You say you're always at least one minute late. I wonder how late you usually are--10 minutes, 30 minutes?

If your employer is at all flexible, you might be able to cut a deal where you make up for your missed time by taking a shorter lunch break or by staying later than the usual stopping time.

One of my first jobs had a rigid set-up: you came to work at 8:30, you got two 15-minute breaks during the day plus a half hour for lunch, and you quit at 5.

I arranged to do without the 15-minute breaks so I could leave work at 4:30 instead of 5.

I realize that many employers have good reasons for not being so flexible though.