Scenario I – George is a Fiscal Office Assistant II who works from 8:00 5:00 with a one hour lunch. George drives his children to childcare in the morning and is 510 minutes late about twice a month. George’s tardiness does not have an adverse impact of service delivery or on his ability to complete his workload.
Recommended Action – There are two alternatives which should work in George’s case. As long as the instances of tardiness remain infrequent, you could allow George to make up the 510 minutes by extending his workday by the length of the tardiness on those days he is late. Alternatively, if office coverage permits, you could allow George to change his work hours by starting at 8:15 or 8:30 and either reducing his lunch to 30 or 45 minutes or extending his workday to 5:15 or 5:30.
Scenario II – Jane is a Benefits Analyst who comes in between thirty minutes – two hours late approximately once a month. Jane usually cites automobile problems or traffic as the reason for her tardiness. Jane’s tardiness results in client interviews having to be reassigned to other employees or in clients having their interviews rescheduled. Jane’s supervisor has counseled her about tardiness on three occasions but has not issued any written warning.
Recommended Action – The nature of Jane’s work and the nature of her tardiness do not lend themselves to adjusting her work schedule or allowing her to make up the time. Jane’s tardiness must be corrected and it is obvious that oral counseling has not solved the problem. At this point, the supervisor needs to document the problem in writing to Jane. Employee & Labor Relations can be contacted to assist with drafting the warning memo. The supervisor should advise Jane that he/she is available to assist her in resolving the problem, but that ultimately it is Jane’s responsibility for getting to work on time. The supervisor should also state that continued tardiness will not be tolerated, and that recurrences will result in disciplinary action.
Scenario III – Judy is a Planner II who has worked for the County for six years. Judy is frequently tardy ranging from a few minutes to several hours. Although you have only been Judy’s supervisor for the past eight months, it is your understanding that this has been a long-standing problem. There is no documentation in Judy’s file and no reference to tardiness in past performance evaluations. Over the past six months, you have counseled Judy verbally and then in writing regarding her tardiness, and last month you gave Judy a formal letter of reprimand. Today, Judy arrived for work forty-five minutes late. When you asked her about it, she started to cry and accused you of harassing her. Judy then said that your harassment had given her a headache and that she was ill and needed to go home.
Recommended Action – First, you should advise Judy that discussing her tardiness does not constitute harassment but if she is truly too ill to remain at work, you will approve sick leave for the remainder of the day. You should also tell her that, upon her return the next day you will meet with her to discuss the situation. On her return, you should ask Judy why she was late. You should take careful notes of Judy’s response and advise her that you will consider her statements before determining what action to take. You should then discuss Judy’s response with your manager. Absent a compelling excuse for the tardiness, you should recommend to your manager that Judy be disciplined. If your manager agrees, you or your manager should contact Employee & Labor Relations for assistance in drafting the Skelly Intent Letter.