Do you give your household staff a Christmas bonus

[BercowsFestiveFlamingo]

From the maids and the cook to the butler and the chauffeur it's getting to be a rather dear do these days what with the leaks in the old roof and the terrible state of the stable block I might have to sell off some of the family jewels.
I suppose one is expected to give one's staff a Christmas bonus but is it really necessary? There's tradition and then there's one's roof and its leaks. Not to mention the damage Great Aunt Annie did to the ruddy estate wall after an ill-advised mixture of tequila and the gardener's ride-on mower. She always was a rum one and that trip to Mexico has a lot to answer for.
Anyway, I digress, back to the question in hand: bonuses-yes or no? They are a good bunch apart from that time they had a soirée orgy in the lodge and had raided the wine cellar and pantry. Great uncle Albert and the cook have not seen eye to eye since. Probably best after the eye-full of her nether regions he got went he went to investigate the noise.
Alas, I fear I may cause a rumpus if the usual bonus is not there this year.

We give our housekeeper £200 Christmas bonus and our gardener £100 .. We also get them both a present x

Surely all they need is a bolt of fabric to sew new uniforms.

I get very generous after cocktail hour so they'll get plenty of bonuses from me for being so discreet and loyal

Goodness no! Serving me all year is a bonus in itself surely?. I may let them have a thimble full of my finest sherry with me Christmas Eve before I send them back to their quarters and I consider that generous

Well thank you very much Jerry.....

Certainly not! If you start down that slippery slope they will be expecting a day off next. Keep them in their place is what I say, or you will be making a rod for your own back. Humph.

@LadyNell

Well thank you very much Jerry.....

Are you still using your Telegraph christmas hat, Margot?

No. Let the wretches starve I say. I allow them to press their noses against the window and watch our Christmas celebrations and feast though, as long as they clear the smudges off the window and don't trample the flowers.

I have however, bought my amazing Doctor the Lego flowers set.

@SonicStars

Not after last year. There was a single sock left in the washing machine. The housekeeper asked me to pass it to her, I did so and I accidentally freed her. Couldn't find a new one till March!

Nothing will be given to them by me.

This made me laugh way more than it should have done!!

Pussycat I've just watched all the episodes for nostalgic purposes, great but totally cringeworthy watching now....oh no Tom not in the Avenue...

@LizzieSiddal

No certainly not!

Our staff line up in the hall on Christmas Eve and I hand them a gift (a framed photo of Dh and l).

I find that quite sufficient.

Amazing 😂

@Fromthebirdsnest

We give our housekeeper £200 Christmas bonus and our gardener £100 .. We also get them both a present x

Last of the big spenders 😂

@Geppili

I am my staff.

Yep, me too!

Goodness me, absolutely not. If we start showing a bit of appreciation then we run the risk of them realising we need them to keep our lives running doing all those pesky chores and then they might start demanding all sorts like time off and more pay and start being ill and things, or threaten to leave if you don't stump up your hard earned cash from all that networking, that'll leave me right in the do-do! It's hard enough delegating everything as it is by cocktail hour, I was almost late yesterday!
Best they know their place and stick to it really.

The Queen gives a Christmas pudding. Although this year’s there have been rumours she is down grading from Fortum and Masons to Tesco’s finest.

No. But on Boxing Day they get a lie in until 6.30 am and we eat left overs at lunch so cook only has 5 courses to organise for dinner.
More than fair imo.

I would certainly never give money. Too much of a risk that they’ll enjoy the experience then start to expect more and more of it, and before you know it they’ll have left to work elsewhere with better “conditions”. Quite why they think less hours and higher pay is better than spending their every waking moment working in my magnificent country pile or my London mansion I’ll never understand, but I’m not willing to run the risk of them leaving me.

My gift to them is a small glass of Sherry at the end of Christmas Day service. I’m feeling quite generous this year though, and will allow them to have Christmas dinner this year with the Sherry, and have sprung for a whole goose just for them instead of them having leftovers.

I can’t wait for their letters of thanks on Boxing Day!

Absolutely. We invite all the staff up to the drawing room for a thimble of sherry and piano recital by little Rupert, they love it bless them, highlight of the year for them no doubt.

The cleaner yes, the gardener no due to the sunflowers not reaching maximum height and the cook made the tofu too crispy so I’m actually docking her wages this year 🤣

I leave beer out for our binmen.

😃

Maybe I should tip the lady you delivers all my Amazon parcels....

@LizzieSiddal

No certainly not!

Our staff line up in the hall on Christmas Eve and I hand them a gift (a framed photo of Dh and l).

I find that quite sufficient.

😆😆😆😆😆😆

The peasants get an apple or an orange for their hard work.

@vodkaredbullgirl

The peasants get an apple or an orange for their hard work.

Could you not go all out this year and get them an apple AND an orange? I'm sure that would make the poor lambs Christmas - imagine how good you'll feel about yourself too

Ever since I caught the footman and the scullery maid racing on tea trays down the main staircase when I returned home early from evensong, I have been clear my forebearance was gift enough.