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Late for work
HalleysComic
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Okay, I just came in almost an hour late to work, I work as a mac tech assistance guy at the university library, I've been late before, but not this late. My job works with a three strikes you're out policy, in which I'm suppose to be fired if I'm late three times.
I've already been late three times, but I think the reason I'm still here is that I'm very good at my job, I really don't want to press my luck though. I've been working here for... I dunno over six months.
Oh also, I can't say that I just forgot to punch in for 45 minutes, so wasn't really late because I had to pass my boss on the way in and she said hi (nothing else though, she doesn't seem to realize what my hours are... yet)
I don't know when this'll be checked, I'm also going to have to fill in my time sheet so I'm not sure what act I should stick to... what really happened is that even though I set my alarm and everything I just woke up 40 minutes after that, I don't think that's going to cut it though.
Any ideas? What could I say happened? How should I run with this?
I've already been late three times, but I think the reason I'm still here is that I'm very good at my job, I really don't want to press my luck though. I've been working here for... I dunno over six months.
Oh also, I can't say that I just forgot to punch in for 45 minutes, so wasn't really late because I had to pass my boss on the way in and she said hi (nothing else though, she doesn't seem to realize what my hours are... yet)
I don't know when this'll be checked, I'm also going to have to fill in my time sheet so I'm not sure what act I should stick to... what really happened is that even though I set my alarm and everything I just woke up 40 minutes after that, I don't think that's going to cut it though.
Any ideas? What could I say happened? How should I run with this?
HalleysComic on
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Look at it this way. You may be good at your job but I guarantee that I can find someone just as good, if not better, who actually comes into work on time. Who would you rather be paying?
Firstly, you should have gone straight to your boss when you got in and apologised for being late - honesty. Apologise profusely and promise that it will never happen again - humility. However, you should not provide the true reason as the true reason is that it is entirely your fault and you should be fired. As such, you should provide a lie that conveniently discounts you from being to blame. Road works, heavy traffic etc. are all good for the 15 minutes late routine but for being an hour late you're going to need something a little bit more creative. Be careful to ensure that it is something plausible and for which there is unlikely to be a record of - being held up at gun-point in a convenience store is only going to necessitate further lies.
Personally, if I was an hour late for work, I just wouldn't go in. I'd call in, say I'd been up all night throwing up, slept in as a result and will be taking the day off and going to see the doctor if it persists.
No one wants to go to work, but we all have to. Being late once or twice in a year is fine, because shit happens. But being late 3 times in six months is fairly significant.
Now, yes, you're not late once a week or anything very severe like that, which is probably why you still have a job, but 3 times in 6 months is still significant enough that you're probably being watched closely.
Just start setting multiple alarms and sleep with the window shade open (the sun will wake you up). And get to work on time.
I do of course endorse this response, but we're too late for that now. I'd say he basically has a choice between being honest and possibly loosing his job, or coming up with a convincing lie in order to minimise the damage already done.
And then start coming to work on time.
I once worked a job that had a ZERO tolerance policy on being late (I hated this job for reasons other than this, but that should give you an indication on how they treated their employees), but I happened to have a boss that liked me, and I saved my job by doing this.
I had been late due to heavy traffic (construction). I was only 22 minutes late, but I was still late. But because I stayed an extra 30 minutes late after work, my boss fudged my time sheet for me and I got to keep my job.
Your job seems less severe, so perhaps this could work for you as well. Tell you boss you are sorry, and you will work an extra hour to compensate.
Because this is one of those situations where there's no benefit to telling the truth. Telling the truth results in one of two outcomes depending on the boss:
1) They appreciate your honesty, let you off with a warning and expect you to make good
2) They hold a zero tolerance policy towards tardiness and discipline you/sack you (which they would be entitled to do in this situation as it's his third strike).
Alternatively, you lie and they are unable to take disciplinary measures because you have a valid excuse.
Given a choice between a 50/50 positive/negative result and a 100% positive result, why would you take anything but the later?
