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I know this is a different type question, and a little early, but I am very new to this and only recently started having in caregivers for my Mother. The one has been coming since the beginning of September for 2 hours at lunch and gets $18/hr. She has the harder time of getting Mother out of bed and dressed and she does some house work. The other only started this month, November, and comes for 2 hours in the evening for dinner and bed. She gets $15/hr.

I know it would be more if they had worked the whole year, but I have absolutely no idea what might be a proper amount for a bonus since neither has been with us for long. Can someone with experience give me some insight? Thank you

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Paid, live-in, caregiver, here.

I wonder why the world considers our line of work less worthy of holiday pay than any other? Our arrangement is: we work our normal schedule, regardless of holidays (though we often trade days to give each other personal family connections, etc), and are paid an extra day that week. Think about it: normal employees get to have the day off, paid, right?

Also, consider this: on that holiday, the caregiver is likely to work harder relieving the family of having to care for their loved one while they're all celebrating, plus there's almost always extra work to prepare him/her to BE with the family.

Just my 2-cents worth.
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Since they are both fairly new, I would give them each $20. Next year I would double it. But that's just me in a small town where expenses are low.
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I gotta say, I pay a bigger bonus to my paper delivery person (whom I have never met) than the small amounts being discussed here. Kind of sad, isn't it? RebeccaJ, I am glad to learn that you are giving them paid holidays. That is good. And since these people have been with you such a short time, the small bonus is probably OK this year.
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[egads .. I really gotta learn to read the WHOLE post (including the title) ... I missed the word 'bonus' .. *blushes*]

*chuckles* I'd be overjoyed with a new car.

But, seriously .. respect. How often do you thank them and recognize them for their efforts and contributions? Unless you happen to have lots of cash to distribute, recognition and verbal gratitude are seriously underrated (btw .. this is too often true in ANY field or toward most employees). If the caregivers are good at what they do, I hope you'll embrace them as part of the team of people keeping your loved one safe and healthy. Otherwise ..

A gift card .. if you happen to know their favorite place to shop, then get it there, otherwise a universal gift card (like a visa gift card) is nicely generous.
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I remember back when my Dad's professional caregivers from an Agency had started in November. I gave the two regular scheduled caregivers $100 Target gift card each, and the others who were not regulars but came enough that I knew them by name for the evening shift I gave them $25 to $50 Target gift cards.

What I thought was interesting, it was the male caregiver who hand wrote a nice thank you note, the others didn't.

Then when Dad moved to senior living and brought along his two regular caregivers [one for weekdays, one for weekend] who worked mornings and gave Dad his breakfast and lunch, plus keep him company. Dad had passed away just prior to the next Christmas. Since Dad had the funds, I gave them $300 check and $500 check for Christmas since they both had been with him for over a year, and the women were outstanding. It had given Dad a routine to wake up and see their smiling faces daily.  They really deserved so much more !!
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Does the caregiver receive the entire $15/18 per hour or is that paid to an agency that then pays them a smaller amount? If they are getting less, I might be inclined to be more generous. But the $20 suggested above sounds reasonable.
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Usually the going rate is 1 weeks wages. If they earn $40 for the week, then $40 would be fair. Depending on how well you like them and their services and if you plan on keeping them long term.
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I would think one week’s salary would be an appropriate “bonus” for a caregiver that has been working for you over 1 year.
In the case of the “newbies” the OP is asking about that just began in November, I would give them $50. That way they may feel like as an employer you will be willing in the future to provide a nice “bonus” to them if they continue providing good care & will be enough in their thinking that the employer is not a cheapskate. $20 sounds a bit low to me.
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About having to work through the holidays, there are many people who do this. I am a nurse, working the holidays is normal for us. My son is a phone man and he works most holidays. Another friend works for a cable company, when people's tv's go out on a holiday they want it fixed pronto so there are many many people who do work on a holiday. We get time and a half for Christmas Day. We are penalized by pay reduction if we call in or out whichever way you call it on either the day before or the day after a holiday so instead of time and a half for Christmas Day we just get regular time.
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Been with my lady for two years. I work 24/7 as an individual service provider with days off every two weeks or sometimes none at all when there are no available relievers. Family told me if I want to take a break, I should be the one to find someone to fill in for me. I also gave up my social life and even to the point of risking my health as I developed vertigo because of lady's sleep problem. My rights to eight hours of sleep (five of which should be uninterrupted) and one hour of uninterrupted meal times three meals a day were not even met.

Lady was a great challenge: dementia, sleepless, sarcastic, stubborn. Family knows and appreciates the sacrifice I did for my lady: housekeeping, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, dressing and feeding lady, taking her to the doctor, running her house, and even fixing the desktop computer or the router's configuration, installing new house phones, etc.

For my first Christmas, I was only given a bottle of wine (I don't even drink!). No monetary gift. For the second Christmas, a pair of knitted gloves (which are useless in freezing winters). Still no monetary gift. I worked on two Thanksgiving Day. No double pay. Sad. No paid annual three-day leave as mandated by the federal law. Sadder. No bonus. Saddest.
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