By Hamish McNeilly of 
Bunnings has issued a statement saying it has engaged with the team to discuss how the situation could have been better handled (file picture). Photo: 123rf.com
The wearing of a large clock by a tardy staff member was "good natured", a hardware giant maintains.
At the trades area of Bunnings Warehouse Dunedin on Friday, customers saw a young male staff member wearing a large clock around his neck.
That worker told the shopper there was an expectation that staff in the same department would wear the clock if they turned up to work late.
It is understood the young man was just a few minutes late to work.
Bunnings regional manager Dean Gick said in a statement: "Creating a safe and welcoming environment for our team and customers is really important to us".
"We understand some customers observed an interaction between our team in response to a team member who was late to their shift."
The intention was good-natured, with no concerns raised, he said.
"We have engaged the team to discuss how the situation may have been handled better."
- This story was first published by Stuff
