Christmas Gift for Cleaning Lady

[Esther]

I use my cleaning lady every 2 weeks. I have had her for approximately 3 months. She does a good job. I want to give her something for Christmas (preferably cash, as I think she needs it). Should I give her the equivalent of her pay or increase it.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Esther

[sunnyday]

I think cash equivalent to her pay is appropriate -- it's probably more than what most give and I'm sure it helps tremendously. We gave ours 2x her pay but she's been with us for about 5 years and won't need her for about a month over the holidays.

[Fallible]

I think cash equivalent to her pay is appropriate -- it's probably more than what most give and I'm sure it helps tremendously. We gave ours 2x her pay but she's been with us for about 5 years and won't need her for about a month over the holidays.

This is a very nice thought. I think cash equivalent is just right.

[TomatoTomahto]

I use my cleaning lady every 2 weeks. I have had her for approximately 3 months. She does a good job. I want to give her something for Christmas (preferably cash, as I think she needs it). Should I give her the equivalent of her pay or increase it.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Esther

Does "cash equivalent" mean the equivalent of monthly pay, or what she gets per cleaning?

Giving her cash equivalent, whatever the definition, probably should be adjusted for duration. You want to have some room for next year, when presumably she will gave been with you for an additional 12 months.

Btw, you say that you think she needs it. Not intending any snark, but it's a safe bet that someone cleaning someone else's house is in need of money.

[Texas hold em71]

We use ours every two weeks and usually give her a gift equivalent to half a day's pay. Either I am being chintzy on the gift or I am paying a lot more every two weeks than you are. She has cleaned for us for 6 years so I am guessing the latter.

[stan1]

I use my cleaning lady every 2 weeks. I have had her for approximately 3 months. She does a good job. I want to give her something for Christmas (preferably cash, as I think she needs it). Should I give her the equivalent of her pay or increase it.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Esther

I am certain she would appreciate the cash and I wouldn't consider giving her anything else. Equivalent of pay sounds good, but I would give her at least $50 (you haven't said how much you are paying her every 2 weeks -- my guess is its more than $50). If there are multiple people I'd contact the owner to find out their names and leave money in an envelope with each person's name on it. A few years ago we had a team of 4 people cleaning the house: we left them $40 each, if I remember correctly, and the total cost was about $100/visit.

[Retread]

We use ours every two weeks and usually give her a gift equivalent to half a day's pay. Either I am being chintzy on the gift or I am paying a lot more every two weeks than you are. She has cleaned for us for 6 years so I am guessing the latter.

Half is a bit chintzy IMO. We give a full day's pay
Bruce

[LadyGeek]

This thread is now in the Personal Consumer Issues forum (gifts).

[LadyGeek]

After receiving a PM, the discussion is about wages. I moved this thread back to the Personal Finance (Not Investing) forum.

[arcticpineapplecorp.]

McDonald's and Emily Post recommend a day's pay for a housekeeper.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/best-mcd ... d=21125960

[Pajamas]

If she comes every two weeks and you like her, give her at least a full day's pay in a card with a good quality box of chocolates, instead of just an envelope.

Since she comes every other week, that is about 4% of her annual salary, not an extravagant amount as a holiday bonus or gift. Half a day's pay is 2%, which would seem chintzy, maybe even considering that she has only been working for you for three months.

[countdown]

Cash equal to one day's cleaning visit. Usually about $100 in my area.

[Esther]

Thank you for all the responses. Actually I use her only every 2 weeks. I do the alternate week myself (this may soon change to using her weekly). I do the kitchen and she does the family room, living room/dining room, master bedroom, guest room, office & 2 bathrooms. The house is small and it is only my spouse and myself. Does not need heavy duty cleaning. Most of the rooms do not get heavy use. She covers it in 2 hrs--sometimes a bit more. I plan on giving her what I pay her. I have used her only a few months but am satisfied with her work.

[Retread]

A good cleaning lady can be hard to find, and so I prefer erring on the side of maybe being a bit generous just to keep her happy.
Bruce

[Jazztonight]

We give one day's pay--a separate check in an envelope with a card. We've been doing this for 25+ years.

[BolderBoy]

I'm a minimalist with the "card" and such, so make her last check before Christmas = 2.5x her regular check. She's been with me for over 10 years and I'd as soon go hungry as to do without.

[Levett]

We, too, have a cleaning lady every 2 weeks. Like others, the gift is one day's pay + my wife finds a gift (often concert tickets since our cleaning lady loves to go to concerts in town).

If we are planning a raise, we start during the holiday period.

Lev

[jackholloway]

We have given a visit's pay for our cleaning guy, who comes every two weeks. If we are skipping the holiday, we also pay for the missed visit.

[ResearchMed]

I'm finding some of this a bit distressing.

Do you tip people who cut your hair, or taxi drivers, or waiters/waitresses?
What percent?
And many people give hair stylists or other regular service providers a holiday gift in addition to the tip each time a service is provided.

The cleaning help usually work hard (and then they go home and clean their own homes, too, usually).
You trust them with your belongings.

At holiday time, we tip at least the same percentage we would have been giving to other "service staff", plus some gift that is more personal. (And our cleaning lady and her husband sing in their church choir, so we usually offer them tickets to a major performance of "The Messiah" each year, too.)

And as Lev does, when we give a raise, we announce it around the holidays, rather than after the New Year.

(When we bought this house, the cleaning lady offered to stay on. She knew the house better than we did. Previously, she was paid under the table, and it was a pittance. We immediately arranged to have taxes and social security, etc., done properly, and arranged it so that her "in pocket take home" was more than before, after accounting for the taxes *she* would also have to pay.)

RM

[LadyGeek]

I'm finding some of this a bit distressing.

Do you tip people who cut your hair, or taxi drivers, or waiters/waitresses?
What percent?
And many people give hair stylists or other regular service providers a holiday gift in addition to the tip each time a service is provided.

You can find tipping discussed in this thread: Tipping (and probably others, as they are in the Personal Consumer Issues forum.)

In this thread, we're discussing wages for a cleaning lady. BTW, I assume there are male cleaners and the job title "cleaning lady" applies generically.

[Levett]

Hi Lady Geek,

You raise an interesting point. I don't know anyone (this is clearly anecdotal) who has a "cleaning man."

However, when I lived overseas there were several countries where, as a child, we had both a "maid" and a "house boy" (non-pejorative, as this referred to native residents in certain Latin countries). The "house boy" often looked after young children and worked the grounds. The "maid" would clean and cook.

I'm interested to hear experiences from others.

Lev

[Fallible]

I'm finding some of this a bit distressing.

Do you tip people who cut your hair, or taxi drivers, or waiters/waitresses?
What percent?
And many people give hair stylists or other regular service providers a holiday gift in addition to the tip each time a service is provided.

You can find tipping discussed in this thread: Tipping (and probably others, as they are in the Personal Consumer Issues forum.)

In this thread, we're discussing wages for a cleaning lady. BTW, I assume there are male cleaners and the job title "cleaning lady" applies generically.

I know of husband-wife cleaning teams as one of my aunts had them for many years. She increased their pay each year, along with a bonus (I don't know the exact amounts) and small but thoughtful gifts at Christmastime. The basis for this generosity - and the OP's - I see as recognition of good work and an effort to keep it. Seems a win-win to me.