Holiday Tipping in Canada: Mail Carriers, Building Staff, Teachers and More

Holiday tipping in Canada is a custom, not a rule, and there is no official amount. The practical approach is to write a short list of the people who help you through the year, set one amount or one kind of gift for each, and add up the list before December. Some of those people work under employer rules. Canada Post's Code of Conduct, for example, lets employees accept incidental gifts of nominal value and gives a rule of thumb of no more than $100, while asking them to refuse gifts that create a perceived conflict of interest. Schools and condo management companies have their own policies, so a card, a small gift or a group gift is often the safest choice. For someone you employ, such as a nanny, the CRA treats cash gifts as taxable.

Who people thank at the holidays

The list depends on where you live and what services you use. Write down anyone who regularly helps your household. Then decide, person by person, whether you will give cash, a gift card, a small gift, a card with a note, or nothing. A handwritten note is free and is often valued more than people expect.

For year-round tipping at salons, see tipping hairdressers, barbers and nail techs.

Employer gift rules: the example of postal workers

Many people who serve the public work under a code of conduct that limits gifts. Canada Post's Code of Conduct says employees can accept incidental gifts, customary hospitality and other benefits of nominal value that can be reciprocated, and it gives a good rule of thumb of no more than $100. The same code tells employees to refuse gifts from customers, competitors, contractors and suppliers that create a perceived conflict of interest. For a householder, that means a modest card or treat for your carrier fits the code, and a large cash gift may not.

Municipal employees, public school staff and employees of large companies are often under similar codes. You do not need to know the details of every policy. Keep gifts modest, and if you want to give more, give to a group fund the employer has approved or write a note to the person's manager praising their work. That note can matter more to the person than the gift.

Cash versus gifts

Cash and gift cards are useful because the person can spend them as they wish, and they are easy to give to someone you barely know, such as a building cleaner. A gift shows more thought but may not suit the person. A practical rule: cash or a gift card for people whose employer allows it and whom you see often, and a small gift or note for people whose employer limits gifts.

If you give gift cards, prefer an ordinary retailer card over a mall or prepaid network card; the guide to gift card rules by province explains why.

Building staff and condo norms

In a condo or rental building, ask the property manager or the board whether there is a policy. Some buildings collect a holiday fund that is shared among staff, which avoids each resident deciding separately. Others leave it to residents. If you give individually, give to each person who helps you, not only the one you see most often, and include the night or weekend staff if your building has them.

Teachers and caregivers

Schools and child-care centres often set gift guidelines for families, and some discourage gifts of value. A class group gift, where families each contribute a small amount for one shared gift card or present, keeps the cost per family low and treats every teacher the same. A card written by the child is common and welcome.

If you are the employer: nannies and household staff

If you employ a nanny or other household worker, you are the employer. Under the CRA's policy on gifts and awards, cash and near-cash gifts to an employee are a taxable benefit, while non-cash gifts and awards with a total value of up to $500 a year, including tax, are not taxable for an arm's-length employee. A holiday cash bonus for a nanny is therefore employment income and goes through payroll. The nanny payroll guide covers deductions if you employ someone directly.

Budget

Holiday thank-yous fit best as one line in the December plan. Add up the list before you buy anything else, so the people who help all year are not the ones squeezed at the end. If the total is more than you can spend, switch some people from cash to a card with a note, or join a group gift.

Example with made-up inputs: a household's list

These numbers are an example with made-up inputs. They are not recommended amounts. A family in a condo lists nine people: a mail carrier, two concierges, a superintendent, a cleaner, a nanny, a teacher, a hockey coach and a dog walker.

A holiday thank-you plan

1. Write the list of people in November.
2. Check policies: building, school, club and your own role as an employer.
3. Choose cash, gift card, gift, note or group gift for each person.
4. Add up the list and put it in your December budget.
5. Get cash or gift cards early so you are not caught short.
6. Write the cards; a few sentences about what the person does well are the part people keep.

The December spending plan puts thank-yous beside gifts, food and travel.