In some cultures it is acceptable to be late, meaning arriving after the agreed upon time. This makes the definition of “being on time” subjective as some take it as meaning being 5 minutes before the agreed upon time, for others 15 minutes after.
I’ve asked this of many people and some swear there’s no such thing as cultural differences when it comes to being on time. Others argued that everyone knows that everyone else will be 15 minutes late so, in fact, everyone is on time. In today’s increasingly diverse workplaces these differences can create some tension – and make some team members feel they’re being taken advantage of.
Do you deal with this cultural difference in your workplace? What approach do you take?
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Discussion