A recent survey on employee punctuality by Jobs.ie has found that almost half (46%) of workers feel resentful of a colleague that is consistently late for work. 

The survey results show that by and large Irish workers are punctual. Ninety six percent of all employees said that they always arrive to work on time, with over half of employees (59%) aiming to be in work at least 15 minutes ahead of their scheduled start time.

Half of survey respondents in senior management positions (50%), said that colleagues arriving late for work creates workplace animosity. The most commonly cited reasons for being late to work are heavy traffic (59%), oversleeping (33%) and the weather (26%).

Those who work nine to five prove to be the least punctual with less than half (47%) arriving to work on time every day within the past twelve months. Seventy one percent of respondents who work early morning shifts and 71% of those who work night shifts were always on time in the past year.

Forty one percent of employers are said to have a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for lateness in the workplace, enforcing punishments if employees fail to show up for work on time. In addition, 1 in 4 employers (25%) have fired somebody due to recurring lateness. 

Commenting on the results, Jobs.ie General Manager, Chris Paye said, "It may come as a surprise to many people that Irish workers are actually a very punctual bunch and take great pride in being on time or even early for work.  Given this context, it’s inevitable that tensions can arise in the workplace if one colleague is consistently late without a valid excuse."

He added, "One potential solution is moving towards greater workplace flexibility, particularly in relation to start and finish times and remote working facilities. However, this is not a universal solution and may not be effective in all organisations."

Source: www.businessworld.ie