Employers should not need to discipline staff, including those in HR jobs, if they have a poor timekeeping record.
That is the opinion of employment law specialist Reculver Solicitors, which states that employers should very rarely need to officially reprimand a worker for turning up late.
It is suggested that firms should recognise that the occasional lateness should be put into context with forgone lunches and unpaid overtime.
James Carmody, principal at Reculver Solicitors, said: “In the majority of cases, it should not be necessary to escalate minor lateness issues to a formal disciplinary procedure.
“[Staff often] work their lunch hours and generally put in a lot of extra hours without additional payment.”
He went on to say that it was important employers were consistent with staff and that it is not good practise to discipline one worker for poor timekeeping while allowing another to get away with it.
According to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, one in four people in the UK regularly work all day without taking a break.
