Give the New Employee a Break!

The overnight employee was scheduled to begin working at 10:00 pm. He strolled in at 10:20 pm carrying a fresh order of fried chicken. The savory smells were accompanied by a friendly greeting and no mention of the lateness. It was his third day of work and he had been late for each shift. The manager who described the frustrating situation told me, “I’m just covering for someone, I can’t really say anything.”

The tale sparked a lively discussion among the participants  in a management training class I facilitated last week:

“But we can’t find anyone to cover this shift in that far away location.”

“Happens all the time.” 

“With the wages we pay, what do you expect?”

“That would never be allowed on my watch.”

“You have to tell someone, it’s only making your life harder.”

I am a good listener, when it comes to issues that create an attendance problem. I’m probably more understanding than most; I always ask why and seek to work with employees to manage a schedule whenever possible. Good questions help avoid a surprise FMLA requirement and keep everyone informed.

My tolerance level drops to zero when a new employee is involved. It’s a weekend and they did not know the bus schedule changed, OK. A headline news car accident closed a highway, I’ll buy that. Jim thinks work starts whenever he roles in, as long as he has time to grab a meal on the way, giant stop sign!

Think about this equation:

New Employee New Job = Extra Effort to Make a Great Impression

The employee who thinks that lateness on day one through three is acceptable is certainly not making any extra effort. Shouldn’t you warn them? On day one, sure remind Jim of the schedule, after you ask him for an explanation. When the tardiness is repeated, cut your losses early. Other employees are watching and someone is covering for the work. I can tell plenty of stories of bosses who gave new hires second and third chances. They were rarely, if ever, worth the effort.