Chronic late to work

[Jennasis]

Anyone have one of these people at work? I have a PT gig and the administrative assistant is constantly late. Of the 3 days a week I work she calls at 9am for at least TWO of them in a "panic", stammering apologies about how she overslept/clock never went off/traffic is backed up (in our insanely rural town??), and will be in 20 minutes. It was kind of funny at first but I've been here for a year now and it's lost its funny.

Today was a winner. I came in to open the office and NOBODY else was here. There are always two of us to open up at 8:30. With the weather as nasty as it is in the east today I thought maybe they had issued a delayed opening or a closure and forgotten to call me. I had left work early yesterday because I was sick, and today I actually feel worse but i had a nagging feeling I needed to be here. So I dragged myself in. Thank goodness I did because all the other people who normally work with me are on vacation or had asked the day off...except the administrative assistant. Well she calls at 9am (we are supposed to be in at 8:30) with the faux panic "I'm so sorry I'm so sorry blah blah blah!". And when she comes in, at 9:15 she comes running up to me "OMG I thought you were going to be staying home sick today! Thank goodness you were here!"

I told her I almost did call in, until my spidey sense kicked in, and that I was still sick (upper resp). The other person working today came in at 9...and she just got over pnuemonia two weeks ago. So when the boss comes into the office and gives Ms. Alwayslate the long hairy eye, the AA grabs me and the other employee and tells the boss "We're sick...all THREE of us (fake cough), and we still came in!"

Ick. She's off my Christmas card list LOL. I guess it's really the boss's fault for not nipping it in the bud. I just hate people's laziness in action. She has NO children, no other job (this is my second job. I work full-time outside of this)...no health issues. No reason for the chronic lateness other than she is a space cadet, scatterbrained and disorganized.

So who else has one of these gems in their office?

 

[goofyintoronto]

Yup. I have one of those here. Every morning she texts me that she's running late (EVERY MORNING) and she asks if her boss is in yet. (She's a newbie), so the first time she was late she asked me to put a sticky note on her monitor that says "be back in 5 min" so that it looks as thou she's here but on break etc. I did a favour for her that one time. But when she asked the 2nd time, I told her i dont want to get caught up in that mess and get in trouble for it. And that she's on her own.

Her excuse is always the same, the buses were slow, the trains stopped running, there was an accident, construction. I told her to leave home early next time! What a moron.

 

[eliza61]

Yep, we let her go. Always late and always had an excuse.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

We had a teacher who was always late. Can you imagine? And when I say late, I mean not just arriving after the teachers were required to be there, but arrived after classes were supposed to have started. Multiple times she would show up after first period was over. Sometimes it was after second period was over. Absolutely ridiculous. Not surprising, her contract was not renewed for the next school year.




I absolutely hate tardiness. The simple fact of it is, you will make time for whatever is important to you. Now, I'm not talking about when something unexpected comes up such as an accident on the way to work. However, if you are the kind of person that friends, family, coworkers, etc. all know that they have to tell you to be somewhere an hour before you are actually needed, you are an inconsiderate person. You might as well just tell those people, "Sorry, but what I was doing was simply more important than my commitment to you." And with work, it's even more obnoxious because it truly affects so many more people at the office.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Yep, we let her go. Always late and always had an excuse.

Bravo! I have no patience for ppl who are always late. None at all. Its incredibly rude. Yet they dont see this.

 

[FireDancer]

I think it is just as much management's fault as it is the chronically late employee's. If they put up with it and the employee has no negative consequences what incentive is there for them to change?

 

[goofyintoronto]

I think it is just as much management's fault as it is the chronically late employees. If they put up with it and the employee has no negative consequences what incentive is there for them to change?

Totally agree. Although in a case like mine, its a little more difficult as we're unionized. So the staff can pretty much do whatever they please. Terrible.

 

[jennylyn_b]

Totally agree. Although in a case like mine, its a little more difficult as we're unionized. So the staff can pretty much do whatever they please. Terrible.

Even in a union situation there is a policy in effect for documenting and attempting to correct this situation which can lead to letting a person go. Yes it's more difficult and takes longer but it's possible.

 

[wiigirl]

I think it is just as much management's fault as it is the chronically late employee's. If they put up with it and the employee has no negative consequences what incentive is there for them to change?

Totally agree...

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

You shouldn't be at work sick spreading your germs if you are as sick as you say you are. If she is always late when she is well she will never come in (on time, or at all) if you get her sick too.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My boss and his wife. First week I worked here, I spent every day in he parking lot up to an hour waiting for someone with a key (the accounting gal was off that week - I have a key now).

