by Alex Landis

Created on: May 10, 2007   Last Updated: January 24, 2011

First off, I'm one of these people who is often late to work. That's why I've decided to write this article.

I've had a few different jobs and to most of them I have been frequently late to. It's been a problem I've had since I was young in school, and I believe these are some of the reasons (not excuses) that I and other people may be chronically late.

1.) I didn't like the job! This is probably the main reason. If the job wasn't motivating, or I was having issues with coworkers, or felt like I was going no where, I didn't really want to go, so I was often late. It's a passive-aggressive tendency that is meant to show employers that something isn't right with the workplace.

2.) Physical reasons are also why I am late often. I'm not a morning person. I've always found it extremely difficult to get to jobs on time when I had to get there in the morning. Often I have problems sleeping, and if I force my body to wake up before it wants to, I am lethargic the entire day.

3.) Commuting to the job was unpredictable. I take the bus to get to and from work, and often the bus system can be very unpredictable. The buses often are late themselves, or don't show up, so that has made me late numerous times as well.

4.) I'm bad with time. I don't judge my time properly and this affects getting to work on time. I'm not accurate in figuring out how long something should take, and often when I think something should take a short amount of time to accomplish, it takes much longer, and partially explains why I am late.

If you are an employer or person like myself, here are few suggestions on how to fix chronic lateness:

1.) Communicate. Communicate with your boss or employee about the chronic lateness and possible solutions to correct it. If there is an underlying cause there should be a way to resolve it.

2.) Find a job that has, or offer flex time. The best job I've had offered flex time that allowed me to come in when I needed to. As long as I got my work done without error, it didn't really matter the time I came in. That was perfect for me. Also, working out of home is terrific for a person who has issues with time.

3.) See a physician. If you are late all the time because you get bad sleep, or never feel rested, that could be a sign or a medical condition. See a decent physician and find out if there is anything they can recommend to aid proper sleep.

4.) Prioritize your time. If you are often late to work, make a weekly schedule detailing out what you will be doing at certain times, and stick to your schedule as best as possible. This should help with allowing enough time to get good sleep, enough time to commute to work, etc.

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