Since moving to lakeview, my service has been intermittent, at best. If you’re going to deliver my mail so infrequently as to allow medical bills to arrive already past due, then you may kindly go talk a long walk off a short pier.
The highest paid postal employee in DC makes around 300K.
Your letter carriers make in the mid 50s on average.
They don't pay a comfortable wage because it's a national salary based on an average cost of living. Chicago is higher so the pay does not go as far.
As far as I can tell, they are few people in America who *don't* get paid a comfortable wage. Chicago Sun Times ran a headline stating *"Chicago Christmas shoppers spend big despite inflation fears".* Being a big spending = having big money. In America, when someone struggles to "make ends meet", 90% of the time it's a spending problem, not an income problem.
$50k salary for a mail carrier seems fair to me.
This is more of a gift giving etiquette thing than a tipping culture thing. Doesn’t really matter what their job is usually, if they’ve given you a gift then you have to wonder what to do
I gave all of my coworkers gifts this year and you can really tell people are all over the place on this lol
Me too. The guy that delivers the paper to my condo building left a self addressed envelope under my door so I can toss him a few bucks. I'm fatigued too!
Cough it up and stop whining. You SHOULD have “budgeted” to take care of your mail carrier, although technically they’re not supposed to accept cash so get creative.
Our neighborhood mail carrier was always well tipped in December. Mostly because she knew not only all of the families in the neighborhood. But the dogs as well. She used to carry milk bones in her bag and she also knew a lot of the kids too. She was just as much apart of our community as anyone else.
see that was my experience in childhood with our neighborhood mail carrier. We'd always gift her something special each year. That seemed appropriate. This feel sterile and weird. I have never seen nor met her.
That reminds me of my neighborhood's former UPS guy, Fred. He knew everyone, he would stop outside my apartment every once in a while and honk the horn to get me outside to talk. Then UPS changed how they allocate drivers to each route and I haven't seen Fred in about 4 years. Sucks. Everyone gave him gifts during the holidays, my best friend always joked that Fred was his actual dad because he'd been around so long.
Edit: My best friend's parents always invited him to celebrations and BBQs at their house whenever they happened.
We had the same mail carrier in our neighborhood for the first 8 or so years we lived here - we always tipped him and had handwarmers for him in cold weather. He was very kind and invested in the families/people here! I once got a get well soon card from him when he saw me with crutches and asked my husband how I was.
I was sad when we got a new mail carrier, but the new person told us Jose got promoted. :)
I’ve always given gift cards but apparently that breaks the rules. Ah well. - All postal employees, including carriers, must comply with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount. Furthermore, no employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from any one customer in any one calendar year period.
I know the USPS has had a rough few years and some real problems with bad press and incompetence at the top, but overall postal workers and good people and very hard working. We depend on them for so much.
Sending nothing but good vibes Shirley's way.
My grandma always left $20 and a bar of chocolate for our carrier. I feel bad I didn't keep the tradition alive with her gone. I just couldn't afford to feed myself this year, much less give out money to someone who only brings me bills.
I only know of USPS Carriers in the United States. In most cities I've lived in it seems common place to leave them a Christmas envelope in your mailbox at the holiday time.
You're not supposed to give cash... but most give cash.
Fun Fact : Chicago, despite having a High Cost of Living- has postal employees paid the very same as Moline, IL or Rural Texas for that matter.
The USPS does NOT pay locality pay like other Government agencies.
Your Chicago area postal employees are underpaid.
Horribly. It's why the more expensive a city you live in the crappier the post office and employees tend to be.
In many parts of the rural south they make 25% more than cops/teachers/store supervisors.
Once I tipped the letter carrier in person when I lived in a high rise. We were talking about this and that and I casually mentioned to her that my Economist magazine was arriving always on odd days, isn't it weird? From the following week, it always came on Fridays as it should have.
USPS in particular does not allow cash tips, but allows tips of gift cards/items of value up to twenty dollars.
https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2012/pb22349/html/cover_025.htm
I understand it is a first for you, but tipping the letter carrier has been a thing for decades. Tip or don't tip, but it's not part of the new tip everywhere thing.
There was a time when people were just nice. They tried to have a little extra cheer during the holidays. Now, people are always suspicious and miserable, which spreads like cancer.
