How late is still on time? Gen Z have an answer

Turning up to work on time is a fairly non-negotiable part of the job description, but there seems to be a little confusion about what ‘on time’ means.

Scratching your head?

Well, Gen Z have spoken and almost half of them say being between five to 10 minutes late is ‘as good’ as being on time.

It’s even developed into a TikTok trend where employers are recording what time their employees show up to work, listing their contracted start time on the screen.

One company, Alice and Wonder on TikTok did this trend with a start time of 8am, with one colleague showing up at 8:22am.

But should you be five minutes early to your shift so you can start physically working at your desk at 8am?

Or is it acceptable to be entering the office around 8am, give or take a few minutes.

Jim Moore, employee relations expert at HR consultants Hamilton Nash, tells Metro this is a debate the human resources department is tired of.

‘Most grizzled HR veterans will roll their eyes when it comes to questions of punctuality, as this is a battle that has been fought since time immemorial,’ he says.

To settle the debate, what does constitute being on time?

‘”On time” means you’re at your work station ready to begin work at your start time,’ Jim explains.

‘That doesn’t mean driving through the gates, or walking through the front door or making your first coffee of the day.

‘Ten minutes late every day adds up to 50 minutes a week, which is almost 40 hours of work time over the course of a year.’
He agrees it’s very much a Gen Z attitude and the stats back it up.

A 2024 study by Meeting Canary polled office workers and found that 69% of Boomers believe lateness is ‘not acceptable’.

For Millennials, 39% would be forgiving if a colleague was 10 minutes late, while only 26% of Generation X would overlook the same tardiness.

Just a fifth of Boomers would let a 10 minute lateness slide, making them the least forgiving employees in the office.

‘Gen Z entered the workforce during a time of unprecedented upheaval, and discipline around timings has been looser than previous generations experienced,’ Jim explains.

‘Most of them have never experienced the rigid nine-to-five routine, and they don’t understand why arriving five minutes late matters if they’re getting their work done.

‘HR departments are well aware of this generational difference.

Older managers see persistent lateness as unprofessional, while younger workers see the requirement as an outdated relic.’
A chief HR officer on TikTok (@thehrchic) spoke about the impression being 10 minutes late leaves on your co-workers and what it could do to your career.

‘It looks like you’re just expecting grace form others,’ she says.

‘It looks irresponsible.

It looks like you didn’t plan.

It looks like you’re expecting others to adjust their time to yours.

It looks like it’s intentional.

‘Once this becomes predictable, it becomes part of your reputation.

You think it’s five minutes, they think it’s who you are.’
Even if Gen Z are adamant the few minutes difference is still on time, bosses clearly see it differently, and there could be consequences.

‘We’ve all been late sometimes, whether that’s due to bad traffic, a childcare issue or a genuine emergency, but being late regularly is when it becomes a real problem,’ Jim adds.

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‘Any good manager should be having a conversation with the employee long before it reaches HR.

But if the issue continues, it could escalate to formal conversations and potentially disciplinary action.’
He explains persistent lateness should be deal with an informal conversation and verbal warning to begin with, which should escalate to a written warning if it continues.

‘The worst offenders could face dismissal for gross misconduct if they repeatedly fail to turn up on time despite repeated warnings,’ Jim says.

‘Smart employers will have an explicit conversation about expectations to make sure everyone understands the rules.

If start times are genuinely important, explain why.

‘If they’re not, stop pretending they are and focus on output instead.’
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.