The restaurant waiter comparison is entirely inappropriate. When you contract for construction work there is an arms length relationship and it should be respected. Being kind and helpful to workers in your home is appropriate but compensation should be left to their employer. Handing out cash to laborers can lead to all kinds of trouble for him and for you. I have never heard of tipping a general contractor so I have no frame of reference for the amount. I would be careful to not call it a tip but to suggest it is for additional services you don't think was included by the contract amount. I doubt any of it would get to the workers.

@Xedos “ you are plainly out of touch if you don't know that waitstaff make less than min. wage , and think their employers dole out any luxuries to them. In fact , don't know any employers that hand out luxuries to the worker bees. “ Talk about being out of touch. At least read and understand what I wrote before jumping all over me. What I said was that tipping is appropriate for wait staff who, apparently, make low/below minimum wage – not for everyone under the sun just for doing their jobs. That’s gotten out of hand. No, I don’t understand why so many workers feel they are somehow more deserving or work harder than others so are entitled to tips. As far as I can see, a lot of these people are making good money even if they don’t think they are. I also said that employers should give up some of their profit margin - their own personal luxuries - to pay their employees better if they are actually underpaid. That is, not expect their customers to pick up part of their payroll expense with tips. We pay very high prices as it is and they seem to be doing quite well by it. "under snookums take the slaves shouldn't have complained, they had all their meals , housing, clothes , and transportation all provided for them , wanting more or extras just made them ungracious ??? Excuse me, but that is your take, not mine. Stop misrepresenting me. No, I don't think everyone deserves a tip just because they did their job (which I think is a valid and reasonable complaint these days, not to mention common). It’s a ridiculous concept. Tipping expectations are out of control. What, do you think the rest of us have money trees growing in the back yard? You assume we all make more than you? My comment about jobs 100 times harder refers to the many occupations that require a college education (sometimes extensive) and entail a lot of hard, long hours, extra work and/or continued education, along with huge responsibility. Often, those jobs don’t pay more, or much more, than the good wages you complain about. There are no tips. Extra hours don’t necessarily reap additional pay more less overtime wages. It’s just part of the job. I don’t know why people would assume I was referring to physical labor. I’ve done physical labor, too, and my body suffered for it. No tips were involved (sometimes no pay either). I never would have expected such a thing. I thought the money was very good. Apparently I was uninformed, lol. Frankly, I think it can be rather insulting to tip someone for doing their job. It can come across as patronizing and condescending. Often it is, for that matter. “I agree with weisman that tipping has gotten outa kilter in some areas and with snookums that younger generation are coddled and have questionable work ethics. “ Then we are in agreement about the poor work ethics today. That is basically what I was saying. I really don’t have a problem with tipping, per se, just when it’s not warranted or people are making good money. We all have service jobs. I happen to ‘tip’ the people I work for! Because I am grateful and enjoy both my job and working for them. (Actually, that is not always the case, lol, but I do it anyway).

Nothing here. It's free. They set it up that way on purpose. They pay their employees a fair wage and not a wage based on tips. It's ok not to pay. In this instance. edited to add this: I have parked cars for tips. When it's going to be tips, there is low set wage and then everyone puts into the pot. The pot gets split at the end of the shift. So even if you like the way a person hustled, or took care of your car, you're not rewarding the one doing the work... necessarily. They all did the work. So if you want to tip, just keep in mind, they may not get to keep "your" tip anyhow. Happy "going to be grandmother"! :)

I moved much like you did when we moved here. I moved my kitchen, bathrooms, artwork, garage and shop things, clothing not in drawers and quite a bit of my office although not a heavy desk. 6 minute drive. I'd boxed books and hadn't put them in my SUV yet, the movers graciously offered to take them as they had room. I had brought my own lamps too I think. . All my living room furniture was new and delivered by the store as were the appliances. I tipped each of the three man crew, who brought the heavier pieces only, $40 each, Same with the movers I hired to move my mother to her retirement apartment an hour from her home. They moved three rooms of furniture and her clothing, I packed her kitchen myself, put those things into my SUV. It was a warm day, I had water which they accepted, soft drinks that they declined. Two men. They preferred to stop and buy their own lunch after they had packed and before they unpacked her things in her new city. I tipped them $40 each, although I think they were worth about 10 times that much for as helpful and good natured as they were that day last Fall ;-) Editing to add - I just remembered with the company hired to move mother, they brought us coffee! They called and asked how many were at the house that morning, and arrived with Starbucks, their treat ;-)