Nearly 1 in 5 employees arrive late at least once a week: Survey

Lack of sleep and traffic to blame

More employees are arriving late at the office than last year, according to a survey by CareerBuilder.ca. Nineteen per cent of the 550 employees surveyed said they arrive late to work at least once a week, up from 17 per cent last year. Eleven per cent said they are late two or more times a week.

Respondents offered many reasons for being late, with lack of sleep and traffic both topping the list with 24 per cent of the votes each, found the survey.

Fifteen per cent cited public transportation for their tardiness, while 12 per cent blamed bad weather. Other common reasons included getting kids to school or daycare, Internet use or their spouse.

"While workers will sometimes be late due to circumstances out of their control, they need to be aware of their companies' tardiness policies," said Rosemary Haefner, vice-president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "Regardless of the reason, workers who are running late should always be honest with their managers."

While some employers are more lenient with worker tardiness, others have stricter policies. Thirty per cent of the 227 employers also surveyed said they have terminated an employee for being late.

Latest stories