Late coming - management feels we should introduce a system of penalties

Dear friends,

We are an organization with a staff of around 150 employees. Despite having installed a time machine in our office, employees continue to arrive late. The office hours are from 9 to 6, but most employees arrive between 9:30 and 9:45. Despite frequent warnings, there has been no noticeable improvement in punctuality. Management believes we should implement a system of penalties or pay cuts for tardiness.

The organization does not have any significant industrial relations issues. Most employees only leave the office around 7:00 to 7:30, choosing to stay late to complete their work without being asked. However, management insists that this should not be used as an excuse for arriving late. I can see the management's perspective, but employees argue that if they are working late hours due to the urgency of their tasks, the management's decision seems harsh. How can I find a balance between the perspectives of both employees and the employer?

Regards,
Tittli

Dear,

I am facing the same problem in my company. All staff members are in the habit of coming in at their own chosen times.

If you find any solution to this issue, please email me at aarti.lohar@prestinemetal.com.

Thanks & Regards,
Aarti

Dear Tittli and Aarti,

If the employees put in extra hours, there is nothing great about it. Tell them that performance is a comprehensive word encompassing self-discipline as well. They must perform while abiding by the rules of the organization. "Coming late" is no substitute for "working late hours".

Right from the beginning, your company should have instilled a culture of discipline. Bringing this culture now poses a challenge to you. However, discipline forms the foundation of everything. Gain the employees' confidence and emphasize the importance of discipline. Initially, connect tardiness with performance appraisals. Keep a record of late arrivals and deduct some points for tardiness.

Okay...

Dinesh V Divekar

Dear Friends,

Please refer to the daily in and out time, and the maintenance of the database. I have selected employees who are consistently late coming to the company, so it is crucial to maintain a register at the main gate for security purposes. The following details need to be maintained in the database:

Sr. No / Name / Date / Dept / Shift / Actual In Time / In Time / Late Time / Loss of Time / Remark

After that, inform all department heads and then deduct from the employees' salaries because I am referring to all the work.

Thank you.

Hi Titli and Aarti,

I agree with Dinesh, sir. It should have been inculcated from the beginning. Once the employees get habitual of coming late, it is very difficult to get them out of it.

If the management decides to deduct their salaries, employees might feel that the management is being harsh.

Since you have not mentioned what type of organization yours is, I am giving you an idea that might help.

1. If your organization does not have a shift system or is not dealing with foreign clients (in which case the timings might clash), you can discuss with your management to introduce a Flexi working hours policy. For instance, allow employees to come anytime between 9:30 - 10:30 am, work for 8 hours 15 minutes (or whatever hours your company follows), and leave accordingly. Depending on when they reach the office, they can leave between 5:45 pm to 6:45 pm (according to 8 hours 15 minutes).

2. Do not forget to mention that they might need to work late hours or stay back in case a project has come up or in case of crucial project deadlines.

3. This way, they would need to work for a specific number of hours in a day, and in case of any leaves (short leaves like half-day, etc.), they need to ensure they complete the expected number of working hours in a week/month.

Once the employees get used to this, you can further adjust the flexi hours to 9 - 9:30 am or similar.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if it was useful!

Hi Tittli & Aarti,

I fully agree with Jyoti. If flexi-time can resolve the issue, just do it. However, if you and your management think that it may not work, may I suggest something else. It's a Kaizen concept. No penalty or fine for late coming. You guys will have to put up a big board at the entrance. At the top of the board, write this line "Today I have come late" or 'Aaj main late aaya hoon' in Hindi. Ask the people to write their names if they come late. No excuses, they must write their names. That's all. See the result after some time.

Let me tell you, it really works. I know at least one organization in Gurgaon where it worked. The list of latecomers got reduced drastically, and now there are no late arrivals. Talk to your management. Who knows, it may also work in your organization.

Regards,
Ashok

Hi,

Timings should be fixed based on the nature of work your employees do. I am sure not all the 150 employees have to be by 9 AM to 6 PM. Make a rule that it's compulsory to log 9 hours of work in a day. If someone comes at 8 AM, it's okay to leave by 5 PM as long as the work is not hampered.

