Sanitation workers

[pixiewings71]

DH ,works for a private sanitation company. Yes there are trucks that the drivers do not have to get out of the truck to pick up your garbage. Yes it would appear that they don't do much, however what you may not realize is that all that garbage gets squished into the truck and a lot of times behind the blade needs to be cleaned out. That means that your sanitation worker is climbing into a stinky smelly truck and hauling disgusting leftovers out of the truck with a shovel.

I realize that everyone has their opinions, and I do too. My dh's job is not one that gets many tips, as he does commercial pickup. You can bet that when he does receive any kind of recognition for a job well done, he is thankful. Many times it is simply a card of thanks, or a phone call to his company. Not everything is about money.

So, perhaps a card of thanks or a phone call to the company would be a nice and non threatening to your pocketbook way of commending someone for a job well done

Yes it's gross but that's what they get paid to do.....I get paid to literally freeze my tuckus off at work, that's what I get paid to do. (seriously, it's 29 outside right now, we have NO temp control so I'm literally freezing) I don't expect a tip because I'm doing my job in crappy conditions. I appreciate the Thank You's (and get them a lot because I'm good at what I do) and do my best every day but I don't want a tip.

Someone I know is a sanitation worker. He makes $12 an hr. is that decent to you? He certainly doesn't make $1500 a week. He barely makes that a month.

Our garbage workers make WELL over $12 an hour. They make over $20 an hour, yes, they are paid well.

 

[ZoeBell]

Still, it is not a tipped position. Should we tip every grocery store clerk who makes minimum wage?

Now you are changing the debate. The argument was they made enough to not needing to be tipped. Well in some areas they don't.

But a lot of people who get "tipped" at Xmas time aren't tipped positions either. Most do it to be nice and give something back to someone. Teachers, hair salon owners, mailman, doctors, nurses none of whom worked in a tipped area but are tipped as a thank you. Why wouldn't sanitation workers be included in the above? It's not that you have to tip them. But you don't have to tip the others either. But you are doing to as a thank you.

 

[ZoeBell]

Still, it is not a tipped position. Should we tip every grocery store clerk who makes minimum wage?

And yes if you feel like tipping the grocery clerk as a thank you then there is nothing wrong with it.

 

[Cavy]

Our sanitation workers are not allowed to accept tips in my city--not even food or a bottle of water, and we live in a very hot city (I worked for the city for a while, they told us at training that sanitation workers had been fired for taking bottles of water from residents )

We're also not supposed to tip the people at the grocery store. If you do, it has to be a stealth tip. Not that I'd want to tip them every time, but sometimes they're awesome--like the guy who helped me out the time my whole hand was in stitches--he deserved a tip!

Guess I live in a strange city.

 

[disykat]

Now you are changing the debate. The argument was they made enough to not needing to be tipped. Well in some areas they don't.

But a lot of people who get "tipped" at Xmas time aren't tipped positions either. Most do it to be nice and give something back to someone. Teachers, hair salon owners, mailman, doctors, nurses none of whom worked in a tipped area but are tipped as a thank you. Why wouldn't sanitation workers be included in the above? It's not that you have to tip them. But you don't have to tip the others either. But you are doing to as a thank you.

None of those people are people I would tip OR give a Christmas present to. (I do tip the stylist when I get my hair cut though.) I would only give a Christmas present to one of the above if they had become a "loved one."

The only time my sanitation worker has had "loved one" status was when, like a poster a while back, my son LOVED the garbage truck and he was very kind to my son. My son gave him some cookies.

 

[annsteere]

I don't leave a holiday tip.

But, I DO set a plastic sand pail filled with ice and two bottles of chilled water on top of my garbage can on hot summer days. That seems to be very appreciated.

 

[kathie859]

I don't leave a holiday tip.

But, I DO set a plastic sand pail filled with ice and two bottles of chilled water on top of my garbage can on hot summer days. That seems to be very appreciated.

I'm stealing this idea!! Very nice indeed!!!

BTW--have never tipped sanitation workers in my life--it's not common to do so in my area. Like another poster--these guys (and the occasional gal) make a decent wage.

 

[ShesAPirate]

This is the first time we've ever lived in a "doorman building". We have 24 hour doorpeople. There's about 12 of them, from what I understand, but honestly we only ever seen 3... and they are wonderful, always going out of their way to be helpful.

We've only been in the building 4 months. I don't plan to tip people I've never seen, but would like to give something to the 3 we see all the time. I was thinking maybe a $20 or $25 Visa gift card and some cookies or chocolate? This is brand new to me, so any insight would be appreciated

 

[Crystal824]

Nothing. I had never even considered this until this thread. The waste management people come pick up our trash at 5am. I never see them. I also don't tip the paper person or the mail person. I don't know them either. I do tip my hairdresser, but I dont' give more than my usual tip because it is December. I do give DD's teachers a gift and my staff at work.

