confused about the right amount to give.. what do you usually give people under you (secretaries, staff, etc..?) is it more symbolic than anything?

2-3hundred rmb, sometimes its even up to half of their monthly salary.

This is quite subjective. People who work directly under you, I would give HK$50 or HK$20. For other colleagues, I would give HK$20 or HK$10 that you know but don't directly work for you.

You will also get others that are looking for extra money, the office assistants or people you don't know, I have a supply of HK$10 red packets ready for them

Actually depend a lot on your position.

of course if you are a CEO of a listed company, is hkd500 for close associate and $100 for all the staff.

if you are just a small manager who earn 20K to 50K, you can give $100 to your close staff and $20 to the other.

That's is only if you are single. If you are married and got staff under you, you must give your "married guy" one and you "works" one

ah okay thanks a lot... its tough thinking on what other things the money could have been spent on (macau trip lol), but i guess its necessary to keep up good relations..

During this time CNY, I usually give my tips to girls in a red envelope.  I also know someone who passes out red envelope. Now, he gives it to almost everyone he meets when he is at a KTV.  Everyone, like the mommies, the DJ's and the people who bring in the food. What he gives is not too much but it the thought that counts.  

The bad part, if they see you the next year around CNY, they will be expecting a red envelope again. This has happened to me already last year wth two working girls that I know.  I gave these two girls a large large tip in a red envelope and they were expecting around the same amount.

I am thinking about giving some to the mommies I have known for several years a red envelope for this year.  I hope it's not going to spread to the other mommies that I don't know as well because they might be asking for it too.

Edit "some the" to some to the"

[ Last edited by  Weelock at 13-1-2011 04:36 ]

I agree, really depends on what your position as well as the position on the people you'll be giving the red envelop (or "ang pao" as some people call it). But the way i do it depends also on their performance as well as their monthly or daily wage if you intended it to be given as a company bonus But for certain occasions like lunar new year, i only give it to the inmarried people as part of tradition. Are you doing this for Lunar new year? or just as a company/personal bonus?

I give all my staff 500 for cny, but its not that huge of an operation, and by NO means or anywhere close am I a ceo for a fortune 500 hundred company.  As I stated above, I know alot of offices that give 2-3 hundred and up to half their salary for cny.

[ Last edited by  scootermonger at 13-1-2011 00:17 ]

I will be away over CNY but will have to give envelopes to my staff (and my regulars ) when I come back. Beyond what date is it considered too late to give, I will not be back inHK until some 10 days after CNY. Thanks

It's never too late to receive free money!! haha.. If the staff knows ur away, everything should be fine.

When you people are talking about giving tips in red envelopes, how close around the Chinese New Year do you do that? Already now, or how many days close or around it. I had to read Wikipedia and two other good pages about this red envelope custom, as it was new to me.

I generally give on the last official working day before the holiday...but wonder if its better to give a little in advance so they have the money to spend before CNY..

You can give money any time you want, but your immediate staff will expect it from you on your 1st day back to work after CNY.  

If you are married, do not be surprised if someone you barely know in the company comes over to greet you with "Gung Hei Fat Choy" or Happy Chinese New Year.  This happens because married people are always expected to give red envelopes to the single, unmarried staff when greeted.  For these people, you give them just $10 or $20 as these amounts are fine as there may be many single people in your company (in case you work with many single people).  

Thankfully there is a limited period when people (esp those you barely know) can go up to you and wish you, 'Gung Hei Fat Choy' or Happy Chinese New Year', hoping for a red envelope from you.  It is really difficult to refuse to give upon hearing the CNY greeting.  This "Gung Hei Fat Choy" period is from the 1st day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar until the 15th day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, basically the first 15 days of CNY.  

So for some of you guys who on a tight budget, I would advise you avoid all your favorite mongering ktvs, saunas, walkups, brothels, bars, restaurants, clubs, banks, and coffee shops until after the 15th day of CNY.  If you don't stay home, then make sure you leave the home with enough red envelopes to pass out to someone who has served you before when you go to your fav cafe.  Also don't assume the non-Chinese staff (ie Nepalis, Filipinos, etc) will not say the CNY greeting to you just because they are non-Chinese.  Many of the Nepalis grew up in HK and as a Hongkonger they expect to be treated the same as the ethnic Chinese Hongkonger.  

Of course the locals don't expect the non-Asians to follow this custom.  But if you are a non-Asian and you do give red envelopes, it will be greatly appreciated and remembered.
Remember it is the thought that counts and every person in the service industry likes to be respected.  

I usually give it the day before CNY for them to enjoy it but after is also fine it just that i find it better to say advance happy new year rather than belated happy new year

is that really a custom to give "married" and "work" red envelopes in Hong Kong/China? Must suck to have to give double pay outs to all your staff especially if you have a big company.

Side question, why is CNY in Hong Kong 4 days whereas China is 10? They must have some intense celebrations going on

SkinnyForum           14-1-2011 02:56          Acceptance          +1           Aargh, sounds like such a chore


Haha, you don't know how right you are.  

You best start preparing right now.  
Whom to give to?  
How much to give?
Do you remember how much you gave last year to that person?  
Does that person need an increase because he/she gave you some free drinks at the bar?  
Do you have enough crisp, clean bills to give? (Chinese like to receive crisp, new bills, not bills that have been in circulation for years)  
Did you planned ahead and went to bank early enough to exchange for those precious new $10, $20, $50 bills?  (You would be surprised to learn as we get closer to the CNY, you will see banks posting notices that their daily quotas of new $10, $20, $50 bills have been already disbursed for the day.  You cannot give ratty, dirty bills to ppl.)
Did you mark the red envelopes with a secret sign or use different envelopes for each denomination so the right person gets the right intended amount?


During those 1st 15 days of the CNY, I always wear a jacket with at least 4 pockets so I can keep separate and track of the different denominations I have to give out.  Sometimes if a person deserve an odd amount ie $200, I can give 2 envelopes of $100.  

Also some people write their name on the envelope so the receiver can see gave that envelope when the receiver counts the total monies received at the end of day. It is another of standing out with bar/restaurant staff.

There are some bosses who give out red packets with lottery tickets in them.
That can means utterly nothing or hell a lot of cash.

I'm such a tight-arse that I get my SO to put $10 notes into red packets to give to colleagues.  She has a great deal stored for this time of year.   If the bank made $5 notes, I'd probably go with them.  As for what I expect from others, nothing less than crisp $100 notes.    Like weelock, I used to give tips to wg in red packets.  They were happy to receive this, until they noticed the $10 or $20 note inside.  

It really depends on you financial ability but whatever you put in to those red envelopes, remember one thing. It is not kosher to put in a minimum $20 one year and then $10 the next year. The amount should progressively go up every year or remain constant. I usually get my assistant to exchange HK$20,000 in different denominations, with the min amount being HK$20 (this is for people I don't know). I also have 50s, 100s and 500s placed in different red envelopes so I know what I am giving each time. I also have 5xHK$1,000 denominations for people I work with. At the end, I always end up with a surplus of red envelopes but you should never be caught short. Problem is with China, there are so many service staff, particularly at the golf clubs I frequent that this takes up quite a number of red packets. In all, about 65% of my red packet goes to the service staff at these golf clubs.

I usually get €50,- or €100,- but it's from family. I think for co-workers or employees it will be to much.

If you are giving RMB or HK$ I suggest to play with numbers. Chinese people think number 8 is good.

So give for example HK$80,- instead of HK$100,-.

The numbers 4, 10, 14, 40, 44 etc. is not so good, because it sound like the word "death" when you pronounce it.

I hope this info and the above will help you decide