"I had a coworker who often clocked in late. The staff gave them cross looks when they snuck in. I'd given them a heads-up a few times, trying to be helpful. I even offered some tips to manage their time to avoid arriving at work late, but they kept saying that it wasn't their fault that the bus raced by their stop early two weeks in a row. The next time they were late, the very next day, they got written up. They were pretty upset and blamed me for 'ratting them out.' I did nothing of the sort. But I let them accuse me, and when they were done, I asked them why they thought I brought this upon them. I objectified the situation and asked them several questions without proclaiming my innocence. I then mirrored their statements and asked what led them to believe I brought their attendance issues to management. I then said that's an interesting conclusion based on that evidence, and I left it at that. Later, they came up and apologized and asked me again for those suggestions to help them manage their time."