How to Pull Off Being Late to a Meeting

Co-authored by Brandy DeOrnellas, PCC, ESQ. and Eric McClure

Last Updated: December 21, 2022 References

If you know that you are going to be late for a meeting, let your coworkers and supervisor know immediately. If they were waiting on you when you arrive, make a short apology and move on. If the meeting is well underway, don’t interrupt and do your best to contribute in a positive way. Be honest whenever you can, and if you have to come up with an excuse, blame technology or traffic before jumping to a major event like a family emergency. If you find yourself consistently showing up late, there are several simple steps that you can take to develop the habit of showing up on time.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Minimizing the Damage

1
Call ahead as soon as you think you’ll be late. The moment you realize that you’re going to be late, pick up the phone and let whoever is running the meeting know that you’re not going to be on time. Keep your conversation short to make it seem like you’re hurrying. If you don’t give notice, you’ll risk making it seem like you don’t value other people’s time.^{[1]
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- Be careful about calling more than 30 minutes in advance unless you have a valid reason for your lateness. It may give the impression that you could have done more to be on time.
- Don’t give an unreasonable estimate for how late you will be. If you know for a fact that you’re going to be at least 10 minutes late, don’t say, “I’ll be there in 5.”
2
Apologize to everyone as soon as you arrive if they are waiting. Make a short apology as soon as you arrive, and do it publicly. The humility you’ll demonstrate by apologizing to everyone will soften the damage you’ve inflicted by being late in the first place. Make your apology short and to the point. Don’t use any excuses or try to belittle the seriousness of your tardiness. If the meeting is underway when you arrive, don’t interrupt the flow of the meeting to apologize.^{[2]
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- Say, “Sorry everyone. I didn’t mean to be late, and that’s on me. I apologize for holding everyone up,” and then move on. There’s no need to give an elaborate explanation during the meeting.
- Apologize to bosses or supervisors privately later on. The people in charge will require an excuse, but the meeting itself isn’t the right time and place for that conversation.
- Assuming an issue isn’t a frequent occurrence, the other participants of the meeting will understand.
Tip: Don’t overdo it with the apologizes. If you mention your lateness more than once or twice you’ll just be drawing attention to it.

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3
Be honest about why you were late. You’ll avoid a lot of uncomfortable issues in the future if you’re simply honest about why you were late. If you lie, a supervisor could ask you for proof in the form of a doctor’s note or traffic report that you can’t produce. If you are rarely late, the reason shouldn’t really matter anyway, as your employer will likely trust you not to be late in the future.^{[3]
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- If you’re chronically late, consider talking to your boss privately about it. They may be able to give you some feedback on how you can improve your timing in your specific role.
- If you have a more personal reason for being late, such as a difficult argument with a loved one or a medical issue, just share what you feel comfortable sharing.
4
Reschedule the meeting if you’re running it. If you’re running late and you happen to be in charge of the meeting, reschedule it. It will be a major signal to your subordinates that you value their time, and they’ll appreciate not having to sit around waiting for you to show up.^{[4]
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- If you’re running the meeting with 1-2 colleagues that perform a similar role, consult with them first before you try to reschedule the meeting.
5
Contribute productively once you’re at the meeting. Being late isn’t a good reason for not pulling your weight in a meeting. Once you arrive, contribute and ask questions as you normally would if you weren’t late. If you can contribute, it may make up for your tardiness in the eyes of your team members and supervisors.^{[5]
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- Don’t comment or ask for clarification on something if you know you missed information at the beginning of a meeting.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Having a Good Excuse

1
Blame traffic and public transit if there’s a crash or closure. If you have to come up with an excuse, traffic is a decent choice. Look online to see if there are any public transit interruptions or crashes and say that you got stuck using that route. Be careful bringing this excuse up without checking your local traffic report first—it’s easy for your supervisors to check the news to confirm whether you’re lying or not.^{[6]
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- Don’t use this excuse if your boss or coworkers take the same route as you. They’ll know whether immediately if you’re making something up.
2
Opt to blame your alarm clock or phone if you need a basic excuse. Phones can die and alarm clocks break down. If you need a good basic excuse, blame technology. Almost everyone that you work with has probably missed an appointment or deadline because their alarm clock got unplugged or they forgot to switch their phone off of vibrate. Most coworkers and supervisors will sympathize with an experience that they have had, and won’t question your excuse or criticize you for making it.^{[7]
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- Blaming an alarm or calendar notification only works every once in a while. You could seem careless and sloppy if you rely on this excuse frequently.
3
Use a family or personal emergency sparingly. Lying about a personal emergency is an extremely dishonest thing to do, and you should only do it in extreme situations where you’re at serious risk of getting in profound trouble. If you make a habit of using emergencies as an excuse for missing work, your employer will likely start asking for proof, and you may be fired or suspended if it comes out that you invented a serious emergency.
- Never lie about serious injuries or deaths. If you have to lie about a family emergency, keep it vague.
4
Be careful about blaming your workload. Unless you have a ton of extra responsibilities that your peers don’t have, try to avoid blaming your job for your lateness. It may be tempting to say, “I was working on something else,” but it can backfire and make it seem like you can’t handle your current role. It will also give the impression that everyone else is more organized than you, which you’re probably trying to avoid.^{[8]
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Tip: Don’t blame a coworker, even if they held you up on another project. Throwing your peers under the bus is a surefire way to ensure that they never back you up in the future.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Getting in the Habit of Being On-Time

1
Set your clocks to be 10 minutes early to trick yourself into being on time. If you find yourself consistently having trouble showing up to meetings on time, change the time on your alarm clock, computer, and phone. Set it so that it reads a time that is 10-15 minutes earlier than it actually is. This is a simple way to prevent yourself from being a few minutes late.^{[9]
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2
Add a 15 minute buffer to your commute time. Whether you’re taking the elevator down a few floors or driving across town for a lunch meeting, leave 15 minutes early to ensure that you don’t keep anyone from waiting on you. Take some extra work with you or spend the extra time productively by preparing for the meeting. Once you get in the habit of showing up early, you’ll appreciate always having a few moments to yourself before a major meeting.^{[10]
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Tip: If you’re commuting by train or bus, don’t take the train or bus that is scheduled to get you where you need to go right on the dot. If it gets delayed or has to slow down for any reason, you’ll end up being late.
3
Prepare meals, outfits, and documents ahead of time. One of the easiest ways to end up running late is to fail to adequately prepare. Prepare your lunch and outfit the night before a big meeting to avoid scurrying in the morning. Print any documents that you’ll need for a meeting ahead of time to avoid getting jammed up by a long line at the printer.^{[11]
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- Set a reminder on your phone to go off the night before a big meeting. This will serve as a reminder to prepare ahead of time.