Tipping the housekeepers

November 30, 2010 2:43 PM

How much does one tip each member of a housekeeping team?

My understanding is that if you pay a housekeeper $x per month, then $x is the correct amount for an annual holiday-time tip.

But - how much do you tip each if there are two folks who come as a team? Do they each get $x? Do they each get $x/2 ?

Thanks

posted by colin_l to Human Relations (5 answers total)

Assuming they divvy up the flat rate you pay the whole team each month, wouldn't they also divvy up the holiday tip? Unless you pay a company which handles payroll separately from how much they charge their clients, that would be the way to go.
posted by Sara C. at 2:55 PM on November 30, 2010

Is it always the same two people? I usually have the same duo, but last year at Christmas two totally different people showed up to clean. Completely messed up my tip plan.

If it's always the same two, then I'd tip $x/2. I'd thank each one separately and give each one a separate envelope with their tip.
posted by 26.2 at 3:22 PM on November 30, 2010

If you pay them separately, tip them separately. If you pay them as a team, tip as a team. I the person who cleans my place weekly, 1 week pay plus 1 week paid vacation. That is, on the week before Christmas, I give her 3 weeks pay. One for that week, one as a bonus and one for the next week when she does not have to work but does not lose a week's pay. She sometimes comes with a friend to speed things up, but I pay the same thing. It is she who tips out to her friend who helps.
posted by AugustWest at 3:26 PM on November 30, 2010

Thanks - that's exactly the direction I was leaning.
posted by colin_l at 3:34 PM on November 30, 2010

I address a card to the team and pay tip them an amount equal to one cleaning. I assume they split it just as if it were a fee for the cleaning.
posted by cecic at 3:54 PM on November 30, 2010