How to Let an Employee Know About Tardiness
Employees who come to work late probably already know that they are tardy. They may or may not always come up with excuses to explain their tardiness. They may be habitually late or their lateness may be a recent occurrence. If your company does not already have a written policy about handling tardiness, you should develop one immediately so that employees and supervisors are clear on what tardiness is and what the consequences for it will be.
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Instructions
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Talk in private. When letting an employee know that his tardiness has become or is becoming a problem, call him aside and speak to him privately. A private setting ensures that you can get to the bottom of his tardiness without him getting defensive or combative. It can also communicate to the employee that you are concerned about the tardiness and are willing to work with him to come up with a viable solution to the tardiness issue.
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Speak calmly. Approach an employee who has been tardy with calm detachment. Let him know what you have observed about his tardiness, but keep your tone as neutral as possible. Your calmness will help your employee feel less threatened about the subject and will also ensure that you are focused on coming up with a solution as opposed to dwelling endlessly on the problem.
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Seek solutions. An employee can resort to tardiness when he is overwhelmed by his family or work obligations. Ask the employee if any changes in his personal life are affecting his work performance or if he is having any difficulties on the job. Ask him what changes such as a change in schedule or perhaps transportation arrangements might help him avoid tardiness in the future.
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Discuss the consequences of tardiness. During your talk with the employee, calmly inform him of your company's policy regarding tardiness. A written policy will let the employee know what line he cannot cross when it comes to tardiness. It might be helpful for the two of you to go over the policy together so you can verify that the employee is aware of the policy and is ready to face the consequences if he does not comply with it.
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