Research by letsrecycle.com shows that a large number of waste collection crews across England are allowed to accept cash tips at Christmas from householders. But, soliciting for tips is seen as unacceptable.
Once seen as a British tradition, giving tips to the bin collector, milkman, newspaper delivery boy or the window cleaner would have been a yearly ritual in some households. But as public services come under increasing scrutiny some waste collection crews are now prohibited from taking cash from the public.
The issue has come into the spotlight this Christmas after a spate of reports of bogus bin men knocking on doors to ask for a cash tip. Councils in Hampshire issued a warning to residents earlier this month to instruct them to report any such occurrence to the police.
A widespread approach taken by waste and recycling services companies is to allow employees to accept tips from residents, unless otherwise stipulated by the relevant local authority, but in all cases they are strictly prohibited from asking for money.
Companies spoken to by letsrecycle.com include Biffa, which said that its policy on cash gratuities to collection drivers and crews waste is set on a contract by contract basis, and SITA UK which takes a similar stance.
SITA UK
A spokesperson for SITA UK said: “As in any service business, tips are discretionary. Sometimes people want to show their gratitude for a job well done, and giving a tip is one way they can do this. SITA UK’s policy is that tips must not be requested by any member of staff. In some cases our local authority customers have policies in place for tips and these are adopted by staff working on the contract.”
The picture is slightly different for public sector employees, where rules around accepting gifts are stricter. Despite this, there is no blanket policy covering all councils in the UK, and a spokesman for the Local Government Association commented that it has no overall stance on the issue, and councils should consider what is appropriate for their locality.
‘Many members of the public will want to provide for what they see as a good service that is being done every week of the year’
Justin Bowden, GMB
One authority which veers more towards not accepting tips is Hillingdon council in West London which operates in-house waste collection services. A spokeswoman explained that the borough does not allow its staff to accept tips, unless it is impractical for them to refuse, and waste collection operatives are subject to the same rules as all other council employees with regard to gratuities.
She said: No member of staff is allowed to ask a resident for a gift or a tip. The golden rule is that employees must act to the highest standards of honesty. They might be offered tea, coffee or hot drinks, which it is acceptable to take, but any gifts of 5 where impractical to refuse must be shared between all the staff.
It is difficult because we will be criticised for not giving a bonus, but we think that it is best to adopt a common sense approach in this area.
Councils
Fylde borough council in Lancashire also provides its residents with in-house waste collection services, but a spokesman for the council said that it recognises that some people like to reward the hard work that they put in throughout the year.
He said: Bin collection crews working for Fylde council are allowed to accept small cash tips for their services, but if it is over 10 it must be declared. They work hard all year round and they deserve to take something home at Christmas.
According to Justin Bowden, national organiser for the GMB trade union which represents thousands of waste collection crews across the UK, the practice of tipping at Christmas is a valid reward for the effort many crews expend to do their jobs, and is something many householders are still happy to do.
He said: Most councils or companies will have some kind of protocol not to go soliciting for tips, but crews will tell you that lots of people will offer them as recognition of the extremely tough job they do, without prompting.
But many members of the public will want to provide for what they see as a good service that is being done every week of the year.
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