What’s the consensus: tipping the postman

[DVC-Don]

No way I'd tip. We've been getting other peoples mail here for as long as I recall. Even packages left on our porch with a different street on the address label.

 

[BaymaxForever]

Jumping in bc my father was a letter carrier when I was growing up. He had a house to house walking route in Northen Illinois. Brutally hot and humid summers and miserable winters. People didn’t or were unable
to shovel, people had dogs who tried to bite his fingers through the mail slot, loose dogs running after him were all in a days work. But, he also got to know a lot of people. Checked in on the home-bound, helped a disabled man on/off the toilet most days, kept an eye on vacationing families homes.
Just saying that in some areas and on some routes some carriers develop good relationships with their customers. My dad always did receive quite a few gifts during Christmas, including cash, gift certificates and liquor(!) from some of the people on his route. It always surprised me how generous people were.
I would consider it a gift and if it falls within their guidelines on accepting gifts, do what you want do! (By the way, my regular carrier won’t even wave back, so I’ve given up trying!)

 

[low-key]

Its a good ideal but I'm not doing it

 

[minniecarousel]

OP here - I also posed this question on "Next Door". One person quoted the Postal Service's official stand on gifts (up to $20 appears to be OK). And everyone else declared that our mailman deserves a tip. He even keeps an eye out for possible package-snatchers (which has been an issue in our neighborhood at times). So a $20 grocery GC it is!

Thanks for the responses here too.

 

[Skippy918]

We have communal mailboxes. I have no idea who delivers our mail. Sometimes I see a postal truck, other times I see regular vehicles who are pulled up in front of the boxes.

 

[amberpi]

We have a different carrier more days than not, so no way to ever know if we'll have anyone we've had before. I've been told we're a "scrub route" which means whoever gets done first works on ours late in the day. Sometimes it comes as late as 7 PM.

No tip here.

I tipped when I had a known mailman. I live in urban area (and close to some questionable areas) and don't think I ever have same mailperson - maybe I'm in a scrub area? When I was in the burbs and knew him, I tipped.

 

[sasywtch]

LOL. Our letter carrier yesterday delivered all the mail one house off on my street. ALL 44 houses. So NO tip.

Also, given that Letter Carriers now start at $37,000, that is a pay grade that I don't tip at. Now a card, or cookies, sure

I may be wrong but I think the word tip is the wrong word. Maybe "thank you, have a good Christmas gift" would be better. I noticed those willing to "tip" (or as I'd call it, thank you gift) are those who have daily contact and the mail carriers go out of their way. Growing up, we knew our mailman, he gave us the mail directly (knocked on the door). He was a once a day friend and he got cookies. The mail man today drives up, wouldn't know who it is so no, wouldn't give a gift/tip just because they are doing their job. If that makes sense.

 

[amberpi]

I may be wrong but I think the word tip is the wrong word. Maybe "thank you, have a good Christmas gift" would be better. I noticed those willing to "tip" (or as I'd call it, thank you gift) are those who have daily contact and the mail carriers go out of their way. Growing up, we knew our mailman, he gave us the mail directly (knocked on the door). He was a once a day friend and he got cookies. The mail man today drives up, wouldn't know who it is so no, wouldn't give a gift/tip just because they are doing their job. If that makes sense.

I think you're dead on - you know them, you thank them. How much that person makes seems like a weird bit of the equation to be included here; especially since it's not a ton. My mother still teaches and makes a good bit more than that (40 years xp and an eds) but still gets loads of thank you/holiday gifts, seems like the same thing here. Right now, my mail is delivered by a substitute (taking that teacher analogy out) every day and no is suggesting gifts for every sub that's ever taught your kid.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I usually leave mine cookies or candy.

@Soldier's*Sweeties, where do you leave stuff for your trash men? I hate to put it on the yucky cans, but I'd like to include them.

Next to it with a bow. It's usually just a six pack or something.

 

[tvguy]

I think you're dead on - you know them, you thank them. How much that person makes seems like a weird bit of the equation to be included here; especially since it's not a ton. My mother still teaches and makes a good bit more than that (40 years xp and an eds) but still gets loads of thank you/holiday gifts, seems like the same thing here. Right now, my mail is delivered by a substitute (taking that teacher analogy out) every day and no is suggesting gifts for every sub that's ever taught your kid.

We all bring our own opinions and life experiences, but I guess the issue I have is restrictions some employers, especially public sector employers, put in employees accepting gifts and I'm not sure what they can, and can't take. I think the Post Office rules allow a $25 max gift. The teachers at my kids schools were allowed to accept greeting cards and notes, and home baked goodies, but nothing with any financial value. DW, DD and I all work for private employers and we have the same $25 limit, although the place I work and DD works at prefers any gifts we shared with the entire company. They are concerned about the ethics of us accepting any gift. One of the casinos here routinely sends several dozen pastries over at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they HAVE to be place in the lunch room for everyone to enjoy.

Since I replied yesterday, I did go out for pizza and I did leave a $2 tip in the tip jar on a $30 order, something that I never would have gotten when I worked in a minimum wage job. Times are changing. But with the reality of the job market, are there really that many minimum wage jobs anymore? Both my kids started at $3 an hour over minimum wage.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Since I replied yesterday, I did go out for pizza and I did leave a $2 tip in the tip jar on a $30 order, something that I never would have gotten when I worked in a minimum wage job. Times are changing. But with the reality of the job market, are there really that many minimum wage jobs anymore? Both my kids started at $3 an hour over minimum wage.

