How to Deal With Coworkers Who Are Always Late to Meetings

Practice makes perfect. Time is money. The early bird gets the worm.

Chances are, you grew up hearing the same phrases and being taught the same things. Living by a calendar, having structure, and conducting yourself in a professional way were the most suitable ways to climb the ranks at work – or society’s hierarchy, for that matter. Aside from “repetition, repetition, repetition,” the one I heard most often, perhaps, was along the lines of, “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.” It plays in my head on repeat if I am ever late to meetings or an event.

Imagine my surprise when I entered the working world and realized that these societal expectations are actually only placed on some people, some of the time. I used to put effort into an eye roll here and there when a hungover classmate was struggling to buss in with 15 minutes left or my own professors would show up 20 minutes late to class in college. (After all, we were paying them hundreds of dollars for each class and that time seemed precious.) 

But when you have coworkers who are subject to tardiness about everything they do, it just isn’t worth it to spend the entire day wincing.

Being Late to Meetings is Common

A recent survey found that 15 to 20 percent of people in the United States are considered – or consider themselves – consistently late. Many people learn this behavior from the people they surround themselves with. After all, I know plenty of people who have become laxer in their arrival times since cohabitating with others who may not have operated by a rigid timetable in the past. 

Still, others actually set out with the means to be on time – even early – every time. If they are easily distracted or overwhelmed, there are plenty of items that could crop up during the day to pull them out of their flow. If they aren’t focused on workload management, time can get away from them. So, a colleague could be starting the day with the best intentions. 

In fact, idealists make up a good percentage of repeat late-arrival offenders. They start the day with this glittering idea of how everything will transpire. They add a lot to their workload and to-do lists early on, and then before they even realize they are overwhelmed, they may be missing an integral meeting.

A 2017 article examines why so many people tend toward tardiness. Amidst the aforementioned, it takes time to highlight the belief a percentage of human brains may not be capable of correctly identifying lengths of time. “In 2001, Jeff Conte, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, ran a study in which he separated participants into the typical Type A (ambitious, competitive, status-climbers) and Type B (creative, reflective, explorative) categories. He then asked participants in each category to judge, without clocks, how long it took for one minute to elapse,” reports Paulas. “Conte found that Type A subjects felt a minute had gone by when roughly 58 seconds had passed. Type B participants felt that a minute had gone by after 77 seconds.”

It’s Not About You

For a while, I truly saw people who had an inclination toward tardiness as disrespectful. There is a set time for each meeting. Everyone involved took the time to carve it into their schedule and reject or decline other meetings, events, and work opportunities. In some instances, it can feel like there is no regard for everyone else’s time and responsibilities. 

Sometimes, that may be the case. But the majority of the time? You are dealing with someone who is forgetful. Or doesn’t know how to properly manage a calendar. Maybe they are overworked, overwhelmed, or overindulged. 

Being Late to Meetings Can Hinder Progress

29% of employees show up late to work at least once a month. While most workers are only occasionally late, people who suffer from being chronically late may be making a lasting negative impact within the workspace. Anyone who sees a colleague’s tardiness as simply disrespectful may be less willing to cooperate with their ideas or move forward on a project with them. This could be especially destructive if they are late to meetings with a client. 

If your colleague is late because of a problematic sleep schedule, this could drastically affect every other aspect of their life. Their quality of health could hang in the balance if they aren’t getting enough sleep, which also decreases alertness. Exhaustion can lead to distraction, brain fogginess, and a loss of creativity, among some of the less serious symptoms.

Any part of the meeting that is missed is more time they will have to spend looking up any notes that were taken, doing any additional training, or trying to understand the task at hand. 

Managing Work With People Who Are Late to Meetings

Incorporating a workflow that benefits everyone will help you move forward as a team, regardless of the schedule of each individual team member. For example, if the team’s manager is aware that Logan is always between 3 and 18 minutes late for meetings, maybe they first try to adjust meeting times without telling Logan. Giving everyone else the expectation that the chat will start at 10:20 am will allow them to get more tasks completed, while Logan prioritizes the meeting a few minutes later than what would be ideal.

In most work meetings, someone will be designated to take meeting notes or record minutes. Where they may have kept them in a document on their computer and emailed them out after each meeting, perhaps they can be given access to the document to the team to view in real-time. That way, anyone who is late can read the doc to catch up and contribute meaningfully to the meeting. Recording minutes in a shared project or notes in Hive is a simple way to streamline the meeting. Unless that person is the “always late” colleague, this should be a really easy workflow adjustment.

Another way to approach the situation is to ensure your colleague has a seat close to the door. That way they can slip in, causing as little distraction as possible. (If you find that they are late because of a caffeine habit, you can always ask that they bring you your favorite morning beverage if they are going to be late.)

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that everyone has their reasons for being late. Be it a learned practice, something they grew up with, trauma response, anxiety, or otherwise. If the issue is something that truly bothers you, schedule time with them to discuss what obstacles they may be facing. 

Be prepared to offer support to help them adjust their creative flow if that is something that is important to your company.

Use Hive To Be On Time For Meetings

Did you know that Hive has a calendar feature that displays all your meetings for the day? Hive also reminds you of your meeting a few minutes before it starts — so you can join the Zoom or in-person meeting on time.