• 3 months ago
A new survey from Monster polled over 1,000 employees on workplace norms and etiquette. Only 14% of respondents cited punctuality as the most important workplace manner, but 76% of respondents said that being consistently late to meetings was one of the top 5 rude behaviors.

Original reporting by Chloe Berger
Transcript
00:00How many minutes do you consider as late to work?
00:02If you're on time, you're late.
00:03It's from one minute.
00:04It's sharp.
00:05Eight o'clock, it's eight o'clock.
00:06Ten.
00:06Maybe five minutes.
00:07One.
00:08Ten minutes early is on time.
00:10One. Probably one minute.
00:11Probably one.
00:12Yeah, if you've got to be at nine o'clock, you get the 9-0-1 and you're late.
00:15Actually, according to a new survey, no one cares if you roll in on time anymore,
00:19but there are a few behaviors your co-workers do mind.
00:22The rules of work were thrown into the air when the pandemic first struck,
00:25and office workers found themselves at the epicenter of new debates.
00:28Like, when people can work from home or in an office, what does getting in late really mean?
00:33A new survey from Monster polled over 1,000 employees on workplace norms and etiquette.
00:37Only 14% of respondents cited punctuality as the most important workplace manner.
00:42Monster's career expert, Vicky Salami, told Fortune,
00:45I was surprised that number was so low.
00:47But 76% of respondents also said that being consistently late to meetings
00:51was one of the top five rude behaviors.
00:54Furthermore, only 51%, or one in two employers,
00:57emphasized workplace punctuality, per Monster's poll.
01:00And according to workers, the top five irritating behaviors include
01:03not cleaning up after oneself, gossiping, using inappropriate language,
01:07being unresponsive to messages, and consistently being late to meetings.
01:11Jennifer Moss, author of Unlocking Happiness at Work, told Fortune,
01:15Employees may be fine with their co-workers coming in late,
01:17but if it impacts their ability to be productive, it's extremely frustrating.
01:21And Jen Fisher, a global expert on well-being at work,
01:24noted there's a general trend toward less strict punctuality over the last five years,
01:28which, of course, varies based on someone's sector and industry.
01:32She attributed this phenomenon partially to the rise of flexible and distributed work.
01:36Fisher said,
01:37With the increasing adoption of remote and hybrid work models,
01:40especially accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic,
01:42the concept of a rigid nine-to-five workday has become less relevant for many.
01:46She also noted that many workplaces are focusing on effectiveness over simply showing up,
01:51and workplace culture is shifting to prioritize work-life balance.
01:54Technology that enables asynchronous work is also a huge factor in this trend.
01:58Moss said,
01:59I see this as an opportunity to rethink what punctuality means,
02:02when pointing to how some workers, specifically women, might be late due to child care duties.
02:07She added,
02:08If there are fair reasons for being late and it's not impacting others,
02:11we can relax the expectations.
02:12It's when we're burdening someone else that causes the most concern.
02:16Of course, some bosses have responded to this scattered workflow with a heightened
02:19level of paranoia as they emphasize presentism, turn to mandates, or track productivity.
02:24Salemi said,
02:25Even though the needle may have moved slightly, it's still important to be on time,
02:29adding that tardiness sends a message that you do not care.
02:32Experts agree that rules change based on the sector.
02:34For instance, teachers or healthcare workers might not be given the same
02:37liberty to roll in whenever they want.
02:39The same goes for those with hourly jobs in the service sector.
02:42Those in higher seniority roles across the board, though,
02:45might have a bit more leeway to come in late.
02:47Maybe the best rule of thumb isn't to throw the rulebook out entirely,
02:50even if it is a little silly.
02:52Perhaps it's about being strategic with your tardiness,
02:54as one person said in a recent Fortune interview.
02:56What do you consider being late to work, time-wise?
03:00Um, after your boss.

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