How does your facility define "Lateness to work"

[NRSKarenRN]

Have counseled 2 staff members for lateness since 12/06 following health systems progressive counseling policy (met 3 x so far, signed form by staff each time acknowledgeing must be on time), informed last time final expectations with intent to dismiss if late more than 1 x in 2 week pay. Each is late 3-4 + days/ week by 15-45 min without notice....unable arrive for 12 noon shift start!

Because referrals are awaiting processing by them, unable to get information timely to other departments. Both live with parents, no kids, no known medical issues as reason for lateness.

One reached final expectations with intent to terminate, informed must be on time 2 weeks ago, only 1 x per last pay arrived at 12N . Today both arrived at 12:40P ---no notice and told intend to Terminate, setting up meeting with HR tomorrow.....they acted SHOCKED!

Other staff member, acknowledged being late but thought 15 minutes "ok and acceptable business practice"

Meeting with HR to see what is considered "acceptable" lateness by agency standards.

What is considered "late" at your facility and how is it handled?

[Cattitude]

I am of the belief that this is irrelevant. Many times I was the only one who ever showed up at my unit on time ready to work and was told "it's so easy for you, we have children". My mother worked every day of my life and was never late for work once.

I agree with those who say that if you aren't on time, the degree of lateness doesn't matter. You can't be relied upon. No one can trust that you'll actually be there when you are supposed to be.

I once watched as an entire unit fell apart because of one nurse's chronic lateness and the manager's desire to not confront it. I applaud anyone who takes on a chronically late employee. Thanks from all of us.

I too say thanks. In my position now, I don't have a relief waiting for me so if i start out a little later well that just means I stay out a little later.

When i worked bedside though or in a position where I needed to be precisely on time, I was. I hated not being relieved on time as well with the latecomers strolling in without a care in the world.

So yes, I too thank you for taking on these late ones, hopefully they will learn something from this.

[AlabamaBelle]

I work in Peds Intensive where we do report with the previous charge RN going over all our patients - history, events of the previous shift, etc. Each RN is expected to be in a chair ready to listen (if you want to eat your b'fast that's okay, you are expected to get there early enough) and get report at 6:45 (am or pm). If you aren't in your seat when the charge RN begins, you are LATE, no ifs, ands or buts. Generally, if there is a traffic issue, everyone in our unit is considerate enough to call in. Tardiness is marked immediately and I believe it is dealt with, since we have no chronically tardy RNs.

Cindy

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

my unit defines "lateness to work" as anything after five minutes before starting time. and if you're an rn, with another rn waiting on you to hand off the patient before she/he can go home, believe me, you hear about it. if it happens more than once, everyone hears about it. you find yourself getting the worst assignments and being left out when someone is making a run to the espresso bar or the cheesecake factory. if you're support staff, though, management has given up on that issue. they pretty much come and go when they please, without consequences, which is a hard pill to swallow sometimes.

if the op is going to adress chronic lateness and do it in such a way as to ensure that there are consequences, i say stand up and cheer! we could use more managers willing to do the same.

[crissrn27, RN]

We do have a few chronically late RNs. Our shifts run from 0645-1915 and 1845-0715. The AM folks usually are "right on time" and the pm folks are usually early, except in both case the chronically late guys will be late, regardless of the shift. Our clocks go by the 7 min. rule too. It really ticks me off when these folks are late, then we are there late leaving and at 0730 I want to be on the way to my bed! I know they want to leave on time too so I usually come around 1830. We have to dress in OR scrubs and do a 3 min scrub before working, and the ones who are usually late will come in with their street clothes on, eating their breakfast/supper, then if we get a c/s call the ones in their street clothes don't have to go to it, cause they aren't ready for work. It really, really ticks off some of my co-workers, to the point that there have been shouting match's in staff meetings about it. The funny thing is that not to long ago, management decided they didn't want us clocking in early. If you clocked in early you received disciplinary action, which leads me to believe that they like the chronically late guys, cause they don't have to pay them for the 1-2 hours per pay period they miss by being late!

