Dealing with Chronically Late Yet Valuable Sales Employees: How Would You Handle It?

Few employees always come late to the office, even after their salary is deducted or after receiving a warning letter. They are very experienced in the sales department and contribute positively to the organization. However, rules are rules. How can I handle them? Please suggest a solution.

Dear seniors,

I am a regular reader of this valuable site, and it gives me lots of information and always solves my problems. It helps me to write memos, letters, etc. But my problem is that I can't write anything by myself; I have to take a look at this site before I start writing anything. I have no confidence in myself, maybe due to my poor correspondence skills. I have nobody around with whom I can seek help. My boss never cooperates with me; when I ask something, he hardly replies, and it's very hard to understand. He replies only once; if I ask again, he gets irritated. So, you can imagine how helpful this site is for me.

Thank you very much.

Hi Neemkala,

Employees are, of course, an asset to our organization. These individuals are in the marketing department and contribute significantly to the firm's business. However, it is essential to adhere to the organization's policies, including mandatory salary deductions.

It is possible that they are arriving late due to working late as well. I suggest discussing this issue with your seniors or the head of the PA department to find a solution.

Thank you.

How important is it for sales guys to come into the office on time every day! As HR professionals, we need to look at things from the business point of view and flex our rules to suit what's best for the company and for the employees. Good sales guys mean generating revenue for the company, meeting targets, and having the company function smoothly. These guys are perhaps visiting the market late in the evening and even working out of home since where sales is concerned, there ain't no timing at all!

Can you thus put them on a 'flexi' time! Let them know what needs to be done from the office, and as long as that is being done seamlessly, need not worry about their timing. If push comes to shove and the company cannot be flexible with them, start the day with something interesting for a few weeks... something that entices them to be there on time, rather than punishing them (since it did not work anyways)!

Dear Neemkala,

Rohit exactly said what I am going to say. When the question of deduction against late coming occurs, they will raise the issue of late working/sitting.

Please obtain authorization from your plant head.

Sunil

Hi Neemkala!

We are advancing into a world where employees are considered value creators and not just "Human Resources". It's important to understand that the more we try to control, the more resistance there will be. In a situation where companies are looking at flexible times to accommodate employees' need for freedom, penalizing them for coming in late seems very juvenile!

It is clear that these individuals are proficient at their work and are contributing to the organization's revenue. It's time to set aside rigid rules to cater to employees' needs. Companies are now focusing more on their employees than ever before because they have realized the costs incurred from losing these performance-driven individuals. Freedom matters, especially in fields like Marketing. Penalizing high-performing employees for arriving late would undermine their morale, leading them to seek opportunities elsewhere in a more conducive working culture.

So, just relax! It's time for your company to shift its perspective on handling your "Key Assets". Treat them with respect, which includes respecting their work, capabilities, and individuality. You will see far-reaching results.

Good Luck!

Regards, Priyanka

Hello Neemkala,

Another thing that can be done is the HR giving a flower to any employee who is coming late. The latecomer is supposed to keep the flower for the entire day. This custom might cause some embarrassment to the employee and prompt them to arrive at the office on time. This idea has been tested and proven to work. Give it a try.

Hi Neemkala,

I accept whatever Rohit said because any problem can be solved only with a good conversation and mutual understanding.

Thanks,
Vikna Prakash.S

You always try to behave professionally. You tell them it is the office rule and it cannot be changed for anyone, instead of me also. You must be honest in your work and ignore those things. If you concentrate on your work, they will automatically know that HR is really strict about all these things. After that, they will come on time.

I do not agree with what you are suggesting as I myself am a part of sales and marketing. The kind of work that we all go through the entire day, be it hot scorching summers or bone-chilling winters or, for that matter, the drenching rains, we are expected to be out in the market to meet clients and generate revenue. I understand that it's important that people should come in time to the office, as people working in the office always take wrong cues to follow without understanding the job profile of a salesperson. In my organization, believe me, the culture is so good that we are never questioned (obviously until the time we perform). Further, in our office, nobody is allowed to sit beyond 7 pm unless special permission is being sought.

I agree that company policies are very important. But remember one thing that policies are made in order to bring professionalism, decency, and also to motivate employees to work out of their desire (if so). As you have mentioned, the employees who are coming late are performing well and the company is making profits. When someone is performing exceptionally well, they should be given certain exceptions, like an open secret. Criticizing them too often that they are coming late may irritate them and lead them to leave the company, especially when they are already good performers.

It is important to maintain boundaries, but even limits have their limits. Policies should be flexible and not rigid.

