I have heard “Island Time” or in the Philippines “Filipino Time” as a way of justifying why you are late. Of course, one of PayrollHero’s missions is to help employees be punctual for their jobs, so I thought it would be a good topic for a post on 5 reasons why you should never be late.

1. It is Disrespectful
When you are late, you are telling the person that you are meeting with that your time is more important that their time.  It shows a lack of respect and common courtesy to others.

2. It is Stressful
Or it should be. When your running late, you worry about the repercussions at work, with your appointment, etc. Lower your stress and plan your travel time accordingly. Your body will thank you for it.

3. It Can Cause a Chain Reaction
When you’re late, it makes other people late.

4. Bad Reputation
Being known for tardiness is never a good thing and is a hard reputation to shake.

5. Its not Professional
As you move forward in your work life, tardiness is less and less accepted. Best to get in good habits right from the start!

How can you improve your punctuality? 

– move closer to your job
– budget more time for your commute
– take weather conditions into account when leaving for work
– leave enough time between appointments to account for traffic delays
– change you mode of transport if it is the cause of your tardiness

What are your ideas on how to improve?