When his daughter came to work here with the same habit, it fell on me to chew her out because it wouldn't have meant anything from either if them.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Anyone have one of these people at work? I have a PT gig and the administrative assistant is constantly late. Of the 3 days a week I work she calls at 9am for at least TWO of them in a "panic", stammering apologies about how she overslept/clock never went off/traffic is backed up (in our insanely rural town??), and will be in 20 minutes. It was kind of funny at first but I've been here for a year now and it's lost its funny.

Today was a winner. I came in to open the office and NOBODY else was here. There are always two of us to open up at 8:30. With the weather as nasty as it is in the east today I thought maybe they had issued a delayed opening or a closure and forgotten to call me. I had left work early yesterday because I was sick, and today I actually feel worse but i had a nagging feeling I needed to be here. So I dragged myself in. Thank goodness I did because all the other people who normally work with me are on vacation or had asked the day off...except the administrative assistant. Well she calls at 9am (we are supposed to be in at 8:30) with the faux panic "I'm so sorry I'm so sorry blah blah blah!". And when she comes in, at 9:15 she comes running up to me "OMG I thought you were going to be staying home sick today! Thank goodness you were here!"

I told her I almost did call in, until my spidey sense kicked in, and that I was still sick (upper resp). The other person working today came in at 9...and she just got over pnuemonia two weeks ago. So when the boss comes into the office and gives Ms. Alwayslate the long hairy eye, the AA grabs me and the other employee and tells the boss "We're sick...all THREE of us (fake cough), and we still came in!"

Ick. She's off my Christmas card list LOL. I guess it's really the boss's fault for not nipping it in the bud. I just hate people's laziness in action. She has NO children, no other job (this is my second job. I work full-time outside of this)...no health issues. No reason for the chronic lateness other than she is a space cadet, scatterbrained and disorganized.

So who else has one of these gems in their office?

I have 2 kids, a DH, a SIL, and a sister like that. They drive me to drink.

 

[luvsJack]

Yep, my co-worker (other secretary in same office of the college) is 20-30 minutes late every day.

I leave home, driver dd 30 minutes in the other direction to school, stop and get breakfast and sometimes stop back by my house for something and still get there on time. She can't seem to leave home and drive straight to work and arrive on time. She thinks its ok because she sometimes stays late--doing what, I have no idea as there is no one there.

I don't worry too much about it. Our boss knows she is late, I am guessing he doesn't really care. If I am sick, I text her along with our boss so that she will realize I am not there to answer the college President's call during that 20-30 minutes in hopes that she will.

 

[Pakey]

This is a real pet peeve of mine but it's one of my least favorite things to have to discipline for. I just remind myself about how I would feel if everyone on my staff did it. If I let one do it, I have to be okay if everyone did it. That motivates me to warn, write up, terminate. That's usually what happens too; chronic late arrivers rarely change.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Even in a union situation there is a policy in effect for documenting and attempting to correct this situation which can lead to letting a person go. Yes it's more difficult and takes longer but it's possible.

Yes but the thing is, here, none of the managers seem to care. I know A LOT of people who are chronically late and nothing ever happens to them. Theyre still here after so many years.

 

[shortbun]

I never minded people who were late as long as they got their work done. If they were behind or unproductive, we would talk and their lateness would be included. Come in late, work late or do your share and more...no problem that you are late.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

She thinks its ok because she sometimes stays late--doing what, I have no idea as there is no one there.

Gotta love people like that. My experience with those is they typically come in 45 minutes late, stretch lunch an extra 30 minutes, then snicker when you head out at 5:01.

Funny part is, on those nights I stay until 5:30, chronic late person is nowhere to be found

 

[Piper]

I taught Pre-K in a public school. The teacher across the hall was late 2 or 3 days a week. Her class just automatically came into my room if the light was turned off. I had opening (and sometimes my first main lesson) many days with 2 classes instead of one! Our rooms were actually too small for one class so it was very cozy. The funny thing was that a few of the parents actually went to the principal and asked that their child be changed to my room because their child "liked being in my room better!"

Since my classes always filled the first day of registration, that was impossible. She didn't come back the next year, either.

 

[Flight]

Bravo! I have no patience for ppl who are always late. None at all. Its incredibly rude. Yet they dont see this.

They never will and should not be working there.

Yep, we let her go. Always late and always had an excuse.

You did the right thing.

I think it is just as much management's fault as it is the chronically late employee's. If they put up with it and the employee has no negative consequences what incentive is there for them to change?

Amazing with all the people out of work, people willing to come in and put in an honest days of effort, that there are people still at the job behaving in this discraceful manner by not performing in the way the job requires of them.

 

[charming23]

We used to have one that was always a good 15-20 minutes late for every shift but he kept doing it because no one from management cared. He ended up quitting by text message a few weeks ago.

The other one is always at least 10 mins late, and she is a manager. Her excuse is always her kids but it sucks to have to wait in the parking lot for her.