Cheers,
Rajiv

Employees can be given a privilege of 2 hours per month to arrive late. This means they can be late for 15 minutes 8 times, 30 minutes 4 times, 1 hour 2 times, or 2 hours 1 time in a month.

If an employee is late by 1 minute, it should be considered as 15 minutes. If an employee is 16 minutes late, it should be considered as 30 minutes, and if 31 minutes late, it should be considered as 45 minutes, and so on.

When an employee exceeds the allowed 2 hours of late arrival, they may face penalties. However, this penalty amount can be waived if the employee has zero late arrivals in the following month.

On the first day of each month, the names of employees with zero late arrivals from the previous month will be displayed on the notice board, accompanied by appreciation from management. Likewise, the names of the top ten latecomers from the previous month will also be displayed.

This practice aims to create a balance between management and employees.

RAJESH MANJULA

The company has to establish a rule for the timing of office hours. A 15-minute grace period may be given to all employees. Those arriving after 9:15 AM may not be allowed inside the main gate. If this system is followed strictly, all employees will adhere to it.

Hi Tittli,

I agree with your concern. To avoid and address the same, I suggest organizing an open house with all your employees along with your senior management team. The agenda could be the issue of latecoming.

As you mentioned in your post, people are very responsible and do not need to be reminded about their work. They stay back to complete the work and leave. You also mentioned that people arrive between 9:30 and 9:45. Find out from them if the office working hours can be changed to 10 am to 7 pm so they can arrive on time, attend to work, and live comfortably.

You mentioned that employees need to work 9 hours. Instead of potentially hurting their feelings, consider changing the system to suit their convenience. They may be commuting from different and faraway places. Let the team debate. If the majority of employees prefer the proposed timing change, implement it. If most prefer the existing timings, discuss how to address latecoming and what actions should be taken. Reach a consensus and implement it. Otherwise, people may lose confidence, leading to a casual work environment.

Thanks and regards - Kameswarao

Hi,

We had the same problem in our office, and we have implemented a process wherein, after 3 late comings in a month, the person's half-day leave will get deducted, and each subsequent late coming will result in half-day deduction. The next month, it's a fresh start.

There was the same reaction from our employees stating that they put in extra hours in the evening. However, we got back to them stating that we need to have discipline in the office in terms of the reporting time as this is a part of the Company Policy.

Regarding their putting in extra hours in the evening, it does not necessarily mean that all the hours go into work. For the employees who actually use these hours for real work, I am sure there is an R&R system in the organization that rewards them accordingly. It adds to their annual appraisal rating, growth rate, etc.

You can make a policy that any employee works until 7:00 p.m.; the next day he/she can come to the office at 10:00 a.m. We are also facing the same problem. If we insist on them coming at the right time, in the evening they may try to leave at 6:00 p.m. At the same time, please review their key responsibilities. Nine hours should be more than sufficient to finish the work. If the work is not completed by this time, the employee is either inefficient or there is a manpower issue. Proper work distribution is also crucial in each department.

Ganesh

Considering managers staying late on their own accord, they should not be punished immediately. However, to maintain better control, they could be penalized nominally after more than 3 instances of lateness in a month. When a manager arrives late to the office, a message should be given at the main gate informing them of their tardiness. These measures are expected to result in noticeable improvements and positive outcomes within a month.

Hi, you should introduce a flexi-timing hours system. It increases motivation in employees, and they can have a balance between personal and professional life.

Thank you.

All the suggestions are good. Below, a few points may also help you: We follow the same in our organization.

1. Our office timings are 9:30 to 5:30. We have given a leeway of 15 minutes, i.e., the employee can arrive until 9:45. However, this allowance is only permitted three times. After the third instance of lateness, one EL (Earned Leave) is deducted from the employee's leave balance. We also adhere to the rule that late arrival is not offset by working additional hours.

Try this, as it might be helpful. Flexible timings may also be beneficial. However, in my opinion, it is more common in BPOs, where there are shift timings, and it heavily depends on the nature of work. Yet, flexible timings can disrupt the company's discipline.

I hope my input is useful for you.

Supriya

Hi All,

In addition to flexible working hours (shift system) and zero late appreciations at month-end, another way is to amend the Attendance/Discipline Policy. When I was at H3G, they had a system: 3 days late and you lose 1 day's salary. It works...

