The issue here is arriving and departing from office.

Obviously everyone knows the importance of being on time for meetings. And also delivery of tasks on time.

Why are you changing the topic?

The topic is covered under punctuality.

If everyone knows the importance of being on time, why would one specifically exclude an agreed time to start work?

Just like meetings set with a start time.

To answer TS, if a staff persistently fails to meet a target mutually agreed prior, then the staff is in breach of the agreement and faces the consequences specified therein.

However as i mentioned earlier, the cause of such insubordination is usually attributed to poor management.

Not really actually.

The stuff responsibility is to deliver the work that he has promised. If part of the work includes arriving on time, then yes, he should arrive on time.

That's because for most functionalities, the agreed time to start work is not really a necessity. It's there just because of formalities.

Everyone knows that this demand to arrive on time is just to please the HR and also the management's ego. HR do not have much to do and so introduce unnecessary rules for everyone else to follow.

It's a well-known fact that companies that adhere strictly to rules such as being punctual in the office often leads to most tension and the best people will not want to stay in such companies.

As for coming to meeting with a set start time. Well, I have to respect the time of the other people in the meeting right?

That's why most people do not follow the start time that is stated in the contract because we know that it's a joke really. It's just there just to follow formalities. Employers know if they really implement that start time rule. All of their talents will probably leave the company.

I can already imagine what kind of working conditions your company is in. Already you are trying to play politics even in this forum. You have just indicated your capabilities to me.

The topic is covered under punctuality.

If everyone knows the importance of being on time, why would one specifically exclude an agreed time to start work?

Just like meetings set with a start time.

To answer TS, if a staff persistently fails to meet a target mutually agreed prior, then the staff is in breach of the agreement and faces the consequences specified therein.

However as i mentioned earlier, the cause of such insubordination is usually attributed to poor management.

Right so 2-3 weeks ago I came into office late for the entire week - 5 1/2 days per week. Work hours are 8am to 5pm, Saturdays 8am to 12pm. So for that week, I checked into work by 5-10mins late, and it was just that week I came in later - due to bad weather.

So last week the HR girl came and find me. She was telling me "this is a verbal warning because last week you were late by 5-10mins. In the future if you are late again, it's grounds for you to get fired. Do you understand?" Something along that line. I of course apologised and said I won't do it anymore (or at least try not to) in the future.

And earlier this week, one of my colleagues got a warning letter for being late by 5mins...

I understand its not a good habit to always come in to work late. But really? Getting fired just over lateness? Isn't that a bit extreme? Is lateness in a non-FSC job taken in such a high regard? We're not a back or financial sector, and we don't face customers in person daily. We deliver our daily and weekly work earlier than usual. We've been consistently hitting targets regularly too. Is lateness any worst than say...stealing money from the company? Or breaking company property to say the least? Why are employers like this??????????????????????????????????                 

Edit: all right guys I've read the comments. I'd just like to clarify that although yes it's my fault for coming in late, I do hope that the company can be a bit more flexible sometimes. After all the job I am doing is not a customer-facing job nor a manufacturing job. I'm a content writer cum social media exec. My work hours do not necessarily abide by the regular 8am-5pm, 9am-6pm. Sometimes I may have to work weekends, like tidying up my work and whatever. However, if the management thinks that coming in to work by 5-10mins late is the biggest offence to have existed, then boy are they really....******.

Also, if I am late by 10mins, I don't mind working extra 10mins after work to replace those late minutes. It really isn't that hard. What I didn't like is how the HR and management are so stiff in what they do. Some days I clock in extra 30-60mins they don't bat an eye. I come in 10mins late, they threaten with me getting fired. It's pretty obv when they "sent a message" by giving a senior staff a warning letter for coming in 5mins late. Sometimes its about live and let live.

In this case, then have a talk with your management, with the reasoning that your work hours are pretty irregular, and there's no fixed time, hence request if some flexibility can be given. Back yourself up with evidence that you've been constantly hitting our set targets as well.