If you want to make a good impression and give the boss/studio less reason to fire you, then make sure that you arrive on time, every time. In fact, it's better to get to the studio early just in case you have car trouble or have to deal with unexpected events such as traffic. I usually aim to get in around 9AM or 9:30AM, and I fill this into my time sheet accordingly (for contract positions. For full time, you don't have to worry about filling in a time sheet but will still want to get in on time). If you think it doesn't matter if you're only 10 or 15 minutes late, just consider this: the more times you are late, the more you're branded at the "late guy (or girl)." This will negatively impact the way the boss or your colleagues think of you. If there are others that get in late also, then it won't be so bad, but imagine if everyone else gets to the office at least an hour early: they are going to think that you are a major slacker! It doesn't even matter if you get your work done on time and do a good job, because it's more a matter of respect and that you don't take your job seriously while they are having to show up at the same time every day.
If, though, you end up running late--as I have on a few occasions--the time you get to work is all about perception, the time that you are at your desk is the time that you got in, according to your colleagues and lead. It doesn't matter if you got to the office 30 minutes early and then took a bathroom stop and then went to the kitchen to make breakfast and schmooze with some coworkers. If you got to your desk 10 minutes late, nobody will have guessed that you were actually at the office the whole time. It doesn't matter to them. You are late in their opinion.
So, here is the trick: make sure to show up to your desk first. Even if you have to go to the bathroom really bad, stop by your desk and log into your computer. Your coworkers will notice your presence. Get your morning sync or whatever quick tools opened that you usually do. This way, you can have an automated process running in the background while you are multitasking/going to the bathroom. Now, you can lock your computer and run to the sanitation facilities and allow nature to take its course. This also works with making breakfast or running a quick errand away from your desk, and especially is important if you are indeed running a few minutes late. Five or more minutes late is not considered bad, but each minute after that makes it exponentially a more serious case, especially if it's after 15 minutes.
I used to have an art director that would have morning meetings at exactly 10AM in the morning and note the people that were late and have a conversation at their desk to find out why they were late. Basically, he was peer-pressuring people to show up on time. If you are late enough to something like that more than a few times then you will never want to be late again. Another office manager at the first studio I worked for, Vigil Games, used to walk around and make sure that people were at their desks on time. This was especially true for contractors. I'm sure he had some excel document that he used to complain to the person's lead when they showed up late. So, if you don't think people are not noticing your lateness, you are dead wrong.
There is enough politics and stress and deadlines at work, so make sure to have one less thing to worry about by showing up to work on time. That especially means looking like you at work on time, also.
-Ken
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