I've experienced this plenty of times before. Once, in college, I bunked off class to play pool. I turned up at the end of the day and figured 'honesty is the best policy' and told my teacher that I didn't come to class because I was playing pool. She let it slide but then the next day pulled me out and gave me a formal disciplinary warning. Another time, I was late for work due to sleeping in and again decided that honesty was the best policy so told my boss that I'd slept in. He was not at all pleased. Luckily I was generally a good member of staff who came to work on time/early so I got away with it, but without a valid excuse I could've been looking at a lost job if my record wasn't otherwise spotless.
Comparatively, claim that traffic held me up or I had trouble finding a parking spot and they always let it slide (assuming that I'm only 15 min late - it doesn't take three hours to find a parking space).
That's just flat out wrong. They can still fire him, regardless of whether he had a valid excuse.
And there is the danger of the boss deciding that this must be a lie, or being frustrated with excuses.
It's best to be honest here, but just don't give out too much info. Don't give any excuse as to why you're late, just apologize and offer to stay late.
Man up, say you're sorry, and offer work late to make up the hour. Then set your alarm earlier and be that model employee who always comes in 10 minutes early and leaves 10 minutes late.
Be honest, offer to compensate the time lost. I just wouldn't offer an excuse. "I realize I was very late yesterday. I apologize and I will do all that I can to see it doesn't happen again."
That would work, so long as they don't press you for a reason. Avoiding the truth can be just as effective as a vague lie, just be prepared to have the lie as a backup
A lie is only going to backfire if you're an idiot and make your lie too specific, thus giving them opportunity to disprove it.
Misbehavin - Often they can't fire you if you have a valid excuse. They also can't just 'decide' it's a lie. They can suspect it's a lie, but without proof they can't make that call.
But it's your choice, halley. Try the honest approach and see how far it gets you if that's what you feel you need to do. Personally, I don't think it's worth losing a job for the sake of a little white lie. It's not even worth suffering through a patronising 'disciplinary process'.
What you really need advice and help on is being on time for work and things in general. If you are slacking now that attitude will stay with you for later jobs where the policy and the bosses are not at all lenient. Do you find yourself late for your friends as well? I know that when I have friends that are consistently late for things I stop inviting them to do anything.
Wake up early or prepare early if you work a later shift, have a set time to leave the house and stick to it. If you show up early you can always wait, you can't get time back if you are late.
pleasepaypreacher.net
I guess this depends on where you work.
In Massachusetts, all employees in every position are considered "at will" employees, and they don't need a strong reason to fire you, as long as it's not discrimination. So, pissing of your boss is never good in this state.
All the more reason to lie. Nothing pisses off a boss like telling him you just couldn't be arsed getting up this morning. Of course, it depends upon your ability to lie convincingly. Telling obviously tall tales is likely to go just as badly, I can certainly see that side of the argument.
It occurs to me that it must have been at least a whole working day since this incident occurred. What has been the fallout so far?
pleasepaypreacher.net
I see this a lot, so I decided to look it up. And my hunch was right -- every state is an at-will state. Some states have exceptions, based on implied contracts which are somewhat hard to prove (and the burden is on the fired employee).
Assuming a whole working day is eight hours, there are still just over two hours (counting an hour for lunch, one hour without) of work left. I think Preacher has the right of this.
That's disturbing. I was always hoping that once I got out of here that I wouldn't have to think about that anymore.
pleasepaypreacher.net
I'm not sure how you'd like it to work. Once you get hired it's impossible to get fired?
You can always work on a contract basis if that's more suitable to you. keep in mind that this also means you can't just quit or leave if a better job comes along.
The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun.
Don't forget at the end of the day ask if you can stay back and catch up on time missed and if you could also stay back a further 10 minutes so the following day so you can organise a new tyre. Though point out that they can always say no as you should be able to get it done on the weekend but you want to get it out of the way as soon as possible.
And more importantly if you know you are going to be that goddam late ring ahead apologise and warn them you are going to be late. Then apologise again once you get in.
Satans..... hints.....
If I were your supervisor, I don't know that I'd be firing you in this situation, but I'd certainly be giving you a serious warning.