What to Do When an Employee Is Frequently Arriving Late
Frequent tardiness is one of the most common attendance issues managers face, and one of the most commonly mishandled, because it tends to produce a cycle of informal reminders that never escalate to actual consequences. Here is the complete process from first conversation through formal discipline.
Step One: Address It After the Second or Third Instance
Do not let tardiness go unaddressed until it has become entrenched. Address it early, after the second or third instance, with a direct, private conversation. 'I want to talk about your start time. You have been arriving at [times] on [dates] when your shift starts at [time]. I need you here at [time] consistently. Is there something going on I should know about?'
Give the employee the opportunity to share context. There may be a transportation issue, a childcare situation, or a medical condition that qualifies for accommodation. If so, engage with that. If not, set a clear expectation and document the conversation.
Check Whether Accommodation Is Required
Before treating tardiness as a straight conduct issue, consider whether it might be connected to a medical condition, disability, or other protected circumstance that requires accommodation. An employee who is consistently late due to a medical treatment schedule or a disability-related sleep disorder may be entitled to a schedule adjustment as a reasonable accommodation. If you have any indication this may be the case, consult your employee handbook with HR before proceeding with discipline.
Document Every Instance
Maintain a specific attendance record with dates and arrival times. Documentation makes the pattern visible and makes the subsequent conversations specific rather than impressionistic. 'You have been late 11 times in the past eight weeks, including [specific dates]' is a documented pattern. 'You are always late' is a generalization that the employee can dispute.
Escalate Through Progressive Discipline
If the tardiness continues after the initial conversation, escalate through your progressive discipline process:
Documented verbal warning — specific instances, specific expectation, documented same day
Written warning — formal document with pattern documented, expectation stated, consequence of continued tardiness stated explicitly
Final written warning — same structure with explicit termination language and a review date
Termination — supported by the complete documentation trail
Each step should occur after the employee has had a genuine opportunity to meet the expectation following the prior step. Do not rush the process, but do not stall it either.
Apply the Standard Consistently
Apply the same tardiness threshold and the same escalation process to every employee in the same role. Selective enforcement is the most common legal vulnerability in attendance management.
A written attendance policy defines start time expectations, the tardiness threshold that triggers disciplinary action, and the progressive response gives you the standard to enforce consistently.
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