Being late for work - is it acceptable these days?

Do they work late or get paid for the time they aren't at work?

I'm allowed to be late to some extent because I dont cover phones and I have a mobile so am always contactable but am expetcted to still do my hours.

No - I think its way out of order!

Do they work longer at the end of the day to make the time up? I'd be tempted to say in a loud voice (in front of boss) 'Its a godd job there is no emergency as I'm the only one in on time again this morning!'

But then I'm a stroppy cow!

In my current workplace, being late doesn't seem to matter as long as by the end of the week, you've put in your contracted hours. In fact, getting in on time and leaving on time can make you look bad, as all the people who get in late and leave late resent you breezing out the door at 5pm, which is a bit rich when you get in at 8am and have had half an hour for lunch...

In someways it depends on the workplace. everywhere I have worked has been pretty relaxed about when you start, as long as the work is done, or you stay late to make up the hours etc. But then I have never had to make sure phones or desks were manned, or anything like that. And if you had a meeting at 9am, obviously it wouldn't be on to be late for that.

But you can't use transport as a reason for being regularly late. The average journey time is obviously longer then they seem to think! ?

No its totally unnacceptable, and i d say something to the boss. i ve fired people because of it in the past, its a total piss take.

mind you, i also banned eating breakfast at work as well ?

Does their lateness affect you? If you're covering for them then you've a right to be annoyed, and I'd mention it to your boss if it's a regular thing. If not, and it's just the principle you mind, it's not worth getting irritated about. Different workplaces work in different ways, as do different people- at my old firm one guy was always about an hour late in the morning, but would then stay until past midnight. Sometimes contractual hours are a bit of a fiction and one basically manages one's own time- it depends on the job.

I think it must be something in 'C's air.

My BIL is late most days - he seems to swan in & now he is over at F C St - he gets in about 9.30ish.

That'd really annoy me as well.

Do they make the time up? I think they are taking the piss if they are that late every single day, why can't they think "Oh I'm x mins late, I best leave eariler tomorrow?"

I can't be late at work as appointments start at a certain time and we need to be there for them.

A few minutes I can cope with, but it seems your colleagues are taking the biscuit a bit.

I am late every day. I also live the closest to my office. I have consistently been late at this job for three years now. No one has ever pulled me up on it. I should start work at 8am - however there is a large clock at the second turnstile I have to go through and most mornings I pass through that at 8.09. I probably get to my desk at 8.15, poss later. In my office, two colleagues start at 7 - as far as I know they are on time. Three of us are 8am starters, one is generally (but not always) there when I get in, I think she gets in the office at 8 - not before. The other guy gets in after me, however does seem to make a point of not leaving at 4 - which I do, though I also don't mind staying later if needed.

I don't blame you for being irritated - in our office we get narked off with the admin team going early nearly every day and ridiculously early on a fri - 4pm finish - last fri receptionist walked out just before 3 - but rationally I realise I have no real grounds for being narky about it, given my own lateness!

I think your colleagues are pushing it though, over an hour late without explanation is taking the piss. What if there is a problem - like they've had an accident or something - in this office we do worry if people are over half an hour late.

why are you always late?

I went to a meeting yesterday. Walked up to the receptionist who was eating a bowl of cereal. Grim. Milk running down her chops, too.

i was a bit grossed out when i was in the LGI's diagnosis ward to see a nurse eating a sandwich and a packet of crisps at a desk. surely this breaks a million hygiene rules?

NickJ - there is no real reason other than I am useless in the morning. I do get my work done though!

I'm usually about 5, sometimes 10 minutes late for work - just because I'm crap in mornings. Today I was 25 minutes late due to a combined hangover and wardrobe crisis? and I felt bad about it.

But if your colleagues are that late on a regular basis, they're def taking the pee. Do they leave on the dot of 5?

You seem really not bothered about the fact that you are late every day.......If I was your manager I'd be knashing my teeth now. Why is it acceptable to be 15 mins late but not 30 mins? Its still late and to my mind shows bad time keeping, and a lack of respect for the job you do.

To the OP no it is not acceptable. Even if they stay late and work their full hours. If they are given a time that they have to start work by then they should be there at that time.

I'm very rarely late, I would say never but there has been the odd occasion when I've had a child care issue or the traffic has been horrendous. In that instance I Immediately call my manager and explain and give them a time I will be there by. I always make up the time as well.

