedin.com/pub/vaishalee-parkhi/62/9ab/6b0)

Kirti, late coming sets a precedence. From what you say, these 7-8 guys who assume themselves as important have to be pulled up. You have to be tactful at the same time. You must try to understand what they are trying to communicate by their behavior - like are they expecting more salary? Or do they want to show the newcomers that the company will sink if they are not around.

In an organization, any employee is an employee irrespective of seniority or newcomer status. Make a policy on late coming that allows for 1 hour of late coming per month on an accumulated basis. This is easy to calculate since most places have a swipe card system. In cases where there is a sign-in register, those arriving after 10 am must indicate their time of arrival. The security person or receptionist must enforce this. Prior permissions will also fall within this policy. Exceeding the permissible 1-hour limit will result in losing half a day's pay thereafter. This is one way you could get people back on track.

What is your designation or appointment? How are the seniors in the office, such as the HOD and HR Manager, reacting to this daily tardiness? The points made by other knowledgeable individuals regarding poor office discipline are accurate. Before you respond, I recommend having an internal discussion and establishing policies regarding tardiness. Implementing a biometric system could help track timings, and the option of pay cuts may need to be considered. It is essential for the top management to align with your approach on addressing tardiness.

Hi,

I am facing the same issue in my office as an HR Professional in my company. When I ask employees to arrive on time, they argue that they are compensating for the late arrival by extending their work hours until the end of the day, making their total working hours the same as everyone else's. Can you please provide guidance on how to handle such arguments? The latecomers typically arrive at 11 am and stay until 8 pm, whereas office hours are from 10 am to 7 pm.

Kindly suggest a solution if possible.

Thanks & Regards,
Ekta Maniyar

Before creating and imposing any policy for late arrival, calculate the time for late sitting of all working personnel. Calculate the expenses indirectly borne by the office for such late sitting, such as tea, electricity, security, peon manpower, and overall late generation of daily MIS.

Call all fellow peers to your cabin, especially if some seniors are in the cabin of your boss. Explain the impact and warn them not to disturb the office/organizational culture. If they are improving their habits, then it's okay. If not, deduct the daily expenses on a pro-rata basis from each salary and put up a notice on the board with the names and deducted amounts. This way, you can control the indiscipline.