Hands Out?
A friend of mine from America was visiting last week, he loves London and when he is over we always get together.
My friend is a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in America and each year at this time, he receives quite a few tips, gifts or gratuities from the people on his mail route. This is something he has received each holiday season for all the years and different routes he has had.
My purpose in mentioning and writing this is due to the change in many people’s finances this year. I asked him how much this year he thought he might receive? He did not really know, but had thought it might be less than in previous years.
Then another thing occurred that got me to thinking as well; the cleaning person who cleans our offices left a Christmas card in our office one day after cleaning it. The card was very nice, but in the almost three years we have had this office, none of the housekeeping staff has ever left a card like that prior.
In discussing it with some of the other businesses in our building, they, too, received cards and it was a consensus that the card was to prompt a possible tip or gratuity for the years work.
OK, fair enough, those ladies do work hard.
But I guess my question is or will be, are people not going to offer these tips or gratuities this year and/or reduce them?
I know as soon as many of the local and multi-national businesses have posted losses for the quarter/year, the charities made mention they were concerned as they felt donations would drop off. A valid concern I might add. I have read a few lines here and there that stated some donations were down this year. That is part of the trickle-down effect that is going to occur in these times.
As for my friend and his Christmas bonus saga he will keep me informed, but he was more concerned with what was happening with the Royal Mail as the states have been experiencing much of the same and there are talks of major changes there as well.
So tips, and gratuities aside, it seems people are more concerned about just keeping what they have, their jobs.
My friend is a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in America and each year at this time, he receives quite a few tips, gifts or gratuities from the people on his mail route. This is something he has received each holiday season for all the years and different routes he has had.
My purpose in mentioning and writing this is due to the change in many people’s finances this year. I asked him how much this year he thought he might receive? He did not really know, but had thought it might be less than in previous years.
Then another thing occurred that got me to thinking as well; the cleaning person who cleans our offices left a Christmas card in our office one day after cleaning it. The card was very nice, but in the almost three years we have had this office, none of the housekeeping staff has ever left a card like that prior.
In discussing it with some of the other businesses in our building, they, too, received cards and it was a consensus that the card was to prompt a possible tip or gratuity for the years work.
OK, fair enough, those ladies do work hard.
But I guess my question is or will be, are people not going to offer these tips or gratuities this year and/or reduce them?
I know as soon as many of the local and multi-national businesses have posted losses for the quarter/year, the charities made mention they were concerned as they felt donations would drop off. A valid concern I might add. I have read a few lines here and there that stated some donations were down this year. That is part of the trickle-down effect that is going to occur in these times.
As for my friend and his Christmas bonus saga he will keep me informed, but he was more concerned with what was happening with the Royal Mail as the states have been experiencing much of the same and there are talks of major changes there as well.
So tips, and gratuities aside, it seems people are more concerned about just keeping what they have, their jobs.
