What do you tip your bin men?

[ChocolateTVandbaby]

Inspired by a podcast I'm listening to... wondering whether people tip their binmen and if so what with? My mum leaves beer out for them. Some people I know give cash. What do you give and how much?

We did. She ripped it off.

We now have an external mailbox. He's very nice about it as he as similar dogs on his round but the owners arent even attempting to mitigate the situation, so he likes us.

Nothing, mine are rubbish

Not any more
I'm old enough to remember when they had to lug around filthy, smelly bins themselves, and now all they do is attach them to the truck which does the work, with the bins left all over the place afterwards

I tip the postman though; we've had the same one for years and he's brilliant

Nothing. They are doing their job which they get paid for and most weeks we have to message the council to say they missed our end again.

Nothing.
It's a perfectly decent job with wages and hours that aren't that bad.
DH leaves at 5.45am, and works a 10-12 hour day in all weathers, and noone's tipping him!

Because they do a really horrible job in all weathers and don't get paid very much

This applies to many, many people whom you simply don't see/have contact with.

Tipping really is just people playing lady bountiful. If you want to improve the lives of low earners, vote in parties who raise public sector pay & minimum wage and want to grow public service provision, not reduce it.

Well as I know binmen are on a decent wage (fully deserved may i add!) and also get to do task and finish, I won't be tipping.

It is a dirty job, but they are compensated in many ways.

It's people on minimum wage that I am more likely to tip.

Tipping really is just people playing lady bountiful. If you want to improve the lives of low earners, vote in parties who raise public sector pay & minimum wage and want to grow public service provision, not reduce it.

You are allowed to do both, you know. How miserly.

Don’t customers ever send festive boxes of chocs etc in to your work?

No? Most people in normal jobs don't get this.

Also this thread really is misnamed. Its not about tipping, its about christmas gifts.

I still wouldn't give to the bin men - they change all the time and I'm not a direct employer of them, i have no idea who they are. They are also employed so are guaranteed minimum wages, pension, paid holiday and statutory sick pay.

I leave a week extra cleaning pay for my cleaning ladies at Christmas because I take the view everyone deserves Christmas off paid. I know the ladies well they are the same team who've been cleaning for me for 5 years, they are self employed.

We've always tipped the bin men - followed on from what our parents used to do, I suppose. £20 tucked into a Christmas card for the whole crew to share.

We always tip the postman too. My dad was a postie and I remember how important the Christmas tip was to my mum. She managed the finances.

I'm not a miser.

I paid my cleaner in full through covid because her personal circumstances meant the government help she was eligible for was minimal. I took the view that if i was continuing to receive my normal pay through lockdown, i could continue to pay her hers.

I simply belief routine tipping whoever happens to be the direct customer facing end of an operation is inconsistent and inefficient and allows actual wages to be surpressed, hurting all lower earners.

I run outside and hand them a box of biscuits. I usually get a roll of extra recycling bags in exchange, which I consider a good deal 😄

No tips but I give them a tub of chocolates or box of biscuits. Also do it for the postwoman (she dresses up as an elf on Christmas week and is lovely all year round), the milkman and, yes, the nurses who give me my monthly treatment and the pharmacy who gets my meds ready for me. It is their job but I appreciate it and want to say thanks.

We always leave a box of biscuits out each year. Something they can munch on their rounds :)

Bin men, posties etc earn more than me! It’s nothing to do with being miserly. It’s about what people can afford.

Used to tip them years ago but not any more. I leave my bins to the side but they always leave them smack bang in the middle of my drive - and I live on a main road so it’s a huge pain to come back in the car and not be able to get in. I can’t just leave my car in the middle of a busy road to get out and move them. I’ve tried asking them not to do this but they don’t seem to have a brain cell between them, so can’t be arsed now.

We've had a bin woman on our round occasionally, so YABU to call them bin men.

I don’t think it’s miserly if you can’t afford it. I do think the attitude that ‘I vote Labour (implied) so I don’t worry myself about tipping’ is miserly. I’ve always voted Labour and while I can afford it, I will also tip individual low paid workers who provide me with good service. I don’t tip those who provide bad service.

Mine block my gate every bin day with the bin handles facing the other way so it's awkward to move it and get out. They also come at half 6 talking very loudly waking me up. So I'd never even think to tip as they stress me out every Tuesday.

Bin men get a box of chocolate to share and they are always grateful and very pleasant. The postman gets wine, chocolate and biscuits. He is a lovely old man who ensures we never miss a parcel!

The auditors looking at Birmingham City Council’s financial issues found that the average bin collector in that area is earning £47,000 a year for working 30 hours a week. They are officially contracted for 38 hours a week at £29,000 a year.

They are contracted to do 4 x 9.5 hour days but their allocated daily round takes about 6 hours after which they are allowed to go home. The 5th day, which is required as the 4 day rota doesn’t cover enough collections, is paid as overtime at 9.5 hours x time and a half. Again, it takes about 6 hours. So the average bin collector actually only works 30 hours and gets paid for 51.75 hours a week.

Shouldn't he ensure you never miss a parcel anyway?

That's interesting, @TheSingingDefective .
No wonder some councils are going bankrupt.

Ha! No, they earn more than I do!

I haven't got through all the comments but interesting not many people on here do. I haven't before but feel like I should. They are reliable and pleasant. They always wave to my young DC who like watching them get the bins and if I'm ever putting the bin out at the last minute they help me take it. They're good so I would like to tip them but not sure what to give or how if we're not here.

No of course not. Don’t tip postie or bin men