Attendance and punctuality is extremely important in the food and service industry. After all, if a server doesn’t show up on time to meet the dinner rush, it creates immediate challenges for the entire restaurant staff. Tardiness disrupts the workflow and wastes the time of other workmates. Of course, there’s a fine line between following employee handbooks to the letter, while demonstrating compassion for unexpected circumstances that come up.

In this post, I share sample performance review phrases specific to attendance and punctuality. These include positive and negative feedback examples describing this employee behavior. 

Positive Performance Review Phrases for Attendance

• One thing we can praise [insert name] for is his/her attendance. He/she never arrived late over the past 12 months of employment. 
• [Insert name] is an example to everyone. They never leave the job early and have regularly demonstrated willingness to work late. For example, to finish the monthly sales report in advance of a quarterly meeting, [employee name] continued working until 8 p.m. to finalize reporting. 
• Arrives earlier than everyone else, keeps to their schedule, and follows the allotted break times the company has set.
• [Employee name] is excellent at managing their time. He/she is one of the team members who arrive for meetings on time and are prepared to discuss the specifics of the business. 
• [Employee name] is a role model for his coworkers due to the spotless attendance record.
• [Employee name] is demonstrating the actions that make a quality leader in the organization. They not only show up on time as is expected, they are fully engaged in solving problems during the workday.
• Surpasses expectations by being on time for work meetings and events. Most importantly, the employee engages in meetings and asks smart questions that help illuminate blind spots. 
• Promotes punctuality to his colleagues by being the last to leave and coming early. In turn, his team performs well in attendance, too, because he is setting a good example.

Had flawless attendance the entire year. He/she always shows up on time and does not miss a single day of work. This is the 10th year in a row that [employee name] has been able to accomplish this feat. Kudos!

• There’s not a day that he/she doesn’t clock in at least twenty minutes early. This punctuality helps the entire kitchen staff, including chefs and prep cooks, operate efficiently before the dinner rush. 
• Always arrives on time and is fully prepared for conferences. There’s always a smile on [employee name] and they look professional and put together. 
• Ensures that the staff members are reporting to him/her following the attendance rules concerning arrival time and breaks.
• Consistently outperforms other team members due to her outstanding punctuality and attendance.
• Has been punctual all year and has shown good attention to detail.
• Respects business guidelines when scheduling leaves and vacations.
• [Insert name] is a top performer in terms of dependability and attendance.
• He/she regularly arrives at work before the start of their shift.
• Returns from lunch promptly and continues to be productive until the very end of the workday.
• Is well aware of the potential consequences his/her absence from work could have on coworkers and the business as a whole.

Needs Improvement Performance Review Phrases for Attendance

Know a coworker who is absent physically or mentally at work?

• Is frequently and without prior notice not attending work. This has happened more than 15 times over the past 12 months and has been well-documented by two managers. 
• *Employee Name* does not follow the HR guidelines on how many days they should file a vacation or unpaid leave. I suggest that the employee reread chapter 6 of the employee handbook to familiarize themselves with employee expectations. 
• Without getting permission, leaves the office to perform errands for personal purposes. This puts a lot of pressure on our already understaffed customer service team. 
• [Insert name] leaves work earlier than they should. The entire team’s productivity is already harmed by this. In fact, we missed out on two sales last month because [employee name] wasn’t at their desk to answer a phone call. 
• Repeatedly tardy for work and should focus on being on time every day to improve their attendance.
• Took many more personal days than were allowed and was unavailable when it was necessary.
• Has a careless attitude toward attendance and punctuality, which has a negative impact on her performance. [Employee name] was not prepared to present at the sales meeting either. 
• Arrives late in the morning, does not compensate for the lost time, and vanishes at his/her scheduled time of going home. They need to organize their work schedule better and utilize the company calendar system to share work projects. 
• Frequently runs behind schedule throughout a normal workday, starting meetings late and interfering with others’ arrangements. To assist his/her coworkers, he/she must fix their schedules.

