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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to tip the bin men for xmas?

145 replies

ScottishStottie · 18/12/2020 12:02

Curious to know how many people do this. I thought it was pretty common but today when i gave them the xmas tip, they seemed pretty surprised so made me think its not as common as i think?

YABU - no i dont tip the bin men
YANBU - yes i do tip the bin men

OP posts:
Cyllie33 · 18/12/2020 14:33

@MinnieMountain

I don’t understand tipping just for doing your job properly.

I guess think of it as a bonus, which lots of companies do, an end of term gift to teacher, a small present to a client or contractor in recognition of work - it’s just a present and show of appreciation if you appreciate someone’s work. Lots of the people on here who tip think their binmen go above and beyond, if you don’t particularly then just don’t tip but surely it’s not hard to understand wanting to gift a small token of appreciation to someone at Christmas?

ApolloandDaphne · 18/12/2020 14:34

I never see ours. We have a long drive and I can't see the road from the house so the answer is no, I don't tip the bin men.

Coquohvan · 18/12/2020 14:38

We tip at Christmas
Our bin collectors tin biscuits & chocolates
Our postie, if we’re out he will hide our parcel in a secret place rather than card us, then we need a trip to collect it - cash
Our village chemist, been extra great this year - biscuits
Our window cleaner - cash
Our paper girl - cash
All gave us good service throughout the year.
If you don’t tip you don’t tip, your choice for good service.

Mustbe3ormorecharacters · 18/12/2020 14:39

Always have tipped people at Christmas bin men included, lucky to be in a position I can afford to tip more every year.

olivesnutsandcheese · 18/12/2020 14:42

Yes we always put £20 in a Christmas card and hand it to the driver. I know they share out the Christmas tips.
Dh worked 'on the dust' whilst at uni and he knows first hand what a hard and deeply unpleasant job it can be. They appreciate a pack of beers as well.

Scotinoz · 18/12/2020 14:44

The binmen in my council are earn a good wage, and get the benefits of being a local authority employee...so pretty get a better deal than me as a private sector employee...so, no, I don’t tip them.

Plus they like to play ‘bin jumble’ on our street or ‘block the gate’. So generally they do the bare minimum of their job 🙄

JJSS123 · 18/12/2020 14:46

Just wondering what the general value of the tip is if some of you don’t mind sharing? I want to tip mine but have no idea what to give!!?! I honestly think looking after your bin men is worth it’s weight in gold

Donotgogentle · 18/12/2020 14:49

£20 in a Christmas card here.

Donotgogentle · 18/12/2020 14:50

But I think it completely depends on what you can afford obviously

Cauterize · 18/12/2020 14:53

It's never occurred to me to tip bin men to be honest!

Now I'm thinking about it, I pay a bloody fortune in council tax, plus I never see them anyway, they always come when I'm at work.

In fact the one time I did see them, a guy shouted at me for placing my bin a few yards in the wrong direction (cul de sac) so not like I left it in the middle of the road!

I think those that tip £20 are extremely generous

Letmegoplease · 18/12/2020 14:56

“It’s often for going above and beyond. As people have outlined on this thread...“

How can you go “above and beyond” being a bin man? I don’t mean this in a rude way I am genuinely interested to know.

AnneLovesGilbert · 18/12/2020 15:04

@Letmegoplease

“It’s often for going above and beyond. As people have outlined on this thread...“

How can you go “above and beyond” being a bin man? I don’t mean this in a rude way I am genuinely interested to know.

Getting someone’s bins out and emptying them if they’re on holiday or forgot to put them out. Taking extra bags which don’t fit in the bin.
RebeccaRaspberry · 18/12/2020 15:05

I have given our postwoman a tin of roses and a bottle of Prosecco. I don't see the bin men but will probably leave them a crate of beer

Toddlerteaplease · 18/12/2020 15:05

No, I do tip anyone and they r missed loads of collections!

DimidDavilby · 18/12/2020 15:07

Mine cheerily waves to my toddler son who is obsessed with them. Every week! Worth a tub of chocs I think.

emilyfrost · 18/12/2020 15:08

YABU. They get paid for their job like everyone else.

I don’t agree with tipping; it’s just unnecessary in this country and encourages employers to pay as less as they can.

Original poster
ScottishStottie · 18/12/2020 15:18

@JJSS123 i tipped £10, they seemed happy with that

OP posts:
MrsHugsxx · 18/12/2020 15:45

No I don't because my husband earns less than them and I don't work and we can't afford to do that. I wouldn't even give a small gift either tbh because firstly I never see them as they go down the back entry and secondly, they leave a mess and don't take everything they're meant to.

lynxca16 · 18/12/2020 16:04

We always tip our postie at Christmas, he always does such a fantastic job and especially this year with covid has been wonderful.

Binmen - usually leave a box of biscuits on top of the bin as we don't see them but do appreciate that may not be practical in larger towns or cities.

Also give biscuits/sweets and a card to local doctors as they have been so good to my father this year.

nevernotstruggling · 18/12/2020 16:24

We have a box by the front door this year full of individually wrapped maltester reindeer. We got up at crack of Dawn to take them out to the bin men this week. The very young bin men looked really pleased.

I gave one to the Hermes courier earlier on today. He looked so touched it was a bit emotional!

I've got a few leftover for the postman and Amazon etc.

This is the first year I've gone out of my way to make gestures - it's all been a bit grim for everyone.

SunnyNights · 18/12/2020 16:26

We give chocolates to the bin men and postie. I usually wrap them in cling film so it's waterproof and then leave it on top of the bins overnight.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 18/12/2020 16:31

No - I tip the postie because he's a community star and really does go above and beyond, but not the bin men

I used to when they had to carry horrible, smelly metal bins, but these days I handle the bins more than they do, just dragging them from the back garden to the kerb

Fairyliz · 18/12/2020 16:33

No way. I’ve had to have three new tyres this year because they just leave glass all over the road. Then there’s the time they deliberately backed up and neatly hit my car and laughter when I complained.
Finally they always block the road for ages despite having plenty of room to pull to one side.
I prefer it if they got sacked personally.

vanillandhoney · 18/12/2020 16:34

Nope.

I don't agree with tipping in general, but I especially don't agree with tipping people who earn three times what I do.

They also don't do a great job around here. Every week there are streets they miss. We haven't had our recycling collected at all this week Hmm

FoxInABox · 18/12/2020 16:36

I tipped them a tenner this morning, I had to report a missed bin collection yesterday (well a half bin collection as the recycling bin was still half full after they had been), they were back this morning and emptied all of our bins (each colour/category) which they didn’t have to. A week before Christmas that was very much appreciated (and I know I am officially old as it made my day that I now have empty bins Xmas Smile )