Tardiness is a big problem in business. If people are constantly turning up late to work, you’re losing hours of valuable time over the course of a year. That amounts to a big drop in productivity, so you need to do something about it. If you are too relaxed about people being late, they will start pushing it and the problem will spiral out of control. Before you know it, everybody will be turning up half an hour late. So what can you do about it?

Make Expectations Clear From The Beginning

People need to know exactly what is expected of them. They need to know their responsibilities and they must be held accountable for those responsibilities. If somebody fails to perform as expected, you need to make sure that they are aware of the consequences. So, make sure that all employees understand that you do not tolerate lateness and you have a clear policy in place. 

Remember that setting clear expectations from the beginning will benefit everyone in your business, not just the people who turn up late.

Monitor Attendance With A Clocking In System

Having a clocking in system will ensure that employees turn up for work at the right time every day. This is good because it means you don’t have to rely on effort from your employees to alert you when they are going to be late. It also provides a clear record of attendance, so if somebody does decide to clock in late, you’ll know about it. Investing in the best HR software can help you track attendance and ensure that you don’t have a problem with tardiness. If there is any doubt as to whether somebody has turned up on time or not, simply check the clock in records for that date and time. You can then deal with specific employees that are constantly turning up late. 

Create A Happier Work Environment

Work can be a stressful environment. People come home from work feeling tired and run-down, so it’s no wonder that they don’t feel like heading out in the morning to go to work! However, people should enjoy going to work because it will make them more productive when they are there. So make sure your employees have what they need at work. Provide comfortable chairs and desks, good ventilation and adequate storage space for their belongings. A tidy workspace makes a big difference in terms of workplace productivity too.

When people have a positive work environment, they’re far more likely to turn up on time. 

Talk To Offending Employees One-On-One

If somebody is turning up late to work, the best thing you can do is talk to them. Sit them down and explain that you are concerned with their tardiness. Let the person know exactly what impact it has on your business and tell them how it affects everybody else too. If they have a legitimate reason for being late from time-to-time, this will give them the opportunity to explain themselves without feeling attacked or embarrassed. You need to see whether there’s something going on in an individual’s life that means they’re always running late, such as a new addition to the family or financial difficulties at home. If you can support employees and help them deal with their issues, you can prevent lateness. 

Tardiness can be very costly to your business but if you follow these steps, you can tackle it easily.