There is a scale of lateness. Not all lateness is created equal. It all depends on how late you are, what you’re late to, and who you are. If you’re an hour late to the birth of your own child, you’re chopped. If you’re 15 minutes late to a friend’s brunch with 4 other people, you’re probably okay. 

If you’re someone who is always late and you’re late to your girlfriend’s birthday reservation, you’re done. There is no hard and fast rule about when you should get reprimanded for tardiness. It’s generally good manners, though, to treat everyone with a little bit of grace. We all deserve a little bit of grace, especially from our employers. It’s also our job to stand up for ourselves when we feel like we’re being walked over.