Hi,

Can you delay their salaries for the number of days they are coming late? For example, if they are coming late for 5 days, they will receive their salary 5 days after the regular payday. I hope this information is helpful.

Try to understand the fact that an HR person is only for support functions. It is the sales guys who are bringing income to the company, so act accordingly. It doesn't mean that they can come late. But instead of deduction and all, first of all, interact with them, ask them why it is happening because the sales guys are the most important people and not you.

Hello Neemkala,

Many have put forth their views on your problem, as well as the possible solutions.

As long as the results are being shown, late-coming shouldn't matter. However, this flexibility shouldn't be taken for granted, which may actually happen if you don't sit down with the full team, discuss, and try to understand the possible reasons. Be prepared for some pleasant surprises during the chat.

In a way, it could also be a learning process for you as an HR professional. After all, we all learn throughout our lives, don't we? Every story always has another side. Get to know their part of the story and then, if necessary, formalize the aspect of latecoming with other ground rules that could be different from those for the rest of the company. When the new rules are in place, inform them to follow. Usually, anyone who is part of the solution will hesitate to bypass it. After all, it's humans who make the rules, not the other way around. So the rules need to streamline the function rather than hinder.

Regards,

TS

Hi,

In my office, even the top management is not in favor of deducting pay for latecoming. They mention that it's very challenging to reach the office from a long distance, as many employees commute from far away and often get stuck in traffic jams.

Kindly provide your feedback on this matter.

Thank you.

Hi,

As long as sales teams are achieving their targets and the buyers don't come to the company's doorstep, I feel that even if they never come to the office, there shouldn't be any problem. Just look at it from this point of view. Whenever they come to the office, they will share the office space (the expensive commercial real estate), furniture, AC, stationery, and a couple of personal calls from the office telephone. If they do not come to the office at all and are still giving business to the company, it is always a cost-saving for the company. Isn't it...?

Dear Team,

I suggest asking them to be convinced, as they are not ready to come early. This means having one exercise every week and setting a percentage for those who arrive late. For them, they should give a seminar, presentation, or engage in any discussion they desire each week without fail. Once you initiate this, you will see results.

Regards,
Swapna

Hi, Dear,

You guys are absolutely right. If we do not take action against latecomers, others will follow them, and you will not have any answers for them. In our company, if you do not take action against a latecomer, the very next day, other employees intentionally come late.

Put yourself in others' shoes. Understand the positive side - that they are good at marketing - admire their abilities, and try to make them realize their importance for the organization. Constant counseling will yield good results.

Dear Neemkala,

Good Day,

My name is Prabha, and I work as an admin cum HR in an MNC company for the south region. I have encountered this issue multiple times in my office. Finally, I have decided to implement an attendance approval system for all on-roll and off-roll employees. Our office start time is 9:30 am. From 9:30 to 10:30, it is considered late arrival (LOP). After 10:30, it is marked as absent. This approach helps to emphasize the importance of punctuality and shows that the HR department is strict about attendance.

At the end of each month, I send an email to late arrivals, requesting them to provide a valid reason for their tardiness along with their manager's approval. In this email, they are required to specify the number of days they were late, reasons for being late, and their whereabouts. This process helps us to maintain clarity and evidence regarding late arrivals. Additionally, I communicate with all department heads to ensure genuine approvals are given. This demonstrates our commitment to enforcing attendance rules.

Please note that we are a team dedicated to supporting our company's employees who generate revenue for our organization. While we uphold attendance policies firmly, we also acknowledge the importance of flexibility when necessary.

Thank you.

Hi all,

I have read all your valuable comments and want to give my inputs to the query. First of all, there should not be a hue and cry over the issue as it is already mentioned that the latecomers are good sales personnel. I guess we should be more optimistic and explore the possibility of amending the rules to changing times. Personally, I wouldn't mind them coming late to the office as they are bringing in good sales (revenue and profits). As long as performance is not affected, it should not be a problem. But if this habit of coming late is affecting their performance, then we should give it serious thought.

I would suggest you just tell them casually that they need to be on time. It should not sound like a warning, as this might affect their performance. Moreover, they are fulfilling the criteria of why we hired them, as they are able to deliver positive results. On a more practical note, what more do we need? Ultimately, they are an asset to the company, and we cannot afford to lose such valuable people. I hope this might give you a better idea.

Thanks and Regards,

Manaf Siddiqui
Fresher from I.I.P.M (Hyderabad)

It's really essential to project flexible HR rules for motivational techniques to handle these regular problems. Yet, you need to engage in one-on-one interaction and try to understand the reasons behind it, rather than being harsh with them. Such behavior is common these days, and it's hard to deal with until you identify the root cause.

Good luck.

Regards,
Divya