By 
“I’m late, I’m late for a very important appointment
There’s no time to say “Hello”, “Goodbye”
I’m late, I’m late, I’m late, I’m late.”
– Walt Disney’s The White Rabbit Alice in Wonderland (1951)
While this song brings to mind a certain measure of joviality, the practice of being late is nothing to sing about and definitely not in the workplace. And yet, when employees walk in the door late, some (not all) carry a “whoopsy” mentality out the door with them. Stopping employee tardiness is difficult, but stopping a late employee who doesn’t care can be considered nearly impossible. As with any retraining effort, a manager must first deal with the source of the problem before addressing the symptoms. The goal is to address the behavior, then the root of the behavior, and finally the environment that has fostered the behavior. Below is a list of management tools to address frequent employee tardiness.
interrupt the behavior
As a manager, you must decide how much behavioral training you are willing to invest in an employee. If you are managing upper level employees with 7+ years of work experience under your belt, what you would be willing to accept would probably be different from your expectations of a 23 year old fresh out of college. The expectations, naturally, must be different. However, the process of addressing undesirable behaviors is the same. You need to interrupt the behavior (or pattern). Pattern interrupts come in a variety of forms, but there are two general categories: private and public. You have to be careful about the category you can choose from and you also have to be consistent. In general, I would only address a behavior publicly after having several private conversations. Additional peer pressure can help get the message across. And remember, the point is not to be cruel. He just wants to break the pattern.
Identify the source of behavior
Every behavior has a source. An employee’s attitude may be the result of external factors. Are you having a hard time getting your kids to school before going to work? Have your family circumstances changed? It’s not that you should be nosy or that their personal matters are something you necessarily have the right to ask about, but rather that they should feel comfortable letting you know if there are any circumstances outside of their control. Then, of course, there are the internal factors: disrespect, lack of motivation, boredom, etc. Internal influences are more challenging and sometimes not even worth addressing. Essentially, you need to know how much you’re willing to invest in an employee as a manager before the effort isn’t justifiable. You need to set your own limits.
environmental assessment
Is punctuality something your company culture values? Is it something you praise employees for? Relaxed attitudes toward punctuality breed employees with relaxed attitudes toward punctuality. Even the best management tactics in the world cannot overcome an environment that encourages undesirable behavior. So take a look at the culture you have cultivated. If it’s not producing the desired results, it might be time to adjust it.
Again, these are just general concepts to apply. Specific strategies and tactics will need to be determined based on your company’s circumstances.