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What should I do if a participant is late?

Handling participants who arrive late to sessions is up to the researcher's discretion.

Our late policy that is shared with participants states that they may be turned away and refused payment if they are late to their session. Researchers reserves the right to cancel a participant's session if they are late for their session. If the participant arrives and the session is held, even if shorter than intended, the participant should be paid for their time.

User Interviews will not waive any incentives or recruitment fees for sessions held despite a participant arriving late to their session, even if the session was shorter than intended. The decision to cancel or prorate an incentive must be enforced by the researcher at their own discretion. We encourage the researcher to be upfront with a participant about any changes to incentive or session cancelations at the time upon arrival.

As a reference, the following statement is included in every participant's confirmation email: 

Please arrive 5-10 minutes early for all sessions. If you are late for your session, the company conducting the study may pay you a pro-rated amount or cancel your session altogether.

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