DEAR HARRIETTE: I have an employee who is late for work at least twice a week. The excuse is always that the train caused a problem. He lives in an outer borough of New York City, and I know that the trains can have delays. I see them mentioned on the news sometimes, but the delays he mentions seem more like poor planning on his part. I have told him that he should plan on arriving a half-hour early rather than risking being a half-hour late. He thinks that's preposterous and that I should just understand that the subways can be messed up. How can I get it into his head that it is his responsibility to come to work on time and that if his mode of transportation is unreliable, he has to figure out a workaround? -- Watching the Clock, New York City
DEAR WATCHING THE CLOCK: Depending on how your company works, you may want to dock this employee's pay each day he is late. Sometimes, having a tangible consequence of lateness via a reduction in wages can drive home the point better than words. If he is late eight times in a month and his paycheck reflects that, he may just wake up to the need to leave his house earlier.
If you value this man's skill once he gets to work, you may want to consider changing his start time. Tell him that you value him so much that you want to make it easier for him to be "on time," so you have changed that start time. Watch this closely, as it may not work. He may just leave home even later and have the same issue. Ultimately, you will have to decide whether he is worth keeping on staff if he continues to be unreliable.
However, there are some options. Dock his pay, make him stay late or change his starting time. Those are options. But, allowing your employee to think he can run roughshod over you is bad management. YOU make the rules and terms, he doesnt'.
I reprimanded a lot of people. Fired a few. Being the boss isn't always easy. But it's necessary.
A couple minutes late once in a while, I can deal.
Chronically late, you're fired.
Mouth off, fired.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
And what about those that come it early? Should they leave early all the time?
Businesses have scheduled hours. Work in them.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
And what about those that come it early? Should they leave early all the time?
Businesses have scheduled hours. Work in them.
It all depends on the job. If a factory job, hours are strict to keep the line going. If retail same thing, even restaurants. If a professional job, hours can be flexible.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.