Hi, Yes, discipline, conduct, and punctuality should never be relegated to the back seat at any organization! Being punctual to the office helps the individual to complete tasks on time.
You haven't mentioned the industry you belong to in your post. Whether being late to the office is right or wrong depends on the industry. Though punctuality and discipline have been preached in organizations for a long time, there is a change in the trend now. Industries like IT/ITES/BPO, which support international clients, follow flexible or liberal shift timings. In cases where the nature of the work is not team-based, employees are allowed to work on flexible timings as long as they complete the assigned tasks for the day. Moreover, many employees in such industries who work beyond office hours due to project requirements are allowed to report late to the office the following day beyond the standard shift hours. Therefore, the HR role in such industries will be different, and HR cannot enforce mundane HR policies there.
Please consult with your Technical Department HODs and inquire about the performance of individuals who are late to the office. Determine if their productivity is impacted by their late reporting. However, in cases where the work involves teamwork, habitual lateness cannot be tolerated as it may set a wrong precedent for other punctual employees. In such scenarios, counsel these employees and help them understand the importance of punctuality. Always consider a warning as a last resort and use it only in extreme situations.