STOCKHOLM, July 12, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's tough economic climate, where productivity and resources are being closely scrutinized, employers are taking more notice of punctuality. Twenty-seven per cent of business leaders in Sweden reported they are paying more attention to what time workers arrive than they had in healthier economic cycles. Eleven per cent of employers said they would terminate an employee who was late two or three times while 12 per cent would terminate the employee for being tardy four or five times. The study was conducted from 29 April to 7 May 2010 on behalf of CareerBuilder.se and included more than 100 Swedish business leaders across industries.

While employers would prefer workers to clock in at their designated start time, many are willing to afford workers with some flexibility. Forty-four per cent of Swedish employers said they didn't care if their employees are running late as long as their work is completed on time with good quality.

When asked to share the most unusual excuses workers gave to explain their late arrivals, European employers offered the following real-life examples:

- Employee said there was a bank robbery in front of his house. - Employee was delayed by volcanic ash. - Employee was concerned about an impending comet impact. - Employee reported that a horse jumped over a hedge straight on top of her car. - Employee's cat was stuck in the cat flap. - Employee's house was on fire. - Employee's car was blocked in by a stolen car and the police were taking fingerprints. - Employee had difficulty adjusting to the climate change from winter to summer. - Employee said someone moved his teeth. - Employee said, I always leave at the same time. Sometimes I'm late, sometimes I'm not. I can't figure it out.

The survey illustrates the importance of being present in the office during tough economic times. Arriving on time demonstrates commitment and engagement and it is crucial that employees have an understanding of what their managers expect of them. Naturally, a professional manager will assess your productivity rather than your time spent at work. However, if your line of work is in a store, a reception or other types of scheduled work, punctuality is essential. Late arrivals signal irresponsibility and risks you being perceived as unreliable. However entertaining creative excuses may be, it is preferable to be on time if you care about your job, says Anders Selvehed, Managing Director for CareerBuilder Sweden.

Three Tips for Getting to Work on Time 1) Plan ahead. Set everything you need to get out the door in one place the night before. If you drive to work, make sure you have a full tank of gas. 2) Limit distractions. Turn off the TV or computer. Save phone calls for the commute. 3) Consider an alternate work arrangement. Telecommuting enables you to start your workday right away.

Survey Methodology

An online survey of 625 business leaders in Sweden, the UK, France, Germany and Italy was conducted in a range of organizations between 29 April and 14 May. Business leaders included C-level executives, directors and senior managers with recruitment responsibilities. The survey was conducted online by Shape the Future, a market research agency based near London which specialises in high speed online research.

The total sample size in Sweden was 101, giving a margin of error of 9.8 per cent at 95 per cent confidence. The survey was conducted strictly according to the code of conduct of the UK’s Market Research Society.

About CareerBuilder.se

CareerBuilder.se is one of the most visited online job sites in Sweden. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. , Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company and Microsoft Corp. , CareerBuilder.se powers the career centres for multiple Swedish sites that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. For more information about CareerBuilder products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.se.

Press Contacts: Anders Selvehed vd, CareerBuilder Nordic 08-522 167 00 Anders.selvehed@careerbuilder.se Peter Andersson LEWIS PR 08-517 00 483 petera@lewispr.com

SOURCE: CareerBuilder.se

CONTACT: Anders Selvehed, vd, CareerBuilder Nordic, 08-522-167-00,Anders.selvehed@careerbuilder.se; or Peter Andersson of LEWIS PR,08-517-00-483, petera@lewispr.com, for CareerBuilder.se