A thriving business might have a chink in its armour. A weak spot which, if left untreated, can become a serious drain on profitability. Persistent staff lateness has the potential to be just such a weak spot.
Its detrimental effects can be more subtle than outright absence or other disciplinary issues. Ultimately, how can it prove costly in terms of productivity and staff morale?
A Heathrow Express survey has previously calculated the cost of staff lateness to the UK economy as being around £9 billion annually. However, employing the right technology to monitor and manage staff lateness can bring additional benefits that can allow businesses to thrive.
The Impact of Lateness
A business might calculate the cost in lost working hours of someone who is chronically late in attending work. But this will only be part of the true cost to it.
“What persistent lateness tends to do is spread its negative impact, like a contagion,” warns Tim Groves, Business Development and Sales Manager at Addtime.
“Lateness damages staff morale, and productivity, and it can upset an entire workplace culture if left unchecked”
“Frequently it is the late person themselves who feels stressed and unable to function at full capacity,” Tim says. “No one wins with staff lateness and it can embed itself quite firmly in the workplace, if the late attendance becomes regular behaviour.”
Management Issues
“For an employer to tackle lateness, they must be proactive in recognising the behaviour and combating it,” continues Tim. “This may require a degree of tact alongside an assertive approach, because you cannot assume people’s reasons for lateness are not for reasons that might be personally sensitive.”
“It’s vital to be fair and flexible as well as clear about the rules you’re setting. A key part of this is having the means to accurately monitor time-keeping”
In fact, having the software in place to monitor staff time-keeping can itself help reduce lateness, quickly and automatically.
“Providing the right amount of visibility of record-keeping to employees themselves helps them manage their own time in a lot of instances,” Tim observes.
There is, also, another significant benefit to introducing time management software, and this is how it can connect various other HR and payroll functions to one another, providing a full picture.
“Essentially, time-management software can perform as a business development tool because it provides solutions whereby businesses can bring all their people-related administrative functions under one integrated system”
In this context, monitoring staff lateness through technology is a gateway to better business management altogether.
To discover how to reduce the impact of staff lateness on your business:
- call Addtime on 01942 272061
- visit addtimerecording.co.uk
- see the Attendance features of one of Addtime’s workforce management solutions here