Regards,
Asad

Dear All,

We have also faced the same problem in our organization. We have put in a lot of effort to educate our employees, but some employees don't seem to care about any notices or gentle reminders. Consequently, we have decided to take stricter measures.

We provide a 10-minute grace period (only for 6 days a month, and not more than three consecutive days). After this grace period, we implement a deduction system based on the following formula:

If an employee earns 6000 rupees per month and is supposed to work for 25 days, totaling 12000 minutes, their per-minute value is Rs. 0.50. The late coming deduction formula is as follows:
1 to 10 minutes late x 2 (10 * 2 * 0.50 = Rs. 10 deduction for that day)
11 to 20 minutes late x 2.5 (20 * 2.5 * 0.50 = Rs. 25 deduction for that day)
21 to 30 minutes late x 10 (30 * 10 * 0.50 = Rs. 150 deduction for that day)

If an employee arrives more than 30 minutes late, they are considered half-day absent.

As a result of these measures, we have seen significant improvements, and the percentage of late arrivals is now less than 1%.

Thank you.

Giving leverage of 15 minutes and deducting a day's/half day's salary surely works, but I feel the kind of problem Titli is facing, it wouldn't work in her case.

Flexi timings do not work in a company where shifts are followed. It cannot work there because they already have another shift to come and work in the next shift.

Moreover, it does not spoil discipline at all. We follow this in our organization, and it is working pretty well.

Shift system and flexi hours system are two totally different concepts. This way, employees get the liberty to come at the time they are more comfortable in and do not necessarily report at a fixed timing.

Moreover, do not forget that "paisa ki chot sabse badi chot hoti hai insaan ke liye," so you can try deducting salaries after, say, 3 late comings in a month or so.

But, Titli, if you are already being so thoughtful that "employees will feel that the management is being so harsh," then a flexi system is the best way to satisfy both the employees and the management.

Do let us know what you finally did, and if it worked! It might help others!

Please review the attachment provided in this thread. Combine all the ideas you have, including the one attached, and try to incorporate them together.

Hi there,

I believe that late sitting in the office should not be considered as an excuse. You should introduce a system where you can penalize the latecomers. However, before doing that, I suggest you discuss the same with the section managers and other employees.

This is a common problem in almost all companies. One should have self-discipline and punctuality. Make some temporary changes in company policy. For example, three latecomings of 15 minutes will be treated as one CL or EL. Keep on sending group emails to the employees regarding timings and include some related stories to make them feel guilty.

Hi,

I understand the criticality of the situation. You, as an HR professional, are very much correct not to be so rigid with people who are assets to the organization. Especially when they are productive, the situation needs to be dealt with due diligence and empathy. Please make a close study of the common causes for the delay, which could be personal such as family reasons, caring for old parents, ailing siblings, etc. These factors need to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. If the root cause is identified as lethargy or callousness about the rules, then you need to develop a strategy that will make the violators realize the importance of adhering to the rules. You can provide them with feedback regarding their habitual lateness without valid reasons, and the situation may worsen if they continue to arrive late with lame excuses.

Regarding finishing tasks by working late, it should never be encouraged as a general rule. While we all work hard, late hours should only be inevitable in cases of real contingencies that require tasks to be completed within a specific timeframe. Therefore, it is important to help employees understand the impact of arriving late while also maintaining empathy for deserving cases. Dealing with humans does not always require many protocols unless we lack established systems.

I would appreciate it if someone could shed further light on this issue.

Regards,
Srinivaskvmk

Dear Tittli,

As rightly quoted by our friends, there is no one solution to this concern (we would not consider it a problem). The best way is to empower the staff to understand the benefits of coming and leaving on time. We would request you to take feedback from the people who sit late and understand why they do the same. Our analysis says that people sit late because Management thinks whoever sits late is working hard. Another reason could be that these people have little social life so they prefer working late. In the end, this would be a very slow process, and the top management has to take the initiative to change the work culture.

