Spring 2018 Hardlines Strategies

OPERATIONS

On Time, Every Time How to Handle Tardiness in Your Business

The goal for any employer when dealing with tardy employees should be how to best fix their behavior and improve their productivity.

I t’s a common complaint in the retail industry. Punctuality in the workplace can be a constant hassle for any owner or manager, and with employees spanning such a wide range of backgrounds, generations and demographics, finding an effective way to handle tardiness can be an ever-moving target.

Promoting punctuality and placing standards on employees is a needed part of a business for many reasons. Instilling in employees the idea that you respect their time as well as your own helps promote accountability, while productivity and scheduling are dependent on employees being on time and taking care of their assigned tasks. To best work with chronically tardy employees and help them become better with their time, follow a few of these steps. Set an Example It may sound obvious, but being on time starts at the top. This could be expanded to many workplace habits that managers promote in employees, but it deserves to be applied here as well. If employees see the managers

and owners putting in the effort to be where they say they will be, when they say they will be there, it lets them know this is something you take seriously. Maybe they should too. Establish a Record Communication can solve a lot of workplace problems. If an employee’s tardiness is affecting the business and you need to address it, make a note of each occurrence and notify the employee in question that you have made these notes. This lets the employee know that a behavior is being recorded that could poorly affect their career and job, and allows them to correct the behavior if they’re able. If they’re not, it establishes a record for any further discussion that may be needed.

30 Spring 2018 • Hardlines Strategies