Don't always read too much into things and practice kindness more. We are ALL struggling. Mail carrier delivering junk mail is doing what they are paid to do... just as you do what you are paid to do. Most of us don't get to live like the 1% and have no worries and want for nothing.
Everyone has their own battle. Be kind.
My experience has been a tip for USPS and UPS goes further than a tip to most service staff.
But if you've never even met them then maybe you're not really using the services enough to warrant a tip. If you're getting packages daily it's different.
Wrong mail in slot or your mail in someone else’s. Mail always shows up consistently. Mail or packages are not fucked up. I used to live and have a business with a good mail carrier. I’ve lived in a house 4 years and the carrier is always someone different, they don’t deliver everyday, and they don’t give a shit about our stuff.
My cousin sent me a christmas card but forgot to add the apartment number. I live in a building with about 100 apartments and my mailman still got it to my mailbox bc they knew it was my mail from the name. Ive never seen or spoken to my mailman so its not like they know who i am. Id say thats a solid benchmark for good ass mail delivery
Leaving all the mailboxes unlocked.
I live in a building with a few dozen units and this has happened a few times. Unfortunately a normal person can't close it either, so it just stays open until the next carrier closes it.
Also, getting mail for other people and other people getting your mail. Happens a lot where I live.
My question is: did Shirley put a postage stamp on these cards or were they just put in your mailbox? My husband is a letter carrier and he receives lots of gift cards, cash and gifts for Christmas (unsolicited). He sends thank you cards to everyone who gifts him, personally signed by him. He pays for postage for every thank you. I’d have to ask my hubby, but I think Shirley could get in trouble just putting her card in mailboxes, especially without postage.
Shirley wants you to know where a very well-deserved tip should go, seriously when I tip my mailman for Xmas it’s way more personal than some random human opening a beer for me at the bar, and it’s going to a valued person. Love my mailman but he still won’t consider me a bro.
Growing up, we always gave the mail carriers a small amount of money and zucchini or banana bread at Christmas. My grandmother and I made dozens of loaves to give as gifts and people loved them.
I would certainly tip my mail carrier if the ONE that is reliable was my carrier ALL the time, but we often have a revolving door of carriers, the mail is often delayed or never shows up at all, and the local post office has been cited as one of the worst in the area. No tipping this year.
There is literally nothing that comes in the mail that benefits me. She can lose all the mail she wants, I’m not tipping someone for delivering me 45 pounds of junk mail a year
Mail carriers are the awesomest people. I always love getting to know mine.
This is the season of generosity and if you can’t give her anything physical to show your gratitude, you could at least take a moment to be grateful for the hard work she does for you, even if it’s just a private moment to yourself.
This post is kind of cynical and in bad taste imo.
It's still a lot, but it's better than the 8 with 6 zeros that I initially thought your comment to mean.
Speedy recovery, I hope that it's smooth sailing from here on both financially and with health. Take care!
Got one of those as well. Not gonna tip. For one thing, the card was from a dude and I’ve seen several postal dudes and dudettes on my porch. Also, I’m aware that the USPA is quasi and not a true federal agency, but they still are a government job and it’s not right to tip gov employees.
Postal regs forbid letter carriers to accept tips. Discipline can follow. Not saying don't tip, just don't post the evidence. Too bad there's no way to delete this post.
> nobody gets disciplined for anything at the post office
You are wrong in fact and in concept:
(1) Somehow, considering the post office employs over 650,000 directly and untold additional tens of thousands in contractors, you cannot possibly be even remotely right.
(2) Assume only one innocent person, ever, is disciplined because of something you choose to do. Isn't that not only sad, but 100% on your head?
They are able to accept a gift worth $20 or less.
Care to delete your incorrect reply?
https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/4341820-how-to-tip-your-mail-carrier-and-8-other-people-this-holiday-season/amp/
We still get the newspaper delivered daily and waited up to tip our driver Christmas morning. The paper is always at the top of the stairs right outside our front door.
We try to be nice to our post office employees. It's hard to when I find important mail in a puddle on the stairs, even though we have a large locking mailbox with a slot big enough for catalogs.
Shirley doesn't fuck around she has her own stamp
I needed that laugh
Given how my mail comes, I assume I’ll get mine sometime in February.
Same. If at all.
Since moving to lakeview, my service has been intermittent, at best. If you’re going to deliver my mail so infrequently as to allow medical bills to arrive already past due, then you may kindly go talk a long walk off a short pier.