Regards, Rajiv Tasmac Consulting

Dear friends,

We are an organization with a strength of around 150 employees. We have installed a time machine in our office, yet the employees keep on coming late. The office time is from 9 to 6, but most employees turn up by 9:30 - 9:45. Frequent warnings have not brought about any impact on the employees. The management feels we should introduce a system of penalties, pay cuts, etc., for latecomings. The organization does not have any IR problems as such. Most of the employees leave the organization only around 7:00 - 7:30 and stay up late to complete their work without having to be told so. Yet the management feels this should not be considered an excuse for late coming. I understand the management's problem, but at the same time, the employees feel that when they are putting in late hours as per the urgency of work, then management's decision is harsh. How do I balance both employees' and employer views.

Regards, Tittli

Hi, Dear All,

In my company, I also have a problem with timing. Every person is following the rules as per discussion except 2 or 3. Their behavior is also not good as they don't work as per the department head's instructions. This matter has been escalated to management. Management will decide whether they should directly report to management or to that particular person. The rest of the employees feel that management is not taking any action against them and is supporting them, so why should they follow the rules? I have also discussed this matter with management, but one of the management personnel has a good attachment with those people and is indirectly backing them up.

So, what should I do? Please guide me.

Hi Dear All,

In my company, I also have a problem with timing. Every person is following the rules as per discussion except 2 or 3. Their behavior is also not good as they don't work as per the department head's instructions. This matter has been escalated to management. Management will decide whether they should directly report to management or to that particular person. The rest of the employees feel that management is not taking any action against them and supporting them. Therefore, they question why they should follow the rules. I have also discussed this matter with management, but one of the management personnel has a good attachment with those employees and indirectly backs them up.

So, what should I do? Please guide me.

Regards,
Dhruvin

Penalty of deduction of Leave (PL) or other leave on each 4th occasion of late coming. Instead of penalty of deduction of salary, it will caution the employee when coming into the office.

Hi,

When I joined my company, I faced the same problem - no one came in on time, but they worked for long hours. It was an issue. I implemented a rule that everyone had to arrive at 9:00 am. If the clock passed 9:00, I would take away the register, mark them absent, and switch off all the lights promptly at 6:00 pm, instructing them to leave the company.

I maintained this system for only two months, and now everything has fallen into the right track. Note: a person can complete their daily work in 5 hours if they work diligently, without the need to work a full eight hours.

Regards,

Anand M.
Sr. HR Executive
Fleurdelis Technologies Pvt Ltd

Hi,

This is a common problem for most organizations. Reverting the office timings to 10 am to 7 pm may help dissolve the issue, or 9:30 am to 6:30 pm could also be suitable. By controlling their tardiness, you can address late arrivals. When staff members are honest and dedicated to their work without watching the clock, it can be challenging to enforce strict time constraints.

Hope this suggestion helps you.

Regards,
Pravins

As the employees seem to be responsible in your case, I would suggest you bring in a system of flexible entry timing. You may allow the employees to log in until 10:00 but enforce that the employees cannot leave before they complete 8 hours. Thus, if they come at 9:30, they can only leave after 6:30. Employees can be marked as half-day if they come after 10:00. Therefore, the management can be sure that the employees are completing 8 hours of office time, and the employees will also be happy that the management is considerate towards them.

Regards,
Vinu Nair

You cannot break company's rules for such people. They have to attend duty on time always. If the same continues, issue a warning memo and give them some time to maintain a good attendance record, or else replace them.

Hi Titli,

It's a very common problem. So, I would suggest you give the first warning to the employees through verbal and written communication. Inform them that if there is any genuine issue for coming late, they should provide an application with a proper reason. In such cases, there will not be any penalty. Otherwise, employees will be bound to pay the penalties.

Thanks & Regards,

Neha Singh

Hi,

If your company is keen to bring discipline by following proper legal procedures, please refer to the Employment Standing Orders Act of 1961, which is applicable to every industry. This act explains in detail the procedures for handling cases of late reporting. For instance, if an employee is 15 minutes late more than three times in a month, one casual leave can be deducted.

Regards,
Mandhurajmadhu

Hi,

Please don't use any strict or harsh rules with the employees. It will decrease the engagement and commitment of the employees, leading to lost faith in management and the organization. I am working at EDA Company, where we have a flexible timing system that really works. As a result, the attrition rate in my company is very low, and productivity is exceptionally high.

Thank you.

