Lateness is something that no employer will tolerate, but it can be particularly damaging in the salon business. When your reputation rests on the punctuality of your staff, it can be very troubling to deal with persistently late team members. 

Being late once or twice is to be expected, sometimes it is just unavoidable. But persistent lateness can be a sign of underlying problems. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main causes of lateness in the salon industry and how you can tackle it within your company.

Top reasons for lateness

Working in salons comes with some unique challenges.

• Irregular working patterns can lead to workers missing entire shifts. 
• Unexpected changes to schedules can also lead workers to mix up the days they are supposed to be working and what time they are expected to be there. 
• Since salon work is often quite flexible, many parents will try to fit it in around childcare. But looking after young children can throw up unexpected challenges that lead to lateness. 
• And finally, a high workload that is all too common in salons could lead workers to be overworked and stressed. This could lead to missed shifts. 

If you’re dealing with any of these issues with your staff, here are some surefire ways to address the problem.

Keep everyone on the same page

Last-minute appointments and late-night changes to shifts could leave your employees out of the loop. To stop this from happening, use a salon software system that will enable your workers to see exactly when they are needed at work. By centralising this information, there can be no confusion. Making last-minute changes to a worker’s schedule can be very stressful and make it difficult for them to manage their work-life balance. Try to avoid this as much as possible as it can lead employees to be late when they aren’t really to blame.

Talk to your employees openly

If lateness is becoming a persistent issue, you should speak to the employee directly to find out if there are any issues outside work that are causing them to be late. They may be struggling with public transport or they may be feeling overworked. Those who are working alongside their studies may have bitten off more than they can chew. It may be that you need to change their working pattern to make things more manageable.

Give the first warning

If there is no reasonable excuse for their lateness and they are simply not showing up to work on time, you should give the employee their first written warning. Make it clear that lateness will not be tolerated and give them guidelines for what they need to do if they have a genuine reason for being late. If they continue to show up to work late, then you can give them a final warning. Failing to listen to a final warning is often enough to terminate their contract.

If the individual is not an employee but simply rents a chair in your salon then you cannot decide their hours of work. They will be responsible for setting their own hours and for booking appointments. If customers are left waiting for their appointments, make it clear that the person is not linked to your salon and they are an independent contractor. This should help to protect your business from any negative comments. If this is a persistent problem, you may be able to end your contract with them if you have a chair rental agreement in place.

Put your business first

Your employees should be a priority, but not at the expense of your business. Persistent lateness can make it very difficult to run a salon smoothly. If customers are kept waiting, this can reflect poorly on your business and may lead to damaging reviews.

Reviews can stick with a business for a long time, and your reputation could be difficult to heal. This is why it is important to tackle these issues head-on and never assume that they will be resolved without intervention.

Firing an employee can be unpleasant, but if your business is at risk you need to act to prevent the issue from spiralling out of control. Lateness is often a sign that a worker does not value their job, so letting an employee go is often the best step to take in this situation. 

Dealing with consistently late staff is never easy, but with clear policies, open communication and the right systems in place, you can create a more reliable and professional team. Schedule a free demo of Salon Iris today to see how our software can help you track staff performance, manage schedules, and keep your salon running smoothly.