How to Make a Punctuality Policy
If you want to make sure that everyone in your company stays organized so you can maintain your path to success, then you have to set some company policies in place. With them, you will make sure that employees know what they can and cannot do while they work for you and your business. You may also see Company Policy Templates.
One of the biggest things that employers usually struggle with is that there are those employees who never attend work on time, or those that decide not to show up at all. This is why companies have punctuality policies, and this article is going to focus on how you can create an effective one for you business. You may also see Travel Policy Templates.
Punctuality Policy Template
Punctuality Policy Template
Why is it important to have a punctuality policy?
Every company wants to ensure that their employees arrive on time and are ready to work. So, let us say that you notice that a majority of your employees are arriving either last minute or several minutes late, then you definitely have to consider implementing a punctuality policy. If employees continue to arrive late, then it can seriously affect their performance and productivity, and sometimes, it can even have a direct effect on the productivity of their co-workers.
Other co-workers might even have to cover for the late employee just so business operations will not be delayed. Things such as this can frustrate other employees as it will take them away from their own responsibilities just because their co-workers could not come to work on time. So, with the help of your punctuality policy, you can make sure that employees will arrive either on time or even ahead of time in the office. And, if they still decide to show up late, then your policy can state the consequences. Remember that this can be anything from a written warning all the way to employee termination.
Basics of your punctuality policy
If you are going to create a punctuality policy for your business, then you have to make sure that the following are pointed out clearly to your employees:
1. Definition
Your policy should be able to define “punctual” for employees. So, it has to state that the employees should be at their workstations and be ready to do their duties and responsibilities no later than the assigned time they were given as their shift time. So, if in the employee’s contract, it states that he must arrive at work by around 9 a.m., then that particular employee should be present at that time and not beyond it. Also, it is best if your policy states that employees handle all small talk and personal business well before the start of their shift. These things may eat up most of the employee’s time and prevent them from doing their jobs, so it is best that they have them all taken care of way before the start of their shift. You may also see Sample Policy Gap Analysis Templates.
2. Consequences
If an employee continues to fail to show up to work on time, then that cannot go unpunished. So, your policy has to point out the consequences to employees who keep coming to work late. You have to point out the progression of the disciplinary action that will be taken for employees who continue to repeat the offense. So, if an employee has been late at least two or three times in a row, then that would be a good reason for you to give him a verbal warning. If the problem continues to persist and is notably getting worse, then you can issue a warning letter which should notify the employee of his punctuality problem.
If the problem still continues to persist even after the written warning and there has been a very noticeable decline of the employee’s productivity and performance, then you have the right to send the employee a termination letter stating that the company has decided to end his employment due to the continuous punctuality problem. You have to make sure that your policy is clear about the progression of the disciplinary actions so employees will not be surprised when they receive the dreaded termination letter should they continue to be late. Basically, it lets employees know what will happen and when it will happen if they continue to show up late. You may also see Overtime Policy Templates.
3. Implementation
Your policy has to remain consistent if you want your employees to take it seriously and to ensure that it remains effective in the workplace. So, the best thing that you should do is to hold a mandatory meeting where you and your employees can all discuss the punctuality policy. During the meeting, you must give your employees the opportunity to ask any questions that they have regarding the policy.
By allowing them to ask questions, it will help clarify certain issues that they may have with the punctuality policy. After the meeting has concluded, then ask your employees to sign a copy of the policy to verify that they have read, understood, and agreed to its terms and conditions. Once all of you have discussed the policy, then you must implement it as soon as possible. Make sure that you follow through with the consequences so that employees do not think that they can just get away with being tardy. You may also see Security Policy Templates.
4. Exceptions
You have to remember that there are other employees who have disabilities that can hinder how they are able to get to the workplace. This means that you have to state in your policy that some employees will be exempted to a certain extent from the policy, assuming that they have disabilities or anything that will prevent them from getting to work on time. So, if an employee relies heavily on public transportation to arrive to work or if there is anything that prevents them from arriving on time such as an illness, then there should be room in your policy for flexibility. You may also see Printable Business Policy Templates.
If you would like to learn more about how to create a punctuality policy for your company or anything related to this particular topic (such as how to create a termination letter for an employee who continues to be late), then check the other articles we have posted.
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