If you are able to deduct or consume the penalty/fine from the employee, you should have to pay the late hours amount. At the same time, you should ask them for maximum output in work. Rule is a rule for all, boss.

Hi,

For late coming prevention, we follow the policy that if an employee arrives late more than 15 minutes on four occasions, we should deduct one casual leave from the employee and withhold their night shift allowance. In cases where the individual is habitual in being late, we provide an advice letter specifying the number of late occurrences.

Rajesh

Flexible time may not always work because the work of some may be dependent on other departments, etc., so it will be hampered. The best way is to implement a system of 3 late marks and deduct it as loss of pay. I am in favor of loss of pay because taking half-day or full-day leave will not work effectively. Ultimately, a disciplined working culture is the main motto. No one here is a school teacher who will send the latecomer back home.

Hi all,

Late coming is a common problem in many organizations. I would like to suggest the following points:

1. Have a signature register for employees to sign when they report to the office.
2. Send the register to the HR head at 9 AM sharp.
3. Any employee arriving after 9 AM should sign the register in the presence of the HR manager.
4. Employees arriving late should sign in red ink.
5. Verbal statements should be requested from frequent latecomers each time they are late.
6. Signatures in red ink have a different impact, making it noticeable who arrives late.
7. After a month, identify frequent latecomers and consider reducing their petrol allowance for the days they arrive late following the first month.

I hope these suggestions are helpful.

Regards,
a_dash

Dear All,

We have not asked one thing: whether the senior executives (Management) of Tittli's organization are coming on time. If they are coming late, then it's not possible to make other people come on time. If they come on time, I am sure everybody in the organization will come on time.

Regards,
Ashok

Hi Tittli,

A time machine is normally meant for hourly wage workers, where wages are calculated based on the actual number of hours worked by a worker during a week or month, down to the minute. Undoubtedly, a time machine can help track actual late attendance by individual employees. However, the time machine serves no purpose if there are no provisions for disciplinary or penal actions against latecomers, which should be clearly outlined in the employee handbook and widely circulated. Without specific rules in place regarding salary deductions for late arrivals, deductions cannot be made from employees' salaries. Rules need to be established for salaried employees, clearly stating the rate at which salary deductions will occur for each instance of late attendance and the maximum allowable lateness.

I suggest avoiding excessive flexibility with punctuality as it can lead to uncontrollable problems within the organization. Discipline is crucial, and while exceptions can be tolerated, habitual tardiness should not be accepted as a norm. Adequate provisions regarding tardiness should be incorporated into the organization's employee policies and communicated effectively to all employees through regular circulars addressing late arrival habits.

Furthermore, relying solely on penal provisions may not always yield the desired results. Instead of strict penalties, recognition of punctual employees can be more effective. By appreciating and publicly acknowledging the most punctual employees each month and implementing a system to recognize and reward them annually, a positive reinforcement approach can be established. This approach can help discourage late attendance habits and boost employee morale.

I hope these suggestions will help deter late arrivals among employees in your organization.

Regards,
PS Dhingra
Vigilance & Transformation Management Consultant
Dhingra Group of Management & Educational Consultants
New Delhi

The topic late coming is a serious issue in the industry either in the service industry or manufacturing industry. Most of it identify when it maters to production or service where multiple people is involved for particular industry or job.

Now what as company want to do to stop this practice of late coming?
My view may differ from others but my experiences in different field may help you all to regularize the attendance in time.

Quite often we only talk about some measure which actually a punishment direct or indirect way. Remember if there is a punishment for any conduct there should be way out to get rid of it. So it will not help at all
What we have to do first the WE should have a paradigm shift strictly not follow any procedures which reflects as punishment to the mind of employee rather we should take measure to impart regular small training which again feel the employee that the importance of him and above all his one minuets for the growth of the company and simentenusly the reward which will change his current status.
It can not be done overnight it’s a process which definitely reduce and at the end COMPANY may claim that last quarter there were no people came late in the duty

At last do not think or implement any thing or any way which reflects as punishment for particular activity rather implement process of impart training not once in regular way to make them feel the importance of there one minuet for the industry and outcome of it which may change there status as reward when the company will achieve its goal

Best regards
K.C.MUKHERJEE

To motivate the employees to be punctual, a small incentive scheme can be introduced. In one of the companies, they had implemented such a scheme, i.e., the employees will be paid Rs. 500/- monthly if they come punctually or that amount will be deducted for not remaining punctual. You can try this out. Hopefully, it will work.

