xmas present for cleaner or money?

[ggirl]

I pay her £20 for two hrs work a week.
Shall I give her a present or an extra £20 in a card?

I’m going for a week’s money and a token gift.

ah that's a good idea ..what's your token gift?

I do a weeks money and a token gift too.
Mine gets £30 a week, so I pay her £30 for the week of Christmas she is missing, plus £30 and a small gift (£15-£20ish).

Yup, mostly cash and a token gift. Usually something like a candle or some chocolates. But we pay her a lot extra at Christmas - two weeks leave and an extra 2 weeks on top.

She always brings presents for us and the DC. One year, SIL was housesitting or staying with us, can't remember exactly, and she brought her a gift too!!!! Our babysitter got a gift too last year! So I have been thinking that a small gift is still fine, but needs to be more thoughtful this year!!

Yes cash in a card if you can afford it.
I know someone who gives 3 weeks pay in a card as a present but appreciate that may be ott.

Crikey, some of you pay a lot! Is that because you feel a cleaner is your employee, rather than you being their client?

I go for a week's pay plus a bottle of wine (partly so I don't have to buy anything extra), mainly because she's cleaned our house for about 7 years now, knows where everything goes, and is flexible and lovely.

So more like an employee than a service to a client in the sense that it would be a lot of work to replace.

How about a voucher for somewhere they like to shop?

I have a similar dilemma for my hairdresser. I'm thinking I might just get her a voucher in a card then she can choose something she'd like.

We pay her the week she is missing plus one extra, so 2x the £35/week plus a token gift. I normally get a larger chocolate box. I know she always has her daughter and grandson with her so enough for all the adults in her house plus a teeny santa for the toddler grandson.

I get mine a bottle of prosecco and pay her double.
It's daft really as she probably has more money than me but she's fabulous.

I give a small body shop gift this year and £30, and if she wants to come on Christmas Eve time and a half (or double if I’ve got it). It’s up to her though if she wants to.

I don’t really think of her as employee or me as client. I’m just so bloody appreciative and think she’s wonderful! Consistently does a great job, always shows up, gets everything done well. I’m a single parent with 4 DCs, I put a huge value on her help. I don’t say it lightly but having her help once a week takes an enormous pressure off and keeps me sane.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone, think I'll do the money and booze and chocolates.

I used to be a cleaner and would definitely have preferred money.

Omg you are all making me feel very tight fisted! Ive never heard of gifting a hairdresser and my cleaner might get a fiver and a bottle of Lidl baileys. She’s a luxury I can just about afford.

Probably money and a small gift - when we were away one Christmas I left a Lush gift box for the cat sitter we used for the first time

I was just going to give a box of chocolates. Which reminds me, I need to find out what she’s working over Christmas.

Mine gets a mini hamper of things she likes but would not buy for herself.

One weeks extra wages and token gift here eg box of quality street or nice biscuits.

I use a company run by a couple who bring additional people with them. It's usually the same girls but not always. I was going to do a goody bag for them to share - Prosecco, biscuits and sweets.

£100 and token gift here.

Some might say that's OTT. But she's bloody amazing and she doesn't have much money despite working very hard, so I like to treat her. Gets the same on her birthday.

A week's wages plus some chocolates (because she is a real chocoholic).