First published on Friday, July 24, 2026
Last updated on Friday, July 24, 2026
Being late is a part of life. From traffic issues to last minute childcare changes, it’s something most of your employees have experienced.
But what happens when lateness becomes a persistent issue? It can have an effect on productivity and disrupt entire teams. And, if you don’t tackle it, other employees might think lateness is acceptable.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to tackling lateness:
1. Check patterns of lateness
Use clocking in and out software like Blip to check when your employees are starting work, especially where they are on a different site to you.
Blip enables you to keep official records of staff hours, breaks, and overtime. So, you can prove you’re meeting Working Time Regulations and encourage your teams to take their breaks. You can also save work history and export audit-ready reports for compliance checks.
2. Talk to your employee about lateness
Communication is really important here. If lateness is persistent, check if there are any underlying problems that you can help with, like stress or other mental health reasons.
Think about an Employee Assistance Programme for 24/7 support with mental health and other stressors including sleep management.
3. Ways to tackle lateness
If the cause of lateness is a practical one, you could offer flexible working. So, if your employee struggles with traffic every Tuesday, could you offer them a later start and finish with flexitime?
Don’t forget your employees who have caring responsibilities have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment. Find out more in the BrightHR blog here.
4. Set rules about lateness
Get a lateness policy in place, preferably outlined in the employee handbook or contract of employment. You could include valid reasons for lateness, a grace period for lateness, and how and when to report lateness.
If you haven’t reviewed your contracts and employment documents recently, book a demo with a BrightHR expert and ask about a document review.
BrightHR software includes unlimited document storage, with alerts and read receipts. So you can make sure your employees are informed if you put new policies in place.
5. Dismissals for lateness
Dismissals based on lateness fall under the category of conduct-related dismissals. If you are considering a dismissal due to lateness, you must:
Maintain records of lateness, such as clocking-in records
Inform employees about the issue and the potential consequences
Provide warnings and give employees the opportunity to address and improve
You must ensure that any actions related to lateness are handled fairly, documented, and communicated to employees to avoid claims of unfair treatment or discrimination.
6. Get advice from an HR expert
Lateness should be handled carefully to ensure compliance with employment law. If you are unsure about any step of the process or if legal considerations such as discrimination or protected grounds may apply, seek advice from an HR expert.
The experts at BrightHR are available 24/7 for unlimited advice, without costly legal fees.
7. Stay on top of lateness with BrightHR
You can log lateness, record sickness absences, and get instant notifications for leave requests in the BrightHR app.
Explore award-winning software and end-to-end people management tools for yourself. Get your free demo here.
