If someone comes to your home at the last minute to help you...you tip.
Would you have been in a bind if she hadn't been there? If yes, tip.

This makes no sense. This is not a freelance babysitter doing anyone a favor. The backup sitter isn't "helping". She is working an assignment for her regular job.

This is an employee of a service that provides backup care. The service is being paid. Her job may be valuable and necessary, but it is not tip worthy.

Now, if the particular backup nanny does something above and beyond...like unexpected cleanup or something, then yes, I would tip. Otherwise, no.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone comes to your home at the last minute to help you...you tip.
Would you have been in a bind if she hadn't been there? If yes, tip.

That's what they are being paid for. Same reason I don't tip waiters UNLESS they actually do a good job. A tip is a bonus, not a double dip paycheck.

You don't tip waiters ? I'm not a big tip person myself. I stick to about 20% unlike a lot of men who tip 40% and up but to tip nothing seems cruel. That's how they end up making a living wage. And yes I get that's not your problem but just seems cruel to me.

Just like I don't hand out my change to panhandlers I will not tip you as a waiter if you aren't doing your job right. If you come to the table often (but unobtrusively) and keep drinks filled and are generally a good employee I have no problem tipping you. If you go above and beyond you get a bigger tip. But if you come by once to take orders and then some busboy brings the food and I have to call another waiter over to ask for more drink then sorry you get nothing.

New poster. I would not tip an employee who receives a regular wage, so the babysitter would not get a tip unless she went out of her way or handled a prickly situation. For example, if the babysitter does her job adequately but I come home to dirty dinner dishes she still gets paid. For the dish cleanup I would have given her a tip. Servers are not similar to a babysitter though. They are not paid a regular wage. They make around $3.50 per hour. So, if I get only good enough service then I still tip. If I get exceptional service then I give a better tip.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone comes to your home at the last minute to help you...you tip.
Would you have been in a bind if she hadn't been there? If yes, tip.

That's what they are being paid for. Same reason I don't tip waiters UNLESS they actually do a good job. A tip is a bonus, not a double dip paycheck.

You don't tip waiters ? I'm not a big tip person myself. I stick to about 20% unlike a lot of men who tip 40% and up but to tip nothing seems cruel. That's how they end up making a living wage. And yes I get that's not your problem but just seems cruel to me.

Just like I don't hand out my change to panhandlers I will not tip you as a waiter if you aren't doing your job right. If you come to the table often (but unobtrusively) and keep drinks filled and are generally a good employee I have no problem tipping you. If you go above and beyond you get a bigger tip. But if you come by once to take orders and then some busboy brings the food and I have to call another waiter over to ask for more drink then sorry you get nothing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone comes to your home at the last minute to help you...you tip.
Would you have been in a bind if she hadn't been there? If yes, tip.

That's what they are being paid for. Same reason I don't tip waiters UNLESS they actually do a good job. A tip is a bonus, not a double dip paycheck.

Again...read my above post. If you'd be in a bind without them, tip.

Id be in a bind EVERYTIME someone I hired failed to perform or show up.... I don't see what your point is.

I'd be in a bind if the plumber failed to show up and unclog a pipe. I'd be in a bind if the AC guy failed to show up and fix the AC. I'd be in a bind if the babysitter I hired failed to show up. I do not tip these people ... I pay these people. One time.

Op here with an update. We offered a 20 dollar tip she looked offended and refused to take it. Oh well, lesson learned I guess.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone comes to your home at the last minute to help you...you tip.
Would you have been in a bind if she hadn't been there? If yes, tip.

That's what they are being paid for. Same reason I don't tip waiters UNLESS they actually do a good job. A tip is a bonus, not a double dip paycheck.

You don't tip waiters ? I'm not a big tip person myself. I stick to about 20% unlike a lot of men who tip 40% and up but to tip nothing seems cruel. That's how they end up making a living wage. And yes I get that's not your problem but just seems cruel to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone comes to your home at the last minute to help you...you tip.
Would you have been in a bind if she hadn't been there? If yes, tip.

That's what they are being paid for. Same reason I don't tip waiters UNLESS they actually do a good job. A tip is a bonus, not a double dip paycheck.

Again...read my above post. If you'd be in a bind without them, tip.

Anonymous wrote:If someone comes to your home at the last minute to help you...you tip.
Would you have been in a bind if she hadn't been there? If yes, tip.

That's what they are being paid for. Same reason I don't tip waiters UNLESS they actually do a good job. A tip is a bonus, not a double dip paycheck.

If someone comes to your home at the last minute to help you...you tip.
Would you have been in a bind if she hadn't been there? If yes, tip.

We tipped. I think $20/day. But our work pays the entire backup cost. I we were paying actual market rate directly to the nanny, I don't think we'd tip.

Our company has an arrangement with Bright Horizons Backup Care Advantage. Basically, if we need it to replace regular care for they day, they'll send a nanny for the day. Any thoughts on whether/how much to tip?