You might wonder, “What’s the big deal if I come in to work a minute, or 5 minutes late?” Let that go. Throw any arguments in defense of lateness aside, my friend. Every. Boss. Wants. You. To. Be. On. Time. ALL of them!! Unless they explicitly say, “Hey, you don’t have to come in on time. You can be late! Who cares!”, you gotta be on time. Here are some ways to make sure you’re always on time to work every day.

Get your commute down to a science

First, figure out how you’re getting to work. Do you take the bus? Or the train? Maybe you drive? Then, whatever means of transportation you choose, you need to calculate how long it will take to get to your job.

Try:

• Using a bus or train tracker app to master your route.
• Use Google Maps to get an estimate of how much traffic will delay your commute if you drive.
• Waking up early enough so you have time to do whatever you need to do to get ready (dress, shower, eat breakfast, etc.). 

If the start of your shift varies day-by-day, make sure you have a plan! Your commute to work at 8:00 a.m. might look different from your commute to work at 12:00 p.m. for an afternoon shift. Map out the differences in bus times, traffic differences, etc. to plan accordingly.

Allow yourself enough time to account for potential delays

This means taking into account factors such as traffic, weather, public transport delays, or even unexpected emergencies like a flat tire or a missed train. We suggest giving yourself a buffer of extra time in your morning routine. For example, if you typically leave the house at 8:00 am to get to work by 9:00 am, try leaving ten or fifteen minutes earlier to allow for any unexpected delays that might happen along the way. 

Make sure you know how to clock in and out properly!

Many hourly jobs will have you clock in for your shift when you start, and clock out when you get off or take breaks. Clocking in is easy, just do it when you start working! But clocking out for breaks requires you to keep tabs on how much time you’re spending off work. For example, if you have a 30 minute lunch use a timer to make sure you’re back from lunch in 30 minutes. The same principle applies for breaks!

Getting to work on time requires planning, preparation, and flexibility. But once you get your routine down and have your backup plans in place, you can ensure that you arrive at work on time and be ready to tackle the day ahead!

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