Is It Fair to Cut Pay for Being One Minute Late? How to Talk to Management About Office Timings

Is it possible for a software company's employees to work without a grace period for office timings? The designated hours are from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm. Recently, they have eliminated the grace period, and even if an employee is just one minute late, they deduct half a day's worth of pay. How can I communicate to management that this policy is unfair?

Importance of a Grace Period in Office Timings

Irrespective of whether it is a software or a manufacturing company, it is a good practice to have a grace period, as timings and schedules are beyond human calculations. I am enclosing herewith the Siti cable network office timings, which will help you in informing the authorities in a positive manner. All is not binding; it is human atrocity that seeks to demonstrate power.

Best of luck.

Policy on Grace Time for Employees

Please do not allow any grace time to anybody because all are paid for 8 (eight) hours of work. The management should clearly and categorically inform that late coming, which is indiscipline, cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. If anybody reports for work beyond the shift commencement time, they will not be permitted to work. There should not be any deviation in the system, as it may cause some problems at the initial stages, but after some time, it will become a healthy practice in the establishment.

Regards,
N. Nataraajhan
Sakthi Management Services
(HP: [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]; email: [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons])

Maybe it's not possible for any company. In fact, big MNCs are facing this problem. They just deduct late hours' amount from employees' monthly pay. They are giving some grace time also. We are human beings, not machines. Your idea is good, but even companies should not expect any OT from any employee if there is any work demand. Thank you for replying.

Regards

Most offices practice 9-6, 9:30-6:30, or 10-7 working hours. Simultaneously, many companies offer a grace period of 15-30 minutes. On the other hand, some companies do not provide a grace period and deduct the amount for every minute an employee arrives late.

However, as an HR professional, one must acknowledge that arriving at the office on time every day may not always be feasible. There are various factors such as traffic and public transport issues that employees have to navigate to reach the office. Many situations are beyond the control of the employee, and it is advisable to take these factors into consideration.

In my office, we allow a grace period of 30 minutes, with the requirement of completing 9 hours of work. This means that if an employee arrives late by, for example, 10 minutes, they are expected to stay back 10 minutes after the regular out-time. This approach ensures that their pay for 9 hours of work is justified. Employees are permitted three late marks in a month, following which a half-day salary deduction is implemented for each late mark. (Employees are marked late if they arrive beyond the allowed grace time).

In many software companies, I have observed that they have a fixed in-time but no fixed out-time. Late stays are quite common in such industries as meeting project deadlines is crucial. In such cases, not allowing a grace period seems unjust considering the efforts employees put in by working beyond regular hours to complete their tasks.

While we cannot mandate a company to introduce a grace period as it is not included in standing orders or compulsory regulations that firms must adhere to, it is certainly a commendable practice to adopt.

Awaiting advice from seniors.

The Importance of Punctuality in the Workplace

Allowing grace time will not be a healthy practice because there will be no end to the grace time. If you allow 10 to 15 minutes, there will be requests for further extensions, and somewhere you have to put an end. Please try to educate the employees to be punctual for their shifts and office timings. If you strictly follow the rule, employees will realize the importance and cooperate.

Companies should be prepared not to allow latecomers even at the cost of production or work performance. Please believe that employees respect strong and disciplined employers who can set a good example to follow.

Regards,
N. Nataraajhan
Sakthi Management Services
HP: [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]
E-mail: [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]