365 Promos: Solving Tardiness With Incentive Programs

Sick of seeing your employees show up late to work? Sometimes a little tardiness is harmless, but often it can have a direct impact on a company’s bottom line. A person not showing up on time might result in unanswered calls or late deliveries. A whole assembly line might not be able to operate if an employee is late.

Late employees cost U.S. businesses more than $3 billion a year. An employee who is ten minutes late each day will have taken the equivalent of a week’s vacation over a year. Employees who arrive late to meetings cost a company even more money because other’s time is impacted.

Tardiness definitely affects fellow employees. Many times a chronically late employee can make other employees feel resentful. Often other employees may have to pick up the slack. For example, a late waiter or salesclerk can make it so others have to stay past their shift. If they have already worked eight hours, this can mean that you’re also paying for overtime.

So what is a company to do? The best approach is a combination of coaching, penalties, and rewards. First, make sure your company has a culture that encourages punctuality and that your employees are clear about expectations. Then set up some predefined penalties for lateness (make sure they comply with your state’s labor laws). Things like warnings, suspension, and docking pay work well.

But don’t forget that sometimes a carrot works better than a stick. Many companies have found
that an incentive program can work wonders. Here are some great promotional products for your building your own incentive program:

Clocks can be a clever way to thank employees for being on time.