In today’s competitive work environment, punctuality is the norm. People who go late to work are considered to be under-performers.
Firing for lateness is a common practice for many companies. However, the decision is entirely up to the employers and there is no strict legal ground. Sometimes employers who are running a small business may not even have the option to fire for lateness. Employers usually give a two day grace period as a minimum. Also, some states in America have strict laws regarding lateness. These laws show that employers would not be able to fire workers for lateness unless certain circumstances are met.
How Can I Stop Being Late to Work?
Not every employer would want to tolerate a worker coming late to work. Going late to work disrupts and reduces the production flow of a company; especially if the employee is the orchestrator of the production process. It is penitent as an employee to do the following in order to stop going late to work:
Always Take Responsibility for Being Late
There are certain and numerous reasons why a person goes late to work, it could be traffic, flat tires, and other reasons that sometimes can be averted with proper preparation. To stop being late one must never give an excuse for being late. Take note of the causes of your lateness and try to apologize for being late and make sure you avoid those things that made you late.
Plan your Schedule Ahead of Time
Don’t be a person who starts his preparation for work when he’s about to leave the house, sometimes you may find it difficult to locate the things you need for work. Always prepare whatever you need before the day breaks. Always try to manage your time firmly and judiciously.
Always Try to Set Alarms
If you are the type of person who sleeps very well and often wakes up late, it is important you set an alarm 30 minutes before your proper time for preparation. You can set an alarm that would direct your morning preparation, an alarm on when to prepare breakfast, alarm when to go and bath, and alarm on when to leave the house so as to meet up on time.
You can also set a stopwatch to study the time spent on the road to work so as to help you balance and prepare for the next day.
If you apply these strategies and many others that you may feel relevant in your end, it would help you go to work early, give you the time to relax before you start work for the day and reduce rush hour stress from home.
Is it All-right to get Fired for Being Late to Work?
Getting fired for being late to work sometimes varies from company to company. There are some companies who do appreciate your presence at a specific time because of the nature of their production or services. For instance, a chef in a restaurant or a distributor of a product cannot get praised or overlooked by the employer for coming late because of the impact of such an act on the economic productivity of the company. According to the Well-being index by Gallup and Sharecare; many companies lose more than 84 million Dollars yearly because of the obscurity of lateness and abstention from work.
While some other companies may not frown at the employee who comes to work late because it does not affect the company or the coworkers. But, it can be condoned if such individuals are able to achieve the goal of the company in due time. Such areas can be a tech company whose workers are given the liberty to work at any time as long as they meet up to the demands of the company on a daily basis.
Conclusion
There are a number of ways to be fired. One is giving the employer a reason to do so. If you never do a good job, if you are dishonest, if you are a bad employee, then the employer has a reason. Another way is to wear out your welcome. If you are late a lot, always sick, don’t get along with your coworkers, then it will be time for you to go. You can also get fired for not doing your job. If you work in a factory and you don’t know how to make the widgets, and you keep messing them up, you might be fired for not doing your job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did you know that one in three employees are late for work every day?
It seems to be the norm these days. However, if this is a widespread problem within your company then it may be an indicator of a deeper problem within the organization.
Can I get fired for being late to work even if it’s not my fault?
There are numerous circumstances that can cause an employee to go late to work, it could be a hazardous incident such as an accident, your car may break down, or road construction may be going on especially in places like Michigan, Alabama, Texas.
Your employer has the right to sanction you or stop your job for coming late, most employers in America feel it is their right to fire anyone at any time not minding the gravity of their offenses.