To the bolded that probably depends on the industry we are talking about but even in the same industry companies hire at different amounts.

Aldi and Costco come to mind for cashier type jobs where starting pay is quite good--I know my local Aldi has a starting pay around $12 at the moment for just a store associate. Federal minimum wage is $7.25.

Other retailers like JCP, Khol's, etc at least around me have more starting pay likely in the $8-$9 range for a store associate type position. I don't know for sure but I can't imagine the fast food places around me are paying a normal team member over $10 a hour (as you said your children were paid $3 over the minimum wage) but I honestly could be wrong about that.

 

[tvguy]

To the bolded that probably depends on the industry we are talking about but even in the same industry companies hire at different amounts.

Aldi and Costco come to mind for cashier type jobs where starting pay is quite good--I know my local Aldi has a starting pay around $12 at the moment for just a store associate. Federal minimum wage is $7.25.

Other retailers like JCP, Khol's, etc at least around me have more starting pay likely in the $8-$9 range for a store associate type position. I don't know for sure but I can't imagine the fast food places around me are paying a normal team member over $10 a hour (as you said your children were paid $3 over the minimum wage) but I honestly could be wrong about that.

Well, I AM in California. Our minimum wage is $10.50 now, and goes to $11 in a few weeks. And some cities have their own minimum wages. San Francisco is currently $14 an hour and hits $15 next July.
A few of the McDonalds here have their window painted up with signs saying their starting wage is $13 an hour. So nobody in California today is making less than $10.50 an hour.

My neighbor is a contractor, and with public sector projects, he runs into California Prevailing wage law which requires that the value of the wage and benefits paid must be at least $52.50 an hour....unless the owner of the business is actually doing the work. He used to hire college kids to do cleanup at job sites for $20. Now HE has to do the cleanup because he can't afford to pay $52.50 for that time of work. Welcome to California.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, I AM in California. Our minimum wage is $10.50 now, and goes to $11 in a few weeks. And some cities have their own minimum wages. San Francisco is currently $14 an hour and hits $15 next July.
A few of the McDonalds here have their window painted up with signs saying their starting wage is $13 an hour. So nobody in California today is making less than $10.50 an hour.

My neighbor is a contractor, and with public sector projects, he runs into California Prevailing wage law which requires that the value of the wage and benefits paid must be at least $52.50 an hour....unless the owner of the business is actually doing the work. He used to hire college kids to do cleanup at job sites for $20. Now HE has to do the cleanup because he can't afford to pay $52.50 for that time of work. Welcome to California.

I know I know about you being in CA. But you were speaking in a general sense. You and I already know CA is different we got that.

But you said "But with the reality of the job market, are there really that many minimum wage jobs anymore?" And so I commented on that.

This thread was originally about tipping the postman. It wasn't about tipping the postman only in CA, nor when people were commenting on your comment regarding salary of a postman were they speaking just about CA.

 

[tvguy]

I know I know about you being in CA. But you were speaking in a general sense. You and I already know CA is different we got that.

But you said "But with the reality of the job market, are there really that many minimum wage jobs anymore?" And so I commented on that.

This thread was originally about tipping the postman. It wasn't about tipping the postman only in CA, nor when people were commenting on your comment regarding salary of a postman were they speaking just about CA.

It's a discussion board. The posts are called "threads" for a reason. They go all over the place. I can only speak to my experience, just as you can only speak from your experience. That is how well all learn things here.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't know for sure but I can't imagine the fast food places around me are paying a normal team member over $10 a hour (as you said your children were paid $3 over the minimum wage) but I honestly could be wrong about that.

They're not. My daughter is 17 and has lots of friends getting retail and entry level jobs. Fast food tends to start at minimum wage. As did her first job (at K-mart) last summer.

So nobody in California today is making less than $10.50 an hour.

Except of course the ones making nothing because companies have cut back total hours and/or numbers of employees.

 

[tvguy]

They're not. My daughter is 17 and has lots of friends getting retail and entry level jobs. Fast food tends to start at minimum wage. As did her first job (at K-mart) last summer.

Wow, K-Mart, not many of those left. Getting people to work for minumum wage has forced some firms to raise entry level wages above minimum wage.

Except of course the ones making nothing because companies have cut back total hours and/or numbers of employees.

True.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's a discussion board. The posts are called "threads" for a reason. They go all over the place. I can only speak to my experience, just as you can only speak from your experience. That is how well all learn things here.

You're right it is a discussion board. It's not a CA only discussion board. If you were wanting to only speak about CA and CA only you should have said "But with the reality of the CA job market, are there really that many minimum CA wage jobs anymore?"

You posed a general question. If you only wanted a conversation about CA you should have said so in your original comment.

 

[kimblebee]

I am 100% against tipping the postman. He should remain upright at all times. Plus, then you risk the letters going all over the place and who’s going to get him off the ground...

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I am 49 and have been tipping the mail carrier my entire life - my parents who are in their 70s still do so too. Their mailman will actually bring inside anything heavy and is a delight.
But then again, I tip everybody - garbage men, UPS guy etc.

 

[amberpi]

But then again, I tip everybody - garbage men, UPS guy etc.

I had to tell my mom she couldn't tip someone at Target recently. I don't tip my mailperson presently (could be a woman or a man) only because it literally changes every day.

I'm the same. I tip everyone and I tip generously. I literally have stopped dating men because they were crummy tippers. I just won't deal with it.