 

[pixiewings71]

I don't leave a holiday tip.

But, I DO set a plastic sand pail filled with ice and two bottles of chilled water on top of my garbage can on hot summer days. That seems to be very appreciated.

That's a neat idea. Our garbage is picked up at 7:30 am though so even on hot days it isn't that hot out yet. lol But I may use this over the summer when it is over 100.

Grocery store clerks cannot accept tips, nor will they (at the store I go to regularly), they will tell you thanks but they will be fired if they accept money.

 

[mrodgers]

Someone I know is a sanitation worker. He makes $12 an hr. is that decent to you? He certainly doesn't make $1500 a week. He barely makes that a month.

Sounds decent to me. It's about average wage for a non-management job around here. Not that it's a good wage to live on, it stinks, I've been there and would be again if I have to start over somewhere else, but is pretty much normal for the majority of folks.

Last I knew, back in the 90's I had friends who drove garbage truck and they made around $25/hour, again back in the 90's! Not bad considering at the same time, my father was Vice President of an electrical corporation and made about the same.

Good jobs back then in the 90's was $10/hour. Good jobs today are about $16/hour. $20/hour as someone mentioned is a pretty darn exceptional job.

 

[daughtersrus]

Now you are changing the debate. The argument was they made enough to not needing to be tipped. Well in some areas they don't.

But a lot of people who get "tipped" at Xmas time aren't tipped positions either. Most do it to be nice and give something back to someone. Teachers, hair salon owners, mailman, doctors, nurses none of whom worked in a tipped area but are tipped as a thank you. Why wouldn't sanitation workers be included in the above? It's not that you have to tip them. But you don't have to tip the others either. But you are doing to as a thank you.

What about auto mechanics, plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs...should they be tipped at Christmas as well?

Just curious where you draw the line.

 

[kimsuenew]

My F-I-L owned a refuse route (ours are all private pay in our county, not paid through taxes) for 40 years and rarely received anything. My husband worked for him (he held two job the first several years of marriage) and we remember one movie gift certificate received in all those years; we were both appreciative and surprised. The certificate expired on December 31st of that same year we had like a week to use it but we managed! To me, refuse workers and our rural newspaper delivery people provide a service that they are compensated for. The same as I do at my job and any job I have worked. I do not/did not expect to recive gifts/tips nor should they.

 

[ZoeBell]

What about auto mechanics, plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs...should they be tipped at Christmas as well?

Just curious where you draw the line.

There is no line to draw. You tip who you want and don't tip if you don't want. If your auto guy has given you great service and you want to acknowledge such at Xmas time, who is someone else to tell you it's wrong? Conversely if you don't tip(for whatever reason) then that's ok too. But people shouldn't feel guilty for doing something nice for someone else.

 

[ZoeBell]

My F-I-L owned a refuse route (ours are all private pay in our county, not paid through taxes) for 40 years and rarely received anything. My husband worked for him (he held two job the first several years of marriage) and we remember one movie gift certificate received in all those years; we were both appreciative and surprised. The certificate expired on December 31st of that same year we had like a week to use it but we managed! To me, refuse workers and our rural newspaper delivery people provide a service that they are compensated for. The same as I do at my job and any job I have worked. I do not/did not expect to recive gifts/tips nor should they.

I agree the key is in expectation. That includes tipped profession who expect a certain amount. I don't ever expect gifts as work, but when patients send something, including a simple thank you card it's nice to know you are appreciated. If they don't I certainly don't think less of them.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

What about auto mechanics, plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs...should they be tipped at Christmas as well?

Just curious where you draw the line.

I (or my parents) have tipped the garbage men for 30 plus years - it is not like this is a new thing.

When my car battery died and I was driving to vacation that afternoon, the guy who squeezed me in (when their schedule was completely full) got $100 tip.

When a loved one is in the hospital - if a nurse provides wonderful care - she gets a gift card.

And I always get gifts for handymen!! Because I appreciate them - and ALSO because they then remember me and like me - which means when I need them they come to me first over someone who does not tip.

Tip the car wash guys, my housekeepers, building manager, doorman. And everyone likes to throw out the mailman and the $20 thing. Never in my life (and I am in my 40s) has a mailman returned the larger gift. And really - who would know?

I do not tip based on salaries - heck there are skycaps at airlines that make $100,000 plus a year.

Whatever works for you is great.