Hi,

Apart from defining the normal business hours (e.g., 9:00 am to 6:00 pm), you may also define the core business hours (e.g., 9:30 am to 5:30 pm). During the core business hours, all employees need to be available in the office. This way, there is a flexibility of half an hour for employees on entry time or if they want to leave early! At the same time, discipline is followed as per the organization's needs. This way, the organization can expect all employees to be in the office by 9:30, and employees would not feel that management's decision is harsh.

Regards,
Navya

Dear All,

Good morning!

The same problem exists with non-profit organizations. Here, most employees are not following HR and Admin rules.

With regards,
Shishu

Hi Tittli,

I understand your concern and others' views.

However, I am sharing my view on this particular issue which I faced in both versions of: (i) Making absences and other punishments for late coming as a part of punctual discipline and (ii) Leaving the options to the employee to work as per his convenience.

I feel adhering to the strict policy of discipline for late comings doesn't yield results in time, as employees may not be willing to work late hours even during times of urgency and may postpone the work for the next day. The work requirements of an employee are not limited and structured as in the olden days or in government office duties.

A fully liberalized policy, such as leaving it to employees to come in late, makes employees irresponsible.

To address all of the above, my suggestion is to frame a policy as follows: The first two hours of late working or every one hour after the first two hours of late working by an employee will entitle them to 1/2 hour of late coming the next day morning for each such occasion.

For example: If an employee works late until 9:00 PM, then they are entitled to come in late by 1 hour the next day morning.

The above execution is allowed only with the approval of their superior for each occasion of late coming and with an explanation for late sitting.

This approach makes all employees responsible for assigning work to subordinates as well as maintaining discipline.

I am very impressed by your views, but the thing which I notice is that each company has its own benefits about work, but no one has an idea about the difficulties of the workers.

Salmon Fishing Washington
Puget Sound Salmon Fishing
Salmon Fishing Seattle

I know many people have already spread their wisdom and many have provided solutions as well to fix it, but late coming (tardiness) is always a problem.

Tardiness is punishable under standing order; however, that may not be the solution. Behavior is driven by the consequences, and research has shown that positive consequences induce behavior change much faster than negative consequences (unless it is really harsh and spine-chilling - extreme fear).

Tardiness or lack of respect for rules is a cultural issue in society in general but very specifically in the organization you work in. Culture originates from the belief of the organization. Do we strongly believe in punctuality? Are we punctual in everything we do in the organization? (It is not about if management comes on time or not.) Introspect if we always deliver on promises and on time. I am confident that you will find things happening in the organization not the way they were supposed to be or promised. As a result, people treat this as culture and adapt their behavior accordingly. Reporting for duty late is one such manifestation.

In a culture of par excellence, people do not compromise on deliverables (including compliance), which brings down all these issues.

I saw a suggestion for flexi-hours as well. Flexi-hours cannot be accommodated in all jobs all the time. Flexi-hours are possible when people are matured and engaged with the organization, its purpose, vision, and are highly committed to achieving their objectives. Otherwise, flexi-hours/work from home become another excuse to remain away from the office at their will.

Given my experience of over two decades, I attribute these symptomatic actions to a lack of engagement with the company. You cannot solve this issue in isolation. Ask yourself, "What is my motivation to go to the office today?" "What excites me at work today?" or "How motivated am I to do my job?" While there will be fluctuations in the response, I am sure you will see the difference in response between people who come on time and contribute and others who do not want to come on time. Flexi-hours will work very well for the first set of people but not the second set.

You need to take a comprehensive view of creating/transforming the culture (value system) of the organization and correct the gaps from the organization's side. Then you will see the transformation in people. Take an inclusive approach rather than a directive approach, increase communication levels and transparency in the environment, and see the difference.

Your management has to be committed to this and display the behavior, and things will start changing.

Should you or anyone require more information/help in this, feel free to interact with me at tayals@live.com or send me a message on an individual basis through this network so that we can discuss your organization-specific issues while maintaining confidentiality.

