It is upon thorough observation and being subject to the most ridiculous of excuses for tardiness, poor performance and other aspects of personal lives of employees I write this.
When one accepts a job, he/she accepts the terms and conditions, salary and hours of work. Why is it that people suddenly have the right to arrive late almost everyday with excuses such as living far, having children, sick parents to attend to etc?
From a point of managerial perspective, that's your personal life. Employees that do this deliberately, especially using children as the excuse for such unacceptable behaviour must suck it up and deal with it! You chose to have a job, family and responsibilities, if you can't manage your time effectively, make a choice.
In other parts of the world, this nonsense is no excuse for compromising the productivity, output and economic growth of the country at large.
Such excuses can be easily deemed as insubordination; not caring about the job and can hinder one's chances of promotion. Yes, if you can't manage yourself, how can you manage others and lead an organisation to reach it's optimum potential? Management begins with self. I know that many may view my words as harsh, however, we in Trinidad have it nice. Other countries dismiss for tardiness, there's little or no maternity leave and employers that don't permit women in particular to work. Let us be grateful for what we have.
We should treat our jobs with the same respect and dignity that we would treat our own business. I'm sure that none of us would appreciate children or distance being an excuse for cutting productivity on a daily basis if we own a business. If people respect their jobs, by the law of attraction, greater things will be added on to them.
Let us take example from those that juggle work, family, business, social activities and multiple factors while doing exceptionally well in all aspects of their work ethic. Usually, those that manage all these things, have unquestionable respect for time, understanding that time equals money and is a scarce commodity that cannot be replaced.
So, it is my fervent hope and that of many business owners, that employees embrace what is in front of them and make the best of their circumstances until they take the step to explore existing options.
Xaviera Rampersadsingh
Princes Town