It can be especially disruptive when a co-worker continually shows up late to meetings, Mr. Avramidis said. The discussion is interrupted and information must be repeated to the tardy newcomer, wasting everyone else’s time.

Image Credit... Chris Reed

Q. Can being late all the time hurt a career?

A. Yes. At a place like a manufacturing plant or a call center, it can be grounds for dismissal if it occurs often enough. But it can damage a career even in jobs where schedules are more flexible. Tardy people tend to think that they can make up for their lateness by working extra hours, Ms. DeLonzor said, “but they can never overcome the fact that it makes a very bad impression.” Managers, she found in her research, “are less likely to promote tardy employees.”

Q. What can someone do to try to be more punctual?

A. Lateness is a very difficult habit to overcome, Ms. DeLonzor said, even though it truly hurts the offending person’s life. Telling a late person to be on time is like telling a dieter, “Don’t eat so much,” she said.

Here are some steps she recommends to become more punctual:

HAVE A STRATEGY Make a commitment to work on the problem every day for at least a month.

RELEARN HOW TO TELL TIME Late people tend to underestimate the amount of time their activities take by 25 percent to 30 percent, she said. Write down all your activities and clock how long they actually take.

NEVER PLAN TO BE ON TIME Instead, plan to be early. Punctual people build in extra transit time because they know that unexpected delays can occur. Many tardy people — in their naïve optimism — have never learned to do this.

WELCOME THE WAIT Bring a magazine, a book or some language tapes so that you can entertain yourself and get something done while you wait.

Q. In some cases, shouldn’t a company just appreciate a tardy person’s many other excellent qualities and accept the lateness?