Sushil Tayal

The issue is self-discipline. Some employees can come early and do nothing for 30 minutes... They take a long time to settle. Others may come late by 15 minutes and start working immediately. It is tricky.

James

Record latecomings daily and give a 10-minute grace period. Deduct half a day's leave for every three late arrivals in a month. Before implementing this, send a circular to all concerned.

Regards,
Vinodkumar.C.P

Dear Titli,

Most companies face the issue of employees arriving late, but at the company where I work, we are very flexible with timings.

I suggest you have a discussion with your management. The time they arrive or how they utilize it is not as crucial as the quality of work an employee produces. It is essential not to place excessive emphasis on punctuality as it could potentially impact the work environment.

Regards,
Shahid

Hi,

The issue of latecoming is very common nowadays. At our company, we have implemented new rules informing all employees that management will deduct RM10 from their year-end bonus or incentive for every 5 minutes of lateness in a day (one-year period).

As a positive measure, we have also introduced a new rule stating that employees with a good attendance record (no latecoming or acceptable lateness) will receive extra points, which can improve their bonus or incentive.

We have conducted briefings for all employees regarding these new rules. Although we received some unhappy feedback from a few employees, after the implementation, we noticed a decrease in the percentage of latecomings.

Best regards,
Vijay

Dear Tittli,

Late coming is a serious problem faced by almost all organizations. Slapping fines is not a permanent solution. Habitual latecomers will embrace it with glee rather than coming at the right time. The Kaizen solution is a better one which can be tested. Then training and counseling can also be done. Make them understand how much the organization suffers because they come late, in reputation as well as financially because today time is money.

Baiju

Dear Tittli and Aarti,

Discipline is an important aspect of any organization. First, you have to give a 30-minute grace period to all employees within the span of one month. If anyone exceeds the grace period limit, you can deduct half a day's salary.

Before implementing this system, you must frame a policy outlining all the guidelines and distribute it to all employees.

Dear Tittli and Arti,

I'm working in a textile manufacturing concern. We are also into retail. Even I was also suffering from the same problem. I applied the Kaizen concept for the factory and introduced a half-day salary deduction for being three days late for the corporate and head office. Believe me, it really works. So, I advise you to do the same.

Regards,
Suman Lata

Dear Titli,

The best approach is to request that they stay for the period they are late. For example, if they are late by 30 minutes, they should stay an additional 30 minutes on the same day. It has become a common practice these days to recognize employees who invest extra time during year-end appraisals. Some employees may resist, while others will agree with the system, resulting in a ratio of around 60 (agree) to 40 (disagree). This divide will likely diminish with time.

Introducing changes to employees gradually is much more effective than surprising them suddenly.

Amrender

I'm just impressed that you have a time machine in your office. Can you get me the lottery numbers for next week? Also, can you go back and kill Hitler at birth? You'd be doing the world a favor there :-)

Dear Tittli and Aarti,

In our organization, we had given a 3-time grace period. After the 4th occasion, we have marked half day as LWP and will deduct half-day salary. After every two late half-days, LWP will be marked. For example, if an employee is late for 8 occasions, we will mark 1 and a half day as LWP.

Finally, management has made the decision to deduct salary, and we have circulated the following circular:

Time and again, we keep it on record and wish to bring to the notice of all employees that despite several notices and appeals to report at the scheduled time, it has been observed by the management that employees are still reporting late. Few employees who have been counseled in the past are still habitually reporting late. To implement discipline, management has no option but to initiate punitive action against latecomers.

Please be informed that half-day salary will be deducted if an employee reports late on four occasions. For further late attendance on two occasions, further half-day salary shall be deducted, and so on.

With warm regards,

Akram Inamdar
Sr. Manager-HR/IR

Hi,

The company where I am working is shutting down in a couple of months, and they are asking me to resign. What are the benefits I have to claim? I have 14 years of experience in the company.

Augi

Dear Tittli,

It's a fact that staying after office hours is not an excuse for being late. In my opinion, a system should be implemented where if an employee arrives late by 15 minutes or more (3 times), they should be marked as half-day absent, and this consequence should be repeated if the issue persists. Alternatively, instead of marking them absent, casual leaves could be adjusted.

Thanks,
Vivek Mishra
AM-HR