Jacob was excited to get a part-time job at a local coffee drive-through. His work-study teacher helped him with the application process, and he was glad he’d done so many mock interviews. He was proud to wear his official work polo shirt when he showed up on his first day.
“You’re late,” his supervisor said as soon as he walked in.
Jacob was confused. “I don’t think I’m late,” he said.
“You start at 3:30, and it’s 3:45 now. You’re late.”
“Oh, yeah, but it takes me fifteen minutes to get here from school, so that’s why.” Jacob thought he had cleared that up.
“Your shift starts at 3:30. That means you are at the window ready to take your first order at 3:30. Arrive at least five minutes before that. We don’t pay you to drive here.”
Jacob felt his face go hot. He felt so stupid. After lunch he’d hung out with the guys, bragging about his job, and he left school at 3:30 sharp. Why had he assumed his work day started with leaving for work? Now that he thought about it, it made no sense. Would someone who worked an hour away get paid for driving an hour? Of course not. He felt mortified.
“It won’t happen again,” he mumbled, and he quickly got started.
“Good.”
Jacob got off on the wrong foot because of his own misunderstanding. He promised himself he would never be late again. He knew plenty of other people would love to have his job, and he wouldn’t let his boss down again. From then on, Jacob was fifteen minutes early to every shift. His workday started out better when he wasn’t rushed. Being punctual was not only important to his boss, but it was also important to Jacob.