A box of chocolates or a red flag?

I was having a conversation with a friend the other night, discussing gifts and gratuities. Yes, we were at a restaurant. 

The question I was asked was: ‘how does it work in a retirement village?’ 

It made for a fascinating discussion. 

The person I was with is a long-time friend who works in the hospitality industry. Naturally, generous customers are the sign of a healthy business model with high customer satisfaction, and staff retention. 

When it comes to retirement village operations – gratuities and gifts from residents to staff might seem well intended. Yet it can often be a slippery slope that can jeopardise the relationship staff have with other residents through favouritism and can potentially threaten the reputation of the village. 

The risk 

In today’s environment there is an increased awareness of practices that could see one person take advantage of the well natured intentions of another. 

Consider the extremities. A box of chocolates left on your desk as a thank you, through to larger sums of money being gifted at Christmas, or larger again through an estate. I’ve seen all scenarios play out, positively and negatively. 

There is the perception that goes along with the accepting of gifts and gratuities. The perception on a box of chocolates is far different to large sums of money – from other residents, other staff and, as can be the case, family members. 

If not managed property, the escalation can lead to allegations of Elder Abuse. Allegations which are difficult to come back from. 

How do we respond, professionally? 

Success in managing this day-to-day, year-on-year, comes down to having clear and consistent boundaries. Boundaries that the staff understand, and the residents accept and respect. 

Yes, this does mean having a gifts and gratuities policy, a procedure, and a form to keep a register. The policy doesn’t need to be a hard blanket ban on such things – as that causes other pitfalls. It needs to clearly articulate what is acceptable, and what isn’t. 

These boundaries aren’t just for staff, but for volunteers and contractors as well. 

Having it clearly documented provides you with something to train staff on, as well as residents. This is the sort of policy that should be made available to residents, to take them along for the journey so that they understand the standard you hold yourself, and your staff, to. 

More information 

If you are reading this and wondering where to start, reach out. Our Knowledge Centre has resources that can help get you started.