I always used to eat breakfast at work - the staff restaurant sold cracking croissants and pain au chocolat, and grreat coffee. If i didn't take my own breakfast in I would just pop over to the restaurant, and take a pastry/coffee back to my desk - like most of the rest of the workforce ?

We are on flexi here, core hours 10-12.15 and 2.15-4. However there are some people that arrive after 10 (normally 10.30, sometimes 11), but most of these stay late. There is one though that goes for lunch at 12ish, returns at 2.30 and then leaves by 3.30. No-one's picked him up tho!

My company says it's not, some of my colleagues seem to think otherwise.

I wouldn't care except they extend their day to cope, which (because of the nature of the job) extends mine and that impinges on my ability to collect my son from nursery and care for him.

I don't mind working late in an emergency but the constant sliding of the day gets on my goat!

forgive me for sneering, but "useless in the morning"? its a good job i m not your manager i can tell you.

I must admit one of my previous jobs I was late most days, it was a long drive and traffic could be erratic, but I'm also rubbish at getting up in the morning!

But, I used to work harder than everyone else there, never went out for ciggy breaks (which everyone else did regulary), worked through a lot of my lunch and was one of the last to leave. I think it depends what you're like when you're at work, if they arrive late then they should work late.

I had a job where i had to be there for 9 as I answered the phone, so I made sure I was there. But the job where I was late all the time it didn't really matter, and I think it actually helped if some of us were later as the other offices like spain that opened later could call us after 5.30 and someone would be there.

I eat my breakfast at work all the time. Only in the staff room where it can't be seen by any of the patients.

I'm also crap in the mornings. Its not like I spring out of bed, clicking my heels and singing "yippee another day at work" ? I do only work part time as well so maybe that helps

I'm the same! I drive myself mad but then it doesn't matter in our department because it's very relaxed. We're all meant to start at 9 and I was the first in at 9.05am.

In answer to NickJ's question:

(I don't seem to be able to put it into words properly). When commuting I had to be on the train at 8.09 (for example) to get in to work on time. If I missed this train I would definitely be late so this made me get up and make sure I was out on time. Now I need to leave the house about 8.40am to get into work on time but if I'm a couple of minutes later than this a fast walk can make up the time. Sadly this stretches to 5,10,15 minutes which doesn't make up enough time.

It's a rubbish excuse but all I've got!

I agree, I'm not that bothered about the lateness - but I am generally getting in at a similar time to my colleagues - not just in my office but on my whole floor. As I said, I've never been pulled up on it, and I have had three different managers in this time. I do find it hard respect my current job that much as I am a general office dogsbody - I have no real title, no job spec, no phone, not even a bin next to my desk (which is a crappy one that has drawer fronts missing so I can't use them properly)!

I'm not sure I said it was acceptable to be 15 mins late but not 30 did I? I said that we worried if colleagues had had an accident if they were half an hour late.

No - not acceptable. I am supposed to start work at 9am, i am always here at 8.30. I also never have a proper lunch break but thats another arguement?

I can't believe people on here are late to work every day and think that that is OK. If I was your boss I wouldn't have it, and if you didn't change your ways you would not have a job.

How disrespectful to your boss, for them to pay you to do hours that you don't bother to work.

Sneer away sir, I am also pleased you aren't my manager!

So what about offices which have a culture where it's normal to turn up late and extend the day so the hours are done?

My office can be a bit like this, and people sometimes make really nasty comments to you about being a 'part-timer' and 'leaving early' which is damn rude when they've turned up late and had their full lunch hour and then some, and you've already worked an hour extra by turning up early and having a short lunch.

It sounds like Zebra has problems with people extending the day as well.

I don't get it? If you are rubbish in the mornings and you realise that this is the case, why not do something about it? If it really is that is doesn't matter what time you start then ask your manager if there is any chance your official work time could be 9.15, 9.30 etc?

If this can't be done then obviously you are needed to start when you should and therefore you have to stop 'being rubbish in the morning' and get yourself to work on time.

well as is about 95% of the population, no? ?

i don't want to state the bleedin' obvious, but if you're 'always' 15 minutes late for work, why don't you just get up 15 minutes earlier? <seriously puzzled>

They would get short thrift from me for those comments, how fecking cheeky!

Least my colleagues don't do that.

maybe thats because you dont get to work on time, why would they give you a better job?