Employment Law

Is Natalie continually late to work?

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There is very little more infuriating to an employer than an employee who is continually late for work. Every now and then is fine, that’s life, but when it becomes regular, it starts to become very frustrating. At the end of the day, staff are paid to work certain hours, if they’re not doing that, they’re stealing time. Managers should be dealing with this promptly and authoritatively. You can bet your bottom dollar that if you’ve noticed it, other staff members have noticed it. Staff will be looking to you to take action. So what action can you take? Firstly, you need documented rules. Your staff handbook should be clear on the standard expected, what the employee should do if they are unavoidably going to be late, and what the consequences are if it keeps happening. This standard should be reiterated to the employee concerned so that there can be no room for misunderstanding. If it continues to happen, make sure you keep records and ultimately, if lateness continues to be a problem, it could be regarded as a misconduct offence resulting in disciplinary action.
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