Have a lot of employees who are late and claim it’s because of unreliable public transit? Many employers can now get proof.

People who arrive late to work or school because of delays in New York City’s public transportation system can get a note from the transit authority to show their bosses. All they have to do is call, and an official letter will arrive within two weeks.

To keep employees from using minor incidents to play hooky for a significant amount of time, the letters verify the date, time and length of delay.

The agency says it mails 34,000 a year and is working on an online system that will take Internet requests and e-mail them directly to managers.

Tags: excuses, lighter side, New York City, public transportation