Is your coworker comes in late and leaves early? Do not delay when a co-worker comes in late, or do not feel uncomfortable postponing your work simply because a co-worker is absent. Time is precious; therefore, don’t spoil your work because of a single person.
If you always start work on time and do not rely on your co-worker, he might understand that the world doesn’t revolve around him.
If it’s essential to him, he’ll try harder to get there on time and avoid being late. If he doesn’t, the rest of your group won’t have to suffer and do nothing but wait for one individual. You can make significant progress, although if he doesn’t.
Frequently late employees typically have a long list of justifications, the traffic on a particular day, the vehicle having an unanticipated morning emergency, the weather, the dog, the alarm, and the crazy wait at Starbucks.
Since you are used to it, you are not shocked when a co-worker is consistently late, but it risks your productivity, workplace peace, and perhaps even your interactions with your customers.
Coworker Comes In Late And Leaves Early :What To Do?
To deal with somebody like that, adopt the following strategy:
Respect the Privacy of Others
Although you must bring up the issue with a late co-worker, respect their privacy. Instead of addressing him and raising your issues in the main office, which could result in disgrace, take him aside to discuss his tardiness.
Start the discussion with sympathy and allow your co-worker the opportunity to hear their concerns and listen to your voice as well. There may be a sensitive or personal cause for their delay.
Show Evidence to Your Co-Worker
Inform the co-worker of the evidence you have and manage it respectfully. Always communicate with your co-worker inside your department whenever he is late. Show your co-worker the data, and then let him know you’ve observed persistent behavior.
Say you’re upset and briefly explain how the lateness affects you and your clients. Tell him that his actions are costing the company.
Is it An “Unethical Behavior” or illegal?
Yes, lateness violates the ethical code of conduct. Still, it is not illegal because being late for a meeting is not considered a good habit since it interacts with unpleasant traits about the person who does it.
Unethical is defined as something morally wrong, while illegal is defined as something that violates the law.
Most companies have a strict rule that if an employee is constantly late, he will be fired since it is against the company policies but not against the law.
Lateness will constantly be insulting since they demonstrate a lack of dedication and respect. Even if you are well regarded in your company, being late and keeping other people waiting is bad manners.
What Can You Do Before Reporting It to Your Boss?
Firstly, let the colleague know that arriving late is unacceptable. There are many ways a co-worker might make you feel unpleasant, but not every case necessitates complaining to the manager.
It’s critical to distinguish between issues you can resolve directly and those that call for HR involvement.
Overall, it would help if you didn’t say anything. Keep your reputation untainted and let the managers handle the situation.
Make sure your co-worker knows that although being late once is okay if you were engaged with something meaningful, being consistently late shows a poor work ethic and devalues one’s ability to perform at a job.
Furthermore, guidance and responsibility might motivate your co-worker to break their pattern of being late. The most excellent method to prevent similar instances may be to stick to his aims and demonstrate that you care about his growth.
Try to remain controlled, avoid taking it personally, and refrain from becoming angry while dealing with a late co-worker.
Express your concerns about their lateness, provide supporting documentation, and remind them of your firm’s lateness policy. Tell your co-worker you want to know why he is always late and see if there’s anything you can do to help.
Consequences of Remaining Silent
Avoiding your co-worker’s lateness is not a strategy. It may be just as unpleasant as overreacting, since problems and stress are direct results when timeliness is not maintained at work.
The consequences of not speaking up when a co-worker is consistently late are as follows.
- Since a supervisor is likewise concerned about his work, he will not believe you and your co-worker if you are a senior staff member and your co-worker often arrives late to the office and you continue to encourage him.
- You cannot complete your assignment effectively. The outcomes are wrong, and you also miss out on opportunities and will have to constantly deal with the consequences of your co-worker being unreliable at the job.
- If a co-worker often arrives late, the customer does not receive the level of service they expect. Either there is a considerable wait for a response, or the clients receive their order too late.
Reasons You Should Report It to Your Manager/Boss/HR
The following situations necessitate reporting to HR:
- Dealing with a lazy co-worker causes a lot of stress in the workplace. Various outcomes might result from the lateness of your co-worker since most of his work burden is on you.
- Since your co-worker is absent, your HR is directed towards you, and you must submit his and your work. It may result in a heavy burden on your brain, so you must inform your supervisor before any incident.
- At the workplace, you experience dissatisfaction because of your late co-worker. It’s time to involve HR if a co-worker is acting in a way that wastes your time and shows excessive laziness.
- The issue might not even end there. If a team member’s continuous lateness is not reported, corporate rules may become less important, leading to a decline in the team’s general productivity and work ethic.
- If a co-worker restricts you from performing your duties and he isn’t being truthful with you and your business, your HR department has to be informed that your co-worker’s actions result in suffering a financial loss.
Conclusion
Being late conveys several negative, unfavorable messages, including the possibility that you’re being impolite. Wasting others’ time shows a nonverbal message that you disrespect your group.
People who consistently arrive late are seen as untrustworthy, unorganized, and inconsiderate. If you are constantly late, it will be difficult for your employer or colleagues to trust you with important tasks or projects. Therefore, this behavior eliminates several commercial chances.
Avoid being late at all costs by taking several steps, like preparing ahead and positively approaching your task.