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• Regularly shows up late for work and disregards the attendance policy despite being warned repeatedly by the management.
• Tim missed two shifts in May alone. This resulted in increased wait times for customers to be served and reduced revenues for the diner on both days.
• [Insert name]’s attendance has been excellent for the majority of the year, but over the past few months, he/she has frequently been tardy and absent from work. They need to start working on being more dependable.
• It’s great that he/she gets to work on time, but it’s not great that they take an hour every morning to make coffee and discuss the night’s partying.
• Even though [name] always shows up at work, he/she is not always prepared to work. They frequently meet with other people in the early hours of the day, which disrupts others, lowers productivity, and has an impact on other team members of [name].
• [Name] is very punctual, but their subordinates are not. He/she needs to do a better job of leading the team to stick to the company’s work schedule.
• *Name* is a valuable worker, but regrettably, they have terrible attendance. Their evaluation is suffering from this one flaw, so it needs to be fixed.

Positive Performance Review Phrases for Punctuality

• I come to work every day ready to take on my duties and meet all punctuality and attendance requirements set by the company.
• I am a trustworthy employee that shows up and leaves on schedule. My breaks are thoughtfully scheduled and don’t go longer than authorized.
• Upholds high standards of work and never misses a deadline, no matter how hard.
• Always turns in his/her projects and tasks on time and makes sure they are on point.
• Makes arrangements for his vacation well and never abandons duties undone.
• The majority of his/her tasks are finished far earlier than expected.
• [Insert name] is a trustworthy employee/colleague who never has attendance or punctuality problems.

Follows the attendance requirement and refrains from taking unnecessary absences or sick days.

• [Insert name] makes sure that conferences start and end on time.
• Creates effective scheduling strategies that significantly increase their productivity.
• He/she meets deadlines for work completion that have been set.
• Pays meticulous attention to being on time, which enables him/her to handle unforeseen circumstances and achieve deadlines on short notice.
• [Insert name] closely monitors his/her team’s adherence to correct timekeeping. He/she effectively manage his/her team to make sure they complete their tasks on time.
• Has a solid attendance record and consistently shows up on time for needed projects.
• His dedication, consistency, and punctuality make him one of the company’s most valuable employees.
• Respects his staff members who carry out their duties on time and according to his guidelines.
• Manages his staff to a high level of attendance, frequently placing them among the firm’s best employees for on-time attendance.
• On days when it is bad outside, he/she leaves early to make it to work on time.

Needs Improvement Performance Review Phrases for Punctuality

Tardiness shows lack of discipline to employers.

• Attempts to improve their time management skills and address punctuality concerns, but so far, he/she is unsuccessful.
• Dave really needs to turn things around. Dave always seems to be on break, grabbing a coffee, or missing in the bathroom. Customers and coworkers have a difficult time getting ahold of Dave.
• Generally takes a break from work when difficult decisions are announced at meetings.
• Frequently late to start their shift and was always late coming back after lunch breaks.
• Frequently tardy for work and needs to do better in order to follow corporate policies.

Takes sick days over the weekends and also uses the full number of permissible sick days.

• During the winter, he/she is often tardy for work and gives excuses that are not acceptable.
• He/she doesn’t show up for work and doesn’t call to let their boss know. 
• Attends fewer meetings than needed and, when he does, arrives late, showing a lack of regard for others’ schedules.
• He/she takes much too many breaks.
• Arrives late for work without a valid excuse most of the time. 
• He is punctual, but many of the others who work for him are not. He needs to teach the personnel about the importance of being on time.
• Regularly takes longer lunches and does not compensate for the lost time in his work schedule.

He/she consistently arrives late at work, which is a sign of disregard for his/her coworkers. Employees whose shifts are about to end are affected by their being late for work.

• Even though [name] comes early each morning, he/she is extremely slow and takes a while to get to work. We suggest they work on this and start working as soon as they get here.
• Has a laid-back attitude toward attendance and punctuality. His coworkers are negatively affected by this.
• Works the assigned schedule, but his/her frequent tardiness in going back from “off-site breaks” has a negative impact on their colleagues.
• The institution’s attendance rules require [name] to improve their poor attendance record within the next 30 days or risk being fired.

