Postal Letter

Why are we expected to tip the MAILMAN?

Why are Government workers aloud to accept gratuity for doing a job they are paid very well for? Am I really supposed to tip the mail man or buy him/her a Christmas gift?

Public Comments

1. my parents give the mailman, gardener, and the garbage man a monitory gift each year at Christmas.
2. If they go above and beyond it's considered polite. In some areas your mailman may not even be a full time USPS employee. The USPS hires temporary carriers that cover specific routes for as little as 1 day or as long as a year or more. These people provide their own vehicles and pay for the insurance, gas and maintenance on these vehicles. Although their jobs pay decently they don't provide any benefits and work can be spotty sometimes. Many of these carriers work these temporary jobs while waiting for a coveted full-time spot. My father-in-law did it for 2 years after leaving the Air Force. Its also polite to tip good service anyway. If I get good service I don't have any problem handing $10 or $20 to anyone from a deliveryman to a mover to a waiter or waitress. My husband and I are middle income but we know what its like to work hard physically.
3. LOL. He makes more than I do, and he has an easier job. Nobody tips me.
4. This whole tipping thing is getting WAY out of hand. Enough already!!! I would and never have tipped my mailman. The only people I tip are waiters/waitresses, and salon people. Period that's it.
5. I never tip the mailman (mailwoman in my case). They are not dependent upon tips as a wait person would be. I just give her a nice Christmas card.
6. I've never once heard of tipping the mailman, and I can easily say that in all my 28 years, I've never known not one single person to tip the mailman..so I'm not sure where you live or what your neighborhood is like, but I've never heard of it before. I do however buy our mailperson a gift a christmas, something very small....like a coffee mug with a bag of candy or a 5 dollar gift card to starbucks, etc..nothing over 8 dollars. I also have a lawn guy, and I've never tipped him, however, I do get him and his family a small christmas gift, usually a 10 dollar gift card to a grocery store.
7. The USPS says that their employees are not supposed to accept gifts. LOL, right. We give our guy $50. He's reliable and polite and out in all weathers. Also I doubt that he's paid very much.
8. what are you talking about you don't have to if you don't want to, it is just an act of kindness on your part!
9. You are not SUPPOSED to tip mail men. Actually, it is forbidden in the postal service for workers to accept monetary gifts. It is nice to give them thank you cards or something small, however because postal workers ARE NOT PAID WELL. Also, they deliver your mail in rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow, etc. Be a little appreciative for the service provided to you.
10. I live in Australia and here you're not expected to tip *anyone*! :] So I'd say don't bother.
11. I don't tip anyone that I know for a fact makes about twice what I do! Tips are generally on expected when it's someone like a waiter/waitress or a delivery person. Anyone who makes money as good as the government workers do, don't get tips from me!
12. actually you can't thats a federal offence, bribery but you can give them a non-monetary gift worth under $20