Rise & Shine
Subject: Reminder on Punctuality and Professional Conduct – Effective May 6, 2025
Dear Team,
As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering a positive, respectful, and professional work environment, we would like to remind all employees of the company’s policy on attendance and punctuality.
Our official working hours are 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with a one-hour lunch break. To support flexibility, the company allows a grace period until 10:00 AM for check-in. Please note that 10:00 AM is the latest acceptable time for arriving at the office. Any arrival after 10:00 AM, or early departure without valid and approved reasons, will be considered a violation of company policy.
Effective May 6, 2025, employees who arrive late beyond the allowed time or leave early without justification will receive an official written warning.
Please note that any disciplinary action will be at the discretion of management, considering the specific circumstances and the employee’s overall behavior. This policy aims not to penalize but to reinforce a professional and respectful workplace culture. Should any new issues arise, such as uncooperative attitudes or resistance related to this policy, they will be handled in accordance with our standard disciplinary procedures.
We would also like to clarify that if you need to leave the office for work-related reasons during office hours, prior approval from executive management is required. Please do not assume that authorization can be given by other colleagues or team members without executive agreement. This ensures alignment, accountability, and fairness across the company.
To clarify, please see examples of attendance scenarios:
Scenario | Time (Arrival → Departure) | Explanation | Compliance | Recommended Action |
🌟 1. Extra dedication | Before 09:00 → After 18:00 | Showing extra dedication and commitment | 🌟 Highly encouraged | Keep leading by example; consider leadership roles |
👍 2. On-time + overtime | 09:00 → After 18:00 | On-time arrival, stayed late to contribute extra effort | ✅ Highly commendable | Great effort—keep setting an example |
✅ 3. Fully on-time | Before/at 09:00 → at 18:00 | Full working day as scheduled; shows good discipline | ✅ Acceptable (preferred) | Keep up good work; consider mentoring others |
✨ 4. Grace period + overtime | Before/at 10:00 → After 18:00 | Arrived within grace period and stayed late | ✅ Acceptable (shows extra effort) | Positive effort; aim to arrive earlier |
🕒 5. Grace period only | Before/at 10:00 → at 18:00 | Used full grace period but completed day | ✅ Acceptable (but aim for earlier) | Try to shift earlier; show initiative |
⚠️ 6. Late + overtime | After 10:00 → After 18:00 | Late arrival, stayed late to compensate | ⚠️ Not recommended | Prioritize arriving before 10:00. Spending extra hours after 18:00 cannot compensate for coming in late. |
❌ 7. Late + no extra time | After 10:00 → at 18:00 | Late arrival; stayed only until official end | ❌ Unacceptable | Correct behavior immediately: Must prioritize arriving by 10:00; seek support for lateness issues |
❌ 8. Early leave | Before/at 10:00 → Before 18:00 | Left early without approval | ❌ Unacceptable | Correct behavior immediately: Seek approval for early leave in advance |
❌ 9. Late + early leave | After 10:00 → Before 18:00 | Late arrival & early leave; fails both | ❌🚩 Violation | Correct behavior immediately; discuss improvement plan with manager. If pattern continues, reconsider fit with startup work culture. |
🚪 10. Unapproved mid-day leave | Left office during work hours without permission | Absent without approval during day | ❌🚩 Violation | Stop immediately; management approval required before leaving during work hours. Repeated incidents may lead to disciplinary action. |
👉 Take a moment to ask yourself: which category do you currently fall into? And where do you want to be?
In summary, arriving later than 10:00 AM is still considered late, regardless of how late you stay after hours. Leaving early or during the day without approval is unacceptable, even if you arrived on time.
Rung recently asked Kevin: "Boss, what do you expect from our team?" His response was: "What I expect, what I want, what I get are very different things. If our company were optimized, those things would never be very far apart. We've spent a lot of time trying to optimize this company. In fact, we've spent too much time on it. Everyone should leave the office assessing their impact on the company's progress that day. There's a famous quote often attributed to Warren Buffett: "Live your life as though every act would be reported on the front page of The New York Times."
Many versions of that compelling quote could resonate for a company trying to convince its staff to work like owners. One of them could be: "Work as if every task, hour, and decision you make will be reviewed by the entire company on the front page of our newsletter."
Another one might be: "Imagine you own this company: every late arrival, every questionable sick day on a Monday or Friday, every stretched-out task cuts into your success. Work as if your choices decide the company’s future—because with a company this size, they do."
Whatever you're doing today (calling in sick, working from home, coming late, leaving early, etc), What would you do in the same situation if you owned the company?
- If you were a sole proprietor of a coffee shop, would you close the shop if you had a headache?
- What if your shift manager asked to work from home between two holidays?
- What if one of your staff is always mysteriously sick on a Friday or Monday after a long weekend?
- What if your sales manager was "out of the office" for all day meetings and you discovered that he was playing golf with friends?
- What if one of your staff started creating their own rules, choosing to do what they think is right instead of following the company’s rules and regulations?
We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to upholding the company’s values. If you have questions or require clarification, please feel free to contact HR.
Best Regards,
HRMS
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