Performance Review Phrases about Dependability

• Is always eager to help his/her colleagues. The entire team depends heavily on her.
• If this employee had a theme song, it would be “Like a Rock.” The employee is always on time and can be relied on to solve the toughest challenges.
• Can always be counted on to deliver their best in every project and under all situations.
• [Employee name] is a valued member of the team. They can accomplish even the trickiest work projects and have demonstrated this consistently. 
• Does all responsibilities and works with fellow employees to help them keep theirs.
• Shows high accountability at work and keeps all promises to colleagues.
• Competent, does every task they’re responsible for, achieves the expected work outcomes, and an overall good colleague to work with.
• Never disappoints by accomplishing every workday, and we can always rely on him/her.

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• Works extra hours without being asked just to get all the tasks completed within the set due dates.
• Is not worried about hardships at work. He/she tries very hard to do his best regardless of the situation.
• Shows up at work well ahead of time or earlier than he should. He complies with the schedule set by the company no matter what.
• You can count on him in completing even the highest level of detail at every task.
• He/she is ready to fix it whenever a difficult problem comes up and works pretty well under pressure.
• Manages all tasks thoughtfully from start to finish.
• Imposes consistency and reliability from colleagues, particularly when working together as a team.

How can you fairly rate an employee’s attendance at work?

Great work on being a dependable employee!

For businesses of all sizes, conducting an employee attendance evaluation can be tricky. Hence, consider these suggestions to simplify the evaluation process and learn how to fairly rate an employee’s attendance at work in a standardized way. 

• Take into account the unique factors of employee attendance. Keep in mind to include all the data pertaining to employee hours when gathering data for attendance evaluation. This will enable you to gather reliable data for an accurate evaluation. Among the essential factors that must be considered on time cards, sick leaves, and detailed log of attendance- and punctuality-related information. Of course, keep in mind the tenure of each employee and the unique circumstances that individuals may face. For example, an employee with years of consistent attendance may suddenly start missing work due to an illness in a the family, change in life circumstances or other reasons that will subside eventually with time. Make sure to provide some flexibility in your reviews based on past performance.  

• Check the authenticity of the excuse for absences. If an employee is absent for more than 10 days in a row, many organizations demand medical proof or documentation. It is acceptable for an employer to ask for a doctor’s letter if an employee requires a long-term leave of absence. If you decide to demand medical docs for several absences, you should include a statement in this regard in your company’s attendance policy. Again, make sure to standardize this process to ensure the expectations are clear. 
• Get feedback from their colleagues. To get a complete picture of how an employee is truly doing with their attendance and punctuality, you can also ask for anonymous feedback from colleagues or direct managers. I used to have a coworker who was regularly rolling into the office at 10 a.m. or later and then would leave around 3 p.m. If asked by my manager, I would have been able to vouch for extreme tardiness. 

How can you improve employee attendance and prevent tardiness?

Improve tardiness for a higher performance evaluation.

A company’s profitability and productivity can suffer as a result of employee absenteeism and tardiness. Here are some simple steps that will help you boost employee attendance and reduce lateness in your workplace. 

• Set clear policies. A straightforward absence/tardiness policy is essential if any employees are required to report to work at a specific time. Make sure that employees are given the policy at the onset of their work and are informed about attendance expectations during the onboarding process. You can also include the rules in the employee handbook so it can be used as a reference for orientations. This makes everything clear for employees and people managers inside the company. 

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• Quickly address attendance and tardiness problems. As a general rule of thumb, you should treat all employees the same, no matter their age, location, or background. Create a standard procedure for communication with employees that have challenges meeting attendance expectations. Make sure Human Resources knows how to document these communication steps in the event you ultimately need to reprimand or terminate an employee. 
• Establish a reward system for compliance. The concept is straightforward: employees should be rewarded for good behavior. By putting in place an incentive system, you encourage staff to be more punctual. This benefits could come in the form of gift cards, more time off, or a reward the recognizes the employee with “best attendance” in the office or restaurant.

You can make an employee attendance and punctuality evaluation more effective by knowing the right phrases to use during them and understanding how to offer fair advice. I hope the above sample performance review phrases and guides assisted you in conveying the message you intend in your reviews about attendance and punctuality.