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Short version: not straight away, and not without a fair process behind you. Lateness is usually a conduct issue you manage, not an instant-dismissal one. Here's how I'd handle it: 1. Have a direct, informal chat first. Make sure there isn't something going on (transport, caring, health). 2. Set the expectation in writing - start time, and what you need to change. 3. If it keeps happening, move to a documented warning. Keep it factual: dates, times, the conversations you've had. 4. Be consistent. If you let others slide on this, that'll come back to bite you. Risk flag: sacking someone for lateness without a documented process makes it hard to defend if they lodge a claim, and they can lodge one regardless of how well you handle it. What matters is how defensible your position is, and whether this can be sorted without it ever getting there. That's where a documented process and the right approach pay off, and it's exactly what we help with. We're not lawyers, so this isn't legal advice, it's practical HR expertise. Want me to draft the first written warning for you?