What Year-End Tips or Gifts Do You Usually Give?

[earllogjam]

I was also wondering if year-end bonuses are still the norm these days.

Who do you give a tip or gift to at the end of the year normally? How much or what do you give?

 

[ClaireTalon]

Usually I give little presents to closer co-workers and personal friends, but that is on a person-2-person base. I don't send them (the presents) across the country, nor do I expect that from others.

 

[earllogjam]

I give the paper boy $20 (don't know who he is but does a good job). He gives his Christmas card with the Monday morning paper with a return envelope for tips, crafty huh? A nice bottle of wine for the mailman (same guy now for years) as we have gotten to know each other over quick curbside Saturday conversations. He is a wine afficionado and I get great wine recommendations from him. My barber I usually give a bag of persimmons from my tree as his wife loves them and now looks foward to them every year. My massage therapist I usually end up giving a bottle of fancy olive oil (not for massages of course). All pretty low key stuff.

 

[ClaireTalon]

I give the paper boy $20 (don't know who he is but does a good job). He gives his Christmas card with the Monday morning paper with a return envelope for tips, crafty huh? A nice bottle of wine for the mailman (same guy now for years) as we have gotten to know each other over quick curbside Saturday conversations. He is a wine afficionado and I get great wine recommendations from him. My barber I usually give a bag of persimmons from my tree as his wife loves them and now looks foward to them every year. My massage therapist I usually end up giving a bottle of fancy olive oil (not for massages of course). All pretty low key stuff.

Better than a co-worker of mine. He somehow got his hands on 30 LED flashlights in various forms (with USB connector to hook it to your notebook, with a clip to fix it at your lapel or elsewhere, or with a bicycle mount, etc etc) and handed them out around the office. We ended up swapping them all over the place so everyone got the light he was most likely to find a use for.

 

[earllogjam]

Better than a co-worker of mine. He somehow got his hands on 30 LED flashlights in various forms (with USB connector to hook it to your notebook, with a clip to fix it at your lapel or elsewhere, or with a bicycle mount, etc etc) and handed them out around the office. We ended up swapping them all over the place so everyone got the light he was most likely to find a use for.

I just got one of those at a holiday dinner party last weekend. It's in the
re-gifting box ready to be recycled...again.

 

[Northland]

The barber receives $50.00- a fresh crisp fifty dollar bill.
The mail carrier these days receives nothing since there seems to be a new one every other week.
The super receives nothing- which is what he does- Nothing.
I live in a compact building without any doorman so there's a saving.
I read the news on the internet; so, no paperboy/girl- another saving!
UPS- $25.00- he receives a minimum of $5.00 every time he delivers anyway.
The postal package deliverer- $25.00- given in a clandestine handshake since I have read and heard that it is against the rules for him to receive monetary compensation.
Edgar; my selected driver from the car company, recieves $200.00, in the form of crisp hundred dollar bills. He's always on time and helpful as well as friendly and deserves recognition. (For the other rides, I always tip him $20.00.) I also send a couple of gift baskets to the car company for all the employees and the owners- it helps assure me that Edgar will continue to be mine when available.
The cleaning woman receives $200.00.
When I dine out during the holiday season (which for me extends from November 1 through New Years Day) I give a 30% tip instead of the usual 20%.


My editor gets a case of his favorite alcohol- which for 5 years has been Jameson.
My agent receives an annual membership in one of those Fruit of the month shippings as well as a box of cigars- yes, it is an odd combo; but, one he seems to like.

Beyond these people there will be the occasional gift of some sort; however, there are very few since I don't officially celebrate any religious holidays, nor do I send cards-why kill defenseless trees?

 

[DGirl]

Well, their goes MY Chritmas thread...."
IT just DIED...........for good..." It was only like 3 days old...."
Oh, well, I have to make a NEW thread TONIGHT..." :biggrin1: MAYBE.."

But, hey..."
What do you get for a Mail man?

 

[rob_just_rob]

Not many, actually. There are many different concierges for my building, so I just end up tipping the one I see the most. I'll tip my hairstylist as well. I don't tip my massage therapist on the basis that you don't tip professionals.

The "Christmas bonus" has largely disappeared and been replaced by the performance bonus (based on employee and company performance), which seems to happen at about the same time of year, coincidentally.