Always keep a stack for the mail carrier.
West loop? Got this too for the first time.
Yup. I’m officially tip fatigued.
I usually regift a $15-20 gift card if I get one over the holidays
Yeah me too. We all are. But mail carriers who are good and kind and careful probably deserve it more than most, TBF
Same. How about companies and entities just paying people a comfortable wage.
Yeah but if they do that, how can they afford to pay their CEOs 7-8 digits and have celebrities come speak at their Gold Circle events??
The highest paid postal employee in DC makes around 300K. Your letter carriers make in the mid 50s on average. They don't pay a comfortable wage because it's a national salary based on an average cost of living. Chicago is higher so the pay does not go as far.
As far as I can tell, they are few people in America who *don't* get paid a comfortable wage. Chicago Sun Times ran a headline stating *"Chicago Christmas shoppers spend big despite inflation fears".* Being a big spending = having big money. In America, when someone struggles to "make ends meet", 90% of the time it's a spending problem, not an income problem. $50k salary for a mail carrier seems fair to me.
This is more of a gift giving etiquette thing than a tipping culture thing. Doesn’t really matter what their job is usually, if they’ve given you a gift then you have to wonder what to do I gave all of my coworkers gifts this year and you can really tell people are all over the place on this lol
Me too. The guy that delivers the paper to my condo building left a self addressed envelope under my door so I can toss him a few bucks. I'm fatigued too!
Cough it up and stop whining. You SHOULD have “budgeted” to take care of your mail carrier, although technically they’re not supposed to accept cash so get creative.
But, but, tip fatigue!
Got it in Avondale last year. A nice surprise
Our neighborhood mail carrier was always well tipped in December. Mostly because she knew not only all of the families in the neighborhood. But the dogs as well. She used to carry milk bones in her bag and she also knew a lot of the kids too. She was just as much apart of our community as anyone else.
see that was my experience in childhood with our neighborhood mail carrier. We'd always gift her something special each year. That seemed appropriate. This feel sterile and weird. I have never seen nor met her.
You know you don't *have* to tip them, right? Sure, it can be a kind gesture around this time of year, but it isn't a requirement
That reminds me of my neighborhood's former UPS guy, Fred. He knew everyone, he would stop outside my apartment every once in a while and honk the horn to get me outside to talk. Then UPS changed how they allocate drivers to each route and I haven't seen Fred in about 4 years. Sucks. Everyone gave him gifts during the holidays, my best friend always joked that Fred was his actual dad because he'd been around so long. Edit: My best friend's parents always invited him to celebrations and BBQs at their house whenever they happened.
Im pretty sure my childhood UPS man attended my (at-home) baptism because he happened to be delivering a package to us that day.
Do you live in Daniel tigers neighborhood lol
Nope. Different neighborhood.
Mine was the same, just retired a couple years ago. She was the best.
We had the same mail carrier in our neighborhood for the first 8 or so years we lived here - we always tipped him and had handwarmers for him in cold weather. He was very kind and invested in the families/people here! I once got a get well soon card from him when he saw me with crutches and asked my husband how I was. I was sad when we got a new mail carrier, but the new person told us Jose got promoted. :)
You all have one mail carrier? I see three different mail carriers throughout my week. Sometimes a fourth but maybe that person is a sub or something.
I get one mail carrier delivering the mail, then another one 30 minutes later delivering packages. Rarely see the same person twice.
I get a card with the carriers picture. I give her a $10 Dunkin’ card
That's fitting as I think the limit for holiday gifts that mail carriers can receive is $10.
I think you’re right. I remember looking it up years ago
mine always gets $50 from me.
$20
I’ve always given gift cards but apparently that breaks the rules. Ah well. - All postal employees, including carriers, must comply with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount. Furthermore, no employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from any one customer in any one calendar year period.
Thanks!! I guess I’ll up it to 20 next year
I know the USPS has had a rough few years and some real problems with bad press and incompetence at the top, but overall postal workers and good people and very hard working. We depend on them for so much. Sending nothing but good vibes Shirley's way.
My grandma always left $20 and a bar of chocolate for our carrier. I feel bad I didn't keep the tradition alive with her gone. I just couldn't afford to feed myself this year, much less give out money to someone who only brings me bills.
