Living Fair

What to tip for labor this holiday? We asked.

The holidays are fast approaching and we all know what that means. Get the decorations out of the garage; decide on your annual holiday gift-giving budget and feel anxious about what to give your favorite provider. Is it cash, a gift certificate, a sweater? What amount of money or kind of gift? Take a deep breathe. It’s not as hard as it seems.

A gift, at its most basic, is a gesture of gratitude, a heartfelt appreciation for a job well done. Your choice will reflect the level of personal relationship you have with your service provider and your budget. As a mom, you probably have a favorite babysitter or a regular childcare provider or housekeeper. These individuals work in your home regularly as trusted, dependable and quality care providers, however, you might not know their preference, tastes, and/or hobbies or what is an appropriate amount to tip.

In order to help answer these questions, we conducted an informal survey of participating consumers and providers about holiday tipping habits at Laborfair (http://www.laborfair.com). Poll participants unanimously agreed upon the three most popular methods for tipping during the holidays: cash, gift certificates or a small gift. Users also provided some guidance about the best way to share each of these holiday gifts.

1). Cash: A gift of cash is always desirable and always welcome. As part of the Laborfair survey, full-time childcare providers and housekeepers overwhelmingly indicated a preference for cash. Housekeepers recommended a range of tipping between $30-50 (depending on frequency of cleaning) while childcare providers suggested a tip ranging from one week’s pay to a one-time gift of $200. It’s always nice to personalize a gift of money by adding the envelope to a gift bag that includes a scented candle, homemade cookies or holiday candy.

2). Gift Certificates: These are always welcome by providers, but they are much harder to personalize. It’s difficult to know which stores your nanny or housekeeper might patronize. Laborfair asked polling respondents to share some of their favorite stores: Gap, Old Navy, and Macy’s earned top billing. Additionally, if you know what your provider likes to do for recreation or as a hobby, then gift certificates from smaller, more specialized stores might also make sense.

3). Gift: A purchased gift is a nice holiday gesture because it shows that you have a sense of a person’s interests, style or hobbies. Purchase a gift they might normally have found for themselves but would consider an extravagance. Polled participants mentioned their favorite gift items as a manicure and pedicure at a local salon, basket of seasonal food items, and the highly coveted extra paid day off.

The holidays are a season of generosity, both of spirit and material wealth. If you have more, give more. If you have little, give little. Finding a meaningful way to express your appreciation is the most important part of gift giving.

Jenna Raby

The Rinse Cycle and Leather Pants

At Laborfair, our goal is to connect people looking to hire household or personal help with those looking for work in a fair, trusted, and responsible way. We don't believe the world needs more employment agencies but we know finding good quality responsive providers isn't always easy. People, well, they are not products, they don't perform always the same way every time your invite their services. Indeed, everyone's view of the accuracy and excellence of a job completed varies based on subjectivity. For example, I love the fact that Irma cleans my refrigerator weekly and throws out any food that is slightly "suspect". I marvel at how she meticulously folds the toilet paper into corners on the dispenser like they do at the Ritz Carlton or dare I say, one of nasty Queen Leona's former establishments. This could be way too intrusive for some, and very very welcome by others. I am a bit less thrilled about Irma's bizarre inclination to hide my bathrobe from me--I have realized this twice now, both times on a cold, fog-filled morning once out of the shower, shivering, mildly wet and annoyed. Or perhaps the time she washed my leather pants in an effort to clean them (I promptly cursed all hearty combinations of New York slang appropriate to lament the demise of my clubbing leathers and made the mental note never to leave any article of clothing slung haphazardly over a chair again). Well, I guess anyone would have an issue with that. But, you get my point. People are people and it's important to be clear about what you do and do not want done. While contractual arrangements can be part of any good employment arrangement, they're not always completed, we don't always follow that level of detail. Beyond a personal checklist which I recommend highly for housecleaning, childcare, gardening and handymen interaction, I recommend posting a review. Reviewing a provider is a great way of being honest and even helpful to the provider with extravagant praise or constructive criticism. Just as restauranteurs read reviews of their food and service to tap the pulse of the public, providers can learn from your comments, well intentioned either way. Lastly, I can't stress enough how important it is to trust your gut feeling after you meet with someone you get from Laborfair or any other service--even if they come very highly recommended. It's up to you.

NY Childcare Providers Join with Teachers Union

Wow, today a blog I frequent reported that 28,000 childcare providers in New York have joined with the United Federation of Teachers, a union, to help secure more of an economic and political voice for themselves through collective bargaining. A partnership between ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) and UFT shows one of the first instances of grass roots community organizations joining with a union I have seen. What does this say about how childcare providers are feeling in the Big Apple? the US? New York is the eighth state to let home-based providers unionize. Hmmm.

When you realize the average annual wage for family and group family providers in New York City is $19,933. The federal poverty line for a family of four in 2004 was $18,850, you see why they might be organizing. The providers have no health benefits, pension plan or paid vacations. They don’t get a sick day, what if their own children get sick?

After all, childcare providers, like teachers, help raise our children and care for them in our stead. They deserve a living wage and an ability to be part of a middle class in America. As we work away at our day jobs, they’re providing meals, making snacks, helping children with reading, learning colors and numbers, homework, direct safe play and changing diapers?
Thanks for being part of Laborfair. By paying a fair wage for this most important of services, we can be the change.