[BigDog]

Late by the clock is 7 mins after the shift start.I cant believe they slept through the counseling ,hopefully HR will allow you to do something.The HR dept at my previose employer wa sfamouse for wanting policies applied untill you apllied them then they were all about not firing anyone . Good luck

[TazziRN, RN]

We can clock in and out with 7 minutes on either side without being considered early or late. There are some staff who are habitually late for a few minutes but no one cares. There was one nurse who was chronically late, occasionally by hours (yes, hours!). She was counselled, placed on probation, still couldn't get to work on time, so she was finally let go. She, however, had warnings that if it didn't improve that termination was definitely in the future. Were these nurses warned about that possibility? Not saying they don't deserve to be termed, they do, but that's where the shock could come from.

I grew up in the military so I am used to being someplace 10-15 minutes early.

[cardsRN]

op- you have given them ample warning and made your expectations very clear. fire them.

i for one do not think lateness is a generationally bound issue. it is self-centered behavior indicative of a lack of respect for others. the chronically late ones on my unit are in their 40's and have been at the facility for 20+ years. i think they feel entitled. the rest of us somehow owe it to them to cover their assignment 30 minutes after the end of our shift because they just couldn't get there. and the two worst offenders have 11am shift starts most days.

our manager isn't willing to do anything about it. i applaud any manager who is able to stand up to their abusive(to other staff) employees instead of avoiding conflict at all costs and other passive aggressive measures usually employed in nursing.

as for myself, 7p-7a worker, i am in a chair reading and ready to listen at 7:00. if they want to start paying me a quarter 'till, i'll come early- lol! until then i'll be ready on the dot.

[incublissRN, BSN, RN]

Our e-clock rounds everything from x:55 to x:05 as clocking in at x:00.

If you swipe your badge at x:06, it rounds it to x:15 and you are late.

Same here. I can't remember how many time you can be tardy before termination because I am never late. I would have to look up our policy.

[cheshirecat]

We do not have clock on in the UK. I have a fear of being late for anything, so usually turn up about 30 minutes before my shift commences. It gives me time to put my jacket and bag away, write the patients names on the handover sheet, and get a cup of tea. If the ward is busy, I will answer phones, help my colleagues etc until it is time to take handover.

I believe it is the heightness of rudeness to be late for your shift. It means the person you are relieving will be late off shift. Lucky for me I work in an environment where we respect each other and I can honestly say no one is habitually late for shift.

[TigerGalLE, BSN, RN]

I feel habitual lateness is a personality trait that develops after years and years of lack of punishment. People who are habitually late continue to do so because they are never punished. If I am ever a manager... I will have a no tolerance policy. I understand if something serious comes up... Like you go out to your car and you honestly have a flat tire, or if you get in a wreck. But those who are always late because they just don't get out of bed on time should be punished!!! Being late is my ultimate pet peeve!

If people are punished from day one... I don't think we would have these problems...

And what ticks me off the most is that the people who are always late never get punished... Then when the person who is never late shows up late once.. they always get punished... Doesn't make sense to me.

[EmerNurse, BSN, RN]

I'm also a punctuality freak. The latest I've ever clocked in was 0701 and that was twice over a year, with traffic as reason. I generally show up very early, and have a cup of coffee or something before clocking in. We have the 7 minute rule too and I clock in around 7 minutes til, but not before (can't have incidental OT, can we?).

Habitually late folks drive me insane. Actually, did see one nurse, similar situation to the one the OP describes, who WAS fired.

What I don't get it... if my job requires me to XYZ, whatever it is, I DO it. If I'm supposed to wear green scrubs, I wear green scrubs. If I'm told to show up by 0700, I do so. If my hair needs to be up off my collar, it IS. I kind of see it as meeting the basic requirements of the job I took. If my boss ever had to pointedly TELL me something I have to do (because I wasn't doing it), you can be darn sure I'd do it, wanting to keep my job and all.

I can't get my head around people who can be counselled over and over and STILL don't get it. Fire 'em. I wanna go home on time, thank you.

[grammyr]

We start report at 645 and 1845. If you are late you have to catch up from somebody else, cause I'm not going back.