An employee is consistently arriving late. It disrupts schedules, affects team morale, and sets a bad precedent — but many managers let it slide because the employee is otherwise good at their job, or because the conversation feels awkward and personal.
Lateness feels minor compared to bigger performance issues, so managers often hint at it casually or hope it resolves itself. The fear of seeming petty or triggering defensiveness causes the problem to grow until it becomes a formal HR issue — far harder to fix than a direct early conversation.
"You're always late. It's really starting to be a problem." — This is vague, accusatory, and emotional. It puts the employee on the defensive without giving them anything actionable to work with.
"[Name], I want to touch base about start times. I've noticed you've arrived late on [dates] — about [X] times in the last [timeframe]. I want to understand if something's going on, and make sure we're aligned on the expectation going forward. Our shift starts at [time], and I need you here ready to go. Is there something making that difficult right now?"
- Document dates and times before the conversation — specifics reduce defensiveness.
- Keep the tone curious, not accusatory. Ask if something is going on before assuming attitude.
- State the expectation clearly at the end — don't leave the conversation open-ended.
- Follow up in writing after the conversation with a brief summary of what was discussed.
Every lateness situation is a little different — the employee's history, your relationship, how many times it's happened. Use the Manager Scripts AI generator to get a custom coaching script based on your specific situation. Free, no signup, ready in seconds.
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