Do I Need to Tip the Household Help? How Much?

Recognizing someone for a job well done comes in many shapes and forms. At the office, a seasonal bonus might be in order. A small gift for teachers at the holiday season and the end of the school year is traditional. The decision over how and when to tip household help like babysitters, cleaners or nannies can be more difficult because of the nature of their job and manner in which many are paid. Before you open your wallet for a Christmas bonus or a tip for a job well done, you might want to consider the pros, cons and reasons behind tipping the household help.

Frequency

How regularly do you utilize your household help? It isn't really necessary to give a tip to a babysitter that you use a couple of times a year. However, a cleaning professional that visits your home once a week is in someone you employ regularly enough that a tip or bonus at the end of the year is appropriate.

Quality

Is the service you receive exemplary? Tipping and bonuses have become so common that often people forget that they should be a reward for a job completed in an exemplary fashion. If your nanny not only cares for your child on a daily basis but manages to sneak in the time keep the house clean and start the occasional dinner, a bonus at the end of a year is a wonderful idea. She has gone above and beyond and deserves to be rewarded for that. The same is true of the cleaning help. If you need to stand over their shoulders to make sure that things are done to your satisfaction, tipping them seems to reward poor work.

Who to Pay

Who do you pay? If you hire a cleaning team from a larger company, recognize that the management will get the bulk of your bill and pay their employees a salary or an hourly wage. Therefore, tipping someone who doesn't keep your entire payment seems more appropriate than tipping someone who cuts your hair in their home and keeps the entire amount you pay them.

Type of Payment

Is a bonus or a tip more appropriate than a raise? The end of the year might be a more appropriate time to increase a nanny's salary, rather than simply offering a tip or a bonus. The same is true for someone that cleans your house independent of a large company. For them, the benefit of a raise instead of a bonus may be more long lasting and beneficial.

Think About the Future

Is this a tradition you'll be able to maintain? If you give the cleaning team a bonus at the end of the year for a job well done, recognize that they may expect and count on that income in following years. Though we all know we shouldn't count on something that isn't a sure thing, we often do with tips and bonuses. Consider whether or not you'll continue this tradition and make your intentions clear when offering tips and bonuses to the household help.

Ultimately, the decision to offer a tip or a bonus to a nanny, cleaning help or other household help is a personal one. If you receive exemplary service, have the money to spare and feel that a tip is warranted, give freely. Your generosity is sure to be appreciated.