The Tardy Coworker

A coworker takes advantage of his boss's absence.

Start Dilemma

Preview

You get along well with one of your coworkers, but he is often late for work. Your boss is going on vacation for a week, and she asks you to tell her if your coworker is late while she is away.

On the third day of your boss's vacation, your coworker shows up late and claims he had car trouble. You don’t want to harm your relationship with this coworker or lose your boss’s trust. What do you do?

Report your coworker.
Don’t mention it to the boss.

Useful Language

Students can access a Useful Language drawer at any time during the activity. The key vocabulary and sentence stems will help your learners express their thoughts and opinions.

Keywords

  • tardy: a little late
  • irresponsible: not doing the things you are supposed to do
  • claim: to make a statement though some may doubt the truth of it
  • punctuality: the act of being on time

Sentence Stems

  • After thinking through the two options,...
  • Since arriving late to work affects the whole team...
  • Work relationships are....