How do I make sure everyone gets to their work shifts on time?

(Build a fair system that makes on-time the easy thing.)

Tardiness looks like a people problem. Usually it’s a system problem. Schedules posted late. Swaps handled in side chats. Transit realities ignored. A shift that starts with a scramble invites late starts forever.

Here’s how I’ve tightened on-time starts without turning into a hall monitor.

1) Make the start worth starting

When the first five minutes are chaos, people learn there’s no downside to drifting in. I script the open: music on, lights up, stations set, first small win visible (first order, first ticket, first pick). The room feels ready. People like walking into ready.

Huddle beat (7 minutes):

Headcount, hazards, focus, help. Timer visible. Clear handoff. When the opening ritual is consistent, bodies follow the rhythm.

2) Post schedules earlier and rotate the pain fairly

Late schedules = late lives = late arrivals. I post at least 10–14 days ahead. We also rotate the ugly slots (opens/closes) and keep a simple ledger so the same three people don’t carry the burden.

Script for fairness:

“We’re alternating opens by week. If you cover two this week, you’re off the hook next.”

3) Confirm, remind, and simplify swaps

I don’t trust memory. I trust systems. Two light touches:

• Confirm: Everyone taps “got it” in the app or replies “confirmed” in the channel by Thursday noon for next week.

• Remind: Automatic reminder at T-24 and T-90 minutes.

For swaps, we keep it institutional: request → visible to team → manager approves for coverage/fairness → schedule updates in one place. No side-deal DMs that leave the floor short.

4) Map the real barriers

“Be on time” is not a strategy. Ask late folks three practical questions:

• “What makes the open hard?” (childcare, bus, last-minute closes)

• “What would make it easier?” (shift trade, bike locker, 15-minute slide)

• “What’s in your control, what’s not?”

I’ve shifted one person from opens to middays and solved 80% of their lateness. Another needed a transit card subsidy. A third needed clarity: they were stacking a close then an open because the schedule was sloppy. Fix the system and lateness drops.

5) Publish the standard—and the grace

Your policy should be simple and visible:

• Expectation: “Clock-in at 7:55 for an 8:00 open; huddle starts at 8:00.”

• Grace: “We all have life. Two grace passes per quarter—use them, don’t abuse them.”

• Escalation: “If it turns into a pattern, we’ll talk and plan. If it keeps going, we’ll take next steps.”

Adults respect fair standards paired with reasonable grace. What they resent is secret rules enforced at random.

6) Start with data, not drama

Track on-time percentage by week and by shift, not by shaming people on a wall. I share the team number in our Friday recap: “On-time opens were 92%—goal is 96%. We lost nine minutes Monday; fixed by pre-staging.” If one person is dragging the number, I handle it in private.

7) Coach the outliers like you want to keep them

Most tardiness is fixable, not fireable. My coaching line:

“I’ve seen three late starts in two weeks. When you’re late, Sam preps alone and customers stack. What’s getting in the way? Let’s design something that works.”

Then we agree: alarm strategy, bus buffer, different slot, buddy call, whatever is real. Document it. Check in next week. If it doesn’t change, escalate calmly. Clear beats harsh.

8) Make the open a proud role

People rise to roles that feel like trust. I rotate Opener of the Week—a small perk (first pick of shifts, prime parking, free coffee) and a public thank-you. Ownership beats policing.

9) Model it yourself

If you roll in late with “important manager things,” you just gave everyone permission. I aim to be ten minutes early or visibly covered by another lead when I can’t be. Consistency is contagious.

10) Keep the tech light and visible

Whatever tool you use—time clock, kiosk, app—make the first tap easy and the data reliable. A broken clock-in flow teaches people that time is approximate. Fix the tool. Then the behavior.

Quick rollout (7 days):

• Day 1: Publish the standard + grace + escalation.

• Day 2: Post next week’s schedule earlier; add confirmations.

• Day 3: Set up T-24/T-90 reminders.

• Day 4: Map barriers with the top three late folks; adjust once.

• Day 5: Script the opening ritual; assign Opener of the Week.

• Day 6: Share the team on-time %; avoid names.

• Day 7: Rest, then repeat.

On-time starts aren’t about stricter speeches. They’re about a fair system that makes punctuality the easy thing to do and the natural thing to be proud of.