The Importance of Being Punctual in the Workplace

Definitions: Attendance- being at work or school every day. Punctuality- being on time. Absenteeism - not going to work Tardiness - being late for school or work

Reliable, consistent attendance is a requirement and essential function of all staff positions. Employees are expected to be punctual and dependable in order to meet the needs of their department and the College. When employees are absent or tardy, work and service are interrupted and an additional burden is placed on colleagues. Attendance and reliability are important factors in evaluating individual performance and continued MODULE Self Improvement

ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY A. Failure to report promptly at the starting time of a shift or leaving before the scheduled quitting time of a shift without the specific approval of the supervisor. B. Unexcused or excessive absenteeism C. Failure to observe the time limits and scheduling of lunch, rest or wash-up periods. D. Failure to notify the supervisor promptly of unanticipated absence or tardiness.

why you should always be punctual at the workplace? It shows that you are respectful Whether you are attending a business meeting or shipping a product, being punctual shows that you are respectful and that you value the other person’s time. This is especially true if you are at a workplace where you have to work with others. If you submit your work late or if you do not arrive on time, tasks have to be relegated to others in order to keep on schedule. This means that your tardiness is affecting the schedules of others, not just your own.

It proves that you are reliable Being punctual proves that you are reliable because you can be counted on to always reply on time or to submit work on time. Being labelled as a reliable person or a reliable company in general builds trust and rapport. It also helps build up your client base, as this gives you a better reputation as an individual and as a company.

Increases company output Being on time helps increase your company output because you have more time to work and to focus. If you are tardy, the tardiness affects your work schedule and leads to more procrastination. It also stresses you out more because you have to spend more time catching up on your work than simply working on it at an efficient pace. Work that is finished using procrastination is usually sub par in quality.

builds up personal relationships Being punctual helps build rapport with your clients, your employees, and your partners in your business. Even small home companies that rely on online sales will see an improvement in their personal relationships with their clients if they provide services in a punctual manner.

How employees with poor attendance affect the workplace Routine absences at work cause others on your team to pick up your slack. It places an extra burden on the company, the supervisor and your co-workers. When you are consistently absent, your income is also impacted. Excessive absenteeism frustrates employers and co-workers alike. It can negatively influence productivity, and impact employee morale

Resentment In companies with tight staffing, when one person is consistently absent, others on the team still have to do the work. This can cause resentment toward the absent employee on behalf of those who step in for her. People get frustrated and angry when they have to do their own job and someone else's too. This leads to low morale in the office when management does nothing about the errant employee. When a person makes an agreement with an employer to do a job, continuous absenteeism is a violation of that agreement.

Poor Performance A person that continually misses work gets left behind on the changes that take place. When she does show up to work, her performance suffers because she's lost time on the project. Others have to step in to bring her up to date, which causes further delays in production or services offered. Besides resulting in poor employee performance, a company's customers can also suffer because of excessive absenteeism.

Reduced Quality and Productivity When a critical person is missing, the work has to be reorganized, which affects the staff's overall productivity. With less people to do the job, something is going to suffer in the process, because not as much work is accomplished when someone is missing. If employees try to catch up by working faster, quality suffers.

Management Practices When a company doesn't manage excessive absenteeism, other employees might get tired of doing double duty for the missing employee. Good employees might look for work elsewhere, which can result in a high turnover rate. When management doesn't deal with excessive absenteeism effectively, they are sending a message that they don't care about the issue or their valued employees. Good management practices begin with developing attendance policies and end with properly managing excessive absenteeism when it arises.