How does holiday tipping work?

The holidays are the time of year to say thank you to those close to you.

But what about the service workers you count on year-round?

Holiday tipping is a good approach to show you are pleased with their work.

So how much should you give to the mail carrier or the babysitter?

According to the Emily Post Institute, an etiquette consulting service, your babysitter should receive up to one evening’s pay and a small gift from your children. For your daycare provider, a cash gift of $25 to $70 for each staff member that works directly with your child would suffice. For a housecleaner, the proper gift would be a dollar amount up to their week’s pay and/or a small gift.

For your pool cleaner, it’s cash or a gift up to the cost of a single cleaning to be split among the crew. And for the security person at your gated community, $15 would be the proper amount.

But if your budget doesn’t allow for holiday tipping, that’s OK too.

“If it doesn’t fit your budget, start with your words, really clearly telling someone how grateful you are for what they’ve done for your family,” said Lizzie Post, co-president of the Emily Post Institute.

But remember, it’s important to check the company’s gifting policy. For example, mail carriers are not allowed to accept cash or checks. Gifts can only be up to a 20 dollar value unless it can be shared with the branch.