When employees abuse work time

As a manager, you must hold employees accountable if they abuse workplace policies. Follow this advice, when employees consistently:

Show up late. You can let one tardy go, but if it happens repeatedly, confront the employee, and set expectations for going forward. Share ideas for what they can do to arrive on time, for example, leaving earlier or taking a different route.

Leave early. Some employees may have obligations, such as picking up a kid at school. In those cases, see if you can offer them some flexibility, for example, by coming in early, or ask them to make different arrangements.

However, most employees are just taking advantage of the situation. One tactic to prevent this is to assign them very specific to-dos in the last hour of work to keep them productive until the day’s end. In both situations, the key is to hold employees accountable. If they don’t follow the rules, it may be time to let them go.

— Adapted from “Dealing With Employees Who Struggle to Manage Their Time,” Bruce Tulgan, Modern Restaurant Management, www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com.