Have I been miserly with our cleaner?

They?

I don't understand tipping culture. So many of us are on minimum wage and don't get it. You don't need to tip anything, just pay the wage.

I'd be over the moon with a fiver! Never had a bonus!

I think that it depends what you can afford. I have literally no cash and am overdrawn so if I had a cleaner I wouldn't be able to tip anything.
I think it's a nice thing to do to tip if you can but I don't think you have to do anything would be nice.

I think it is dependant on the house and financial situation. If you have a smaller property and have a cleaner to help out because you are busy working then your tip is generous.

If you have a mansion and plenty to spare, I'd probably have rounded her up £200.

Wow why would even want her back. Good riddance.

If she comes back say no.

I was pushed off because I gave her 600 , 100 for the cleaning but she cleaned the kitchen and that was it .. no bathroom bedrooms etc .. she normally does all of that so I’m guessing she’s not coming bad and that’s why no thank you .. I would have thought 500 would warrant a thank you but they all end up the same in the end. It’s like human nature stops you being generous as people can’t help themselves.

I think it kind of depends how much you have your cleaner. I have mine for 2 full days per week. It would be really mean of me to not let her work those days AND not pay her. It would be a huge dent to her income at the most expensive time of the year.

And as others have said, if I can afford a cleaner twice a week, I can afford to give an annual bonus to someone who helps our lives run like clockwork (and she knows it!).

Chill. This is not America- nobody expects tips or a Christmas bonus. It’s nice and unexpected if you get one but it’s not an expectation & thank god for that.

Think I'd be lost for words if someone gave me 500 quid!

From experience thank you is a term that chokes many people. Sad.

We bonus an extra 2 weeks worth of pay to both our nanny and housekeeper at the start of December, make sure each have an extra paid day off during the week of Christmas, and do gift with a card made by the DC.

I don’t think there’s any sort of standard for this, though, and I would hope we’re erring on the side of extra generous. I always feel like it’s worth going above and beyond with anyone who regularly works inside my home around my kids.

Of course you did.

We normally pay our two cleaners (married couple) a combined £100 per week and they usually comes on a Wednesday.
With Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday this year, I wasn’t sure what to do: I ended up giving £150 plus a box of chocs and bottle of wine.

Reading through the above, I’m not sure if this was enough?

In summer, I paid them £100 one week’s holiday while they weren’t here.

I wouldn't mind giving a bonus to the refuge people and the poster but I don't really see them.

The only person I give a Christmas bonus to is my window cleaner. He does my windows monthly for £10. I give him another £10 on top for Christmas.

I think the bonus you gave was fine if you weren't meant to be paying for Boxing day. If you were meant to pay your usual £80 then perhaps a bigger bonus but of course it depends if you can afford it.

Can I be your cleaner?

I'm a cleaner.
I've had a variety of tips from £20 to £50, also an Amazon voucher, some nice smellies...I've been very grateful for anything I've got and have thanked all my clients personally.
I also had one lady who, after giving her dog walker a bottle of Moet ( I was just about to leave) she turned to me and said 'oh I didn't bother to do anything for you.' (Thanks! 😂) Hey ho!
In short,I think you were very generous.

This is what I do too

I gave a weeks wages and a small gift for her daughter. But my cleaner refuses to take money if she doesn't come. I always say that I should pay for when I'm away (she doesn't have and doesn't want keys). But she refuses and says she only gets paid when she works.

Are you contractually obliged to pay her holiday pay? Why on earth would you pay for a service you're not receiving just cos its a bank holiday.

I think I agree with your DH. I would have paid the full normal £80 for the week (with the Thursday paid as "holiday" pay) and then perhaps £50 as a bonus.

I'm sure she will be grateful for the fact you still paid more than she would have got in a normal working week though.

No one is saying she is being forced.

But the idea that someone self employed on £16ph cleaner role has a viable pension is wishful thinking. Not to mention other benefits that the postie will be getting such as paid sick leave, death in service payment, private health care option perhaps .

Mine gets four weeks' holiday and a present at Christmas. I don't look on it as paying her extra - just that I do my own cleaning on those weeks, which is not too much to ask, I don't think.

I’ve never heard of a cleaner ever thanking for a bonus.
Mind you lots of people don’t say thank you.
It’s discouraging.