Make a quick note in your phone or jot down your observations in a small notepad that you keep on you. This will allow you to recall everything clearly later on.

As you plan for the meeting, think about the level of trust and rapport you have with the employee. [3] X Expert Source Joe SimmonsCorporate Trainer Expert Interview. 29 June 2021.

If your place of work does not have an employee manual, then you will need to rely on your personal observations and past practices to guide your actions. For example, if the employee consistently comes in 15 minutes late, then this is an obvious violation of the schedule.

It is also possible that the HR people know something regarding the employee’s personal or medical life that you do not. For example, the employee may have approached them regarding using part of a medical leave. Ask HR to educate you regarding any company leave policies that could pertain to this employee. [6] X Research source

If you know the employee quite well and think a casual approach may be best, you could leave the office together to go grab some coffee and discuss everything. To set up a meeting, you might say, “Hi, Tom. Good morning, would you mind stopping by my office after lunch?”

Be tactful here as you want to leave plenty of room for them to explain, especially if they are an otherwise good employee. You might say, “Tom, I’ve noticed that you’ve been late quite a bit lately. Can you tell me what’s been going on?” Then, “Tom, your coworkers very much rely on your good work and I’ve noticed a slowdown in productivity lately. ” You could also say, “Hey Susan, is everything okay? I noticed that you’ve been kind of late. Is there something we need to talk about?"[10] X Expert Source Joe SimmonsCorporate Trainer Expert Interview. 29 June 2021. You might also ask, “Are you feeling stressed out?” or “Is there something that’s hindering your performance?"[11] X Expert Source Joe SimmonsCorporate Trainer Expert Interview. 29 June 2021.

You might say, “Tom, we do need at least 24-hours’ notice if you are going to be late for a work day. ”

It also helps to know your employee. Some people respond best to very clearly established consequences while others do better if you just ask for their assistance in complying. [13] X Research source

If the lack of notice is your real concern, perhaps set up a system where they can text or email if they’ll be running late in the future. This is also where you’ll want to talk about any other behavioral issues, such as poor attitude. However, be careful not to overwhelm your employee or you could get a negative, defensive reaction.

You might say, “Before we wrap everything up, do you have any questions for me? I want to make sure that you are clear on everything we’ve gone over. ” You could also help walk your employee through possible solutions, like ways to leave their home earlier or tips on beating traffic. [15] X Expert Source Joe SimmonsCorporate Trainer Expert Interview. 29 June 2021.

This is another reason why you want to have this conversation sooner rather than later. If you wait too long before talking with them, they may feel as if you should’ve warned them earlier.

This letter should also be placed with an employee’s official file with HR.