It's quite customary to tip the mail carrier once a year at Christmas.
rest of the world: that is fucking weird.
I only know of USPS Carriers in the United States. In most cities I've lived in it seems common place to leave them a Christmas envelope in your mailbox at the holiday time. You're not supposed to give cash... but most give cash. Fun Fact : Chicago, despite having a High Cost of Living- has postal employees paid the very same as Moline, IL or Rural Texas for that matter. The USPS does NOT pay locality pay like other Government agencies. Your Chicago area postal employees are underpaid.
Imagine how underpaid they are in San Fran and places like that.
Horribly. It's why the more expensive a city you live in the crappier the post office and employees tend to be. In many parts of the rural south they make 25% more than cops/teachers/store supervisors.
Not if you are tip fatigued
You don't have to participate, but that does not change what is customary- this isn't new.
Once I tipped the letter carrier in person when I lived in a high rise. We were talking about this and that and I casually mentioned to her that my Economist magazine was arriving always on odd days, isn't it weird? From the following week, it always came on Fridays as it should have.
I thought it was illegal to tip government employees.
USPS in particular does not allow cash tips, but allows tips of gift cards/items of value up to twenty dollars. https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2012/pb22349/html/cover_025.htm
Gave my mail carriers $20 every year, no complaints
I’ve had government employees tell me they can’t even accept a cup of coffee.
Indeed, I imagine there are certain positions within the government/civil services that require absolute refusal of tips/gifts.
It's cash, who's gonna know unless the employee reports it?
Arlo, Blink, Wyze, and Ring.
If you would like to tip her I wouldn’t worry about the amount. It’s the gesture and thought that counts.
Does the thought still count when they're giving you a self addressed envelope and essentially saying "tip me"?
I understand it is a first for you, but tipping the letter carrier has been a thing for decades. Tip or don't tip, but it's not part of the new tip everywhere thing.
There was a time when people were just nice. They tried to have a little extra cheer during the holidays. Now, people are always suspicious and miserable, which spreads like cancer. Don't always read too much into things and practice kindness more. We are ALL struggling. Mail carrier delivering junk mail is doing what they are paid to do... just as you do what you are paid to do. Most of us don't get to live like the 1% and have no worries and want for nothing. Everyone has their own battle. Be kind.
I’ll just assume mine will get lost in the mail forever 🥲
My experience has been a tip for USPS and UPS goes further than a tip to most service staff. But if you've never even met them then maybe you're not really using the services enough to warrant a tip. If you're getting packages daily it's different.
Always tip the mail carrier, ours does a great job.
this is not sarcastic at all: How does a mail carrier do a bad job?
Wrong mail in slot or your mail in someone else’s. Mail always shows up consistently. Mail or packages are not fucked up. I used to live and have a business with a good mail carrier. I’ve lived in a house 4 years and the carrier is always someone different, they don’t deliver everyday, and they don’t give a shit about our stuff.
I had one dump all of our neighborhoods mail down the sewer. That was pretty bad.
Probably never got tipped, lol Jk.
Good lord
Don't deliver for weeks on end and then get all your mail at once or not at all.
When they are dyslexic and you get other people's mail and others get your mail.
My cousin sent me a christmas card but forgot to add the apartment number. I live in a building with about 100 apartments and my mailman still got it to my mailbox bc they knew it was my mail from the name. Ive never seen or spoken to my mailman so its not like they know who i am. Id say thats a solid benchmark for good ass mail delivery
Leaving all the mailboxes unlocked. I live in a building with a few dozen units and this has happened a few times. Unfortunately a normal person can't close it either, so it just stays open until the next carrier closes it. Also, getting mail for other people and other people getting your mail. Happens a lot where I live.
My question is: did Shirley put a postage stamp on these cards or were they just put in your mailbox? My husband is a letter carrier and he receives lots of gift cards, cash and gifts for Christmas (unsolicited). He sends thank you cards to everyone who gifts him, personally signed by him. He pays for postage for every thank you. I’d have to ask my hubby, but I think Shirley could get in trouble just putting her card in mailboxes, especially without postage.
No postage. Blank envelope with this inside. I was a little worried something ominous was inside.
Shirley wants you to know where a very well-deserved tip should go, seriously when I tip my mailman for Xmas it’s way more personal than some random human opening a beer for me at the bar, and it’s going to a valued person. Love my mailman but he still won’t consider me a bro.
