Punctuality is a wonderful feature of a person, one to be admired and respected. Punctuality displays a person’s respect for people and time. In a scheduled appointment, the late-comer usually gives an impression that he/she doesn’t value the other person’s time or considers his/her time more important than that of the other. The importance of punctuality in the workplace is crucial as you get paid for the hours you put in and as a employee, you are expected to be punctual and dependable in order to meet the needs of the company.
If you are working from home (WFH), punctuality means being available online during office hours, logging in to meetings punctually, and meeting project deadlines. Morale in the workplace is higher when everyone is punctual. When someone is chronically late, the natural flow of work is disrupted as other team members adjust to cover for the delay.
Why You Should be Punctual?
Respect: Punctuality speaks of a person’s respect for others. In giving respect to others, we can earn in turn. Punctuality demonstrates your respect for co-workers and clients and reinforces your time-management skills. Team-focused employees avoid extended lunch breaks, respond to emails in a timely fashion and avoid tardiness, making sure to carry their weight on the job. If you want your boss and co-workers to see you as a responsible team-centered worker, then be punctual.
Credibility: It might not seem like your job security is based on punctuality, but it certainly doesn’t hurt, especially in a struggling economy. The number of employees arriving late to work at least once a week has slid from 20 percent to 15 percent. In a tough job market, you don’t want to risk losing your job because your boss sees you as lazy or irresponsible. Punctuality demonstrates your willingness to get up early, plan and make every effort to complete your work on time.
Public Perception of Lateness: Staff members are who are always late are viewed negatively by more than just co-workers, customers also see what’s going on. When your employee is late, the customer may not trust that the job will be done properly. Punctuality demonstrates professionalism and a desire to do the job well. It is a sign of someone who is well-prepared. Every employee is a reflection of the company. When one person is chronically late, a bad reputation begins to permeate in the community. Customers not only don’t have confidence in the company, but they also won’t refer friends.
More Prepared: Employees who arrive on time are often more prepared for the workday and experience less stress in general. Those who arrive a few minutes early can grab a cup of coffee and get organized at their desk ready to start on time. Not only is a punctual arrival a basic job requirement, it also puts employees in a position to be seen as loyal, professional and ambitious. These are qualities business owners and management seek to develop for promotion and professional development.
Deadlines: An employee who isn’t stressed about reaching late or has come in early enough to give him minutes to settle in before the day’s work begins, has got better chances to get more accomplished than a late comer who feels more pressurized. Meeting daily, weekly, monthly deadlines assures clients that they can count on you to get the job done. Without professional punctuality, customers might look for another company to supply their needs. Striving to meet deadlines helps establish your strong work ethic and your desire to be productive.
Professionalism: Punctuality is a sign of professionalism and helps you stand out as a reliable and trustworthy employee. If you don’t get your part of a project completed on time, you keep others from being able to finish their tasks. Being punctual helps you establish your reputation as a dependable and consistent worker. In an interdependent work environment, everything runs like a well-oiled piece of machinery. Being on time helps ensure that you’re doing your best to keep things running smoothly.
In this article, we share our views on importance of punctuality in the workplace. Punctual really helps your career? Let us know what do you think on ‘importance of punctuality in the workplace‘ in comments section below. lazyHR.com helps job seekers to find right job for them and provides career advice throughout their career.
