An employee who arrives five, ten or fifteen minutes late every day is one of the most common - and most frustrating - problems in team management. Not serious enough for a drastic reaction, but it repeats enough to undermine team morale and cost the company money.

Step 1: have the facts

Before any conversation, you need concrete data. 'You are always late' is a vague accusation that is easy to contest. 'In the last 15 working days you arrived late in 12 of them, with an average delay of 11 minutes' is a fact nobody disputes. This is where a reliable attendance system makes all the difference.

Step 2: have the conversation in private

Most punctuality problems are resolved with a direct private conversation. There is often a cause you do not know about: transport schedules, dropping a child at school, a health issue, a temporary family situation. Present the facts, explain the impact on the team and ask what is happening.

Step 3: know your rights as an employer

Portuguese law gives you tools if the conversation does not resolve it. Repeated, unjustified lateness is a breach of the duty of attendance and punctuality. You can: deduct pay proportionally for the time not worked; issue formal written warnings; in extreme, repeated cases, initiate a disciplinary procedure.

For any of these measures, objective records are essential. Without solid documentation, any sanction can be challenged. Find out more at damastor.com/picco.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.