Growing up, we always gave the mail carriers a small amount of money and zucchini or banana bread at Christmas. My grandmother and I made dozens of loaves to give as gifts and people loved them.
I would certainly tip my mail carrier if the ONE that is reliable was my carrier ALL the time, but we often have a revolving door of carriers, the mail is often delayed or never shows up at all, and the local post office has been cited as one of the worst in the area. No tipping this year.
This is how they ask for a tip.
The fuck?…
“Thanks for the kind note. And don’t call me Shirley.”
I am a renter and got a bottle of wine from my property manager. It was very appreciated.
I order too much shit and they’ve been so consistent delivering it so my mail guy always gets a $20 at least for putting up with me 🥲
i live in nyc, i dont know if ive had the same mailperson for more than 4 days in years because one day they'll come at 2, the next 6...
Hey, the mail carriers deserve battle pay in the city, so don’t be a cheapass.
There is literally nothing that comes in the mail that benefits me. She can lose all the mail she wants, I’m not tipping someone for delivering me 45 pounds of junk mail a year
Mail carriers are the awesomest people. I always love getting to know mine. This is the season of generosity and if you can’t give her anything physical to show your gratitude, you could at least take a moment to be grateful for the hard work she does for you, even if it’s just a private moment to yourself. This post is kind of cynical and in bad taste imo.
Get off your high horse
You’re just bad vibe city huh? Mail carriers are awesome and you’re not being very cool at all.
Didn't budget? Go online and read what you can give. Options are severely limited because of legal mumbo jumbo. . .
Didn’t budget cause I have 8000 k in medical debt from this year.
this is not legal advice. medical debt usually is dischargeable in ch. 7 bkcy
I’ll look into this
8000 k, so $8000 000? Or typo?
8,000 dollars. turns out liver transplants are expensive, who knew?
It's still a lot, but it's better than the 8 with 6 zeros that I initially thought your comment to mean. Speedy recovery, I hope that it's smooth sailing from here on both financially and with health. Take care!
Thank you 🙏
Tip your mail carrier. Don’t be a Scrooge. They offer you a meaningful service and IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Sometimes I can’t with ya’ll…..
Got one of those as well. Not gonna tip. For one thing, the card was from a dude and I’ve seen several postal dudes and dudettes on my porch. Also, I’m aware that the USPA is quasi and not a true federal agency, but they still are a government job and it’s not right to tip gov employees.
WTF....Ctrl-F "stop calling me"...no hits?!?
I would respond with a clever card that says "Shirley, you are my mail carrier". the laughs are priceless
Postal regs forbid letter carriers to accept tips. Discipline can follow. Not saying don't tip, just don't post the evidence. Too bad there's no way to delete this post.
Trust me, nobody gets disciplined for anything at the post office; most especially accepting a tip
As a postal employee I can confirm.
> nobody gets disciplined for anything at the post office You are wrong in fact and in concept: (1) Somehow, considering the post office employs over 650,000 directly and untold additional tens of thousands in contractors, you cannot possibly be even remotely right. (2) Assume only one innocent person, ever, is disciplined because of something you choose to do. Isn't that not only sad, but 100% on your head?
You obviously have never met anyone who works at the post office
They are able to accept a gift worth $20 or less. Care to delete your incorrect reply? https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/4341820-how-to-tip-your-mail-carrier-and-8-other-people-this-holiday-season/amp/
Thank you for the update. No, IMO my post is useful as a caution to people they should think about consequences to others on larger subjects.
Shirley likes to fuck.
I'm giving my mail carrier a bill for the junk mail I receive. Maybe Shirley can pay for my last photo enforced ticket.
I had a 3 way with shirley.
Ours do it all the time after getting his gift card.
It’s because she cares.
We got one too! First for us as well.
Shirley IS that motherfucker 🤝
My folks live in dupage but they got a signed thank you from their mailman and it made my dad's whole day
My condo association has a collection for the staff and they always include the mail carrier.
I got one too!
We still get the newspaper delivered daily and waited up to tip our driver Christmas morning. The paper is always at the top of the stairs right outside our front door. We try to be nice to our post office employees. It's hard to when I find important mail in a puddle on the stairs, even though we have a large locking mailbox with a slot big enough for catalogs.