10 People You Never Have To Tip

Medical Professionals

In traditional doctor’s offices and hospitals, accepting tips is sometimes considered a violation of medical ethics. While the tip may be well-intentioned, many medical papers discuss how it creates a dilemma regarding preferential care. Doctors and nurses are expected to treat every patient equally and are appropriately compensated so they don’t feel the temptation to solicit extra tips. Holt Law firm, which specializes in healthcare-related issues, adds that medical boards often discourage accepting gifts that may influence the quality of care, and doctors may even be penalized for accepting them.

That being said, there’s a burgeoning gray area with regard to elective medical spas, as discussed in this opinion piece from The New York Times. These medical spas offer both traditional spa services you should tip for (such as facials or waxing) as well as cosmetic medical services you shouldn’t tip for (such as Botox injections).

Board-certified nurse practitioner Michelle Paty, who runs an aesthetic practice in California, told HuffPost, “Since the [injectable] procedures are performed by licensed medical professionals… tipping is not something that is expected or that is generally practiced.” In these cases, never feel obligated to tip if your procedure was medical in nature, even if a tip screen appears at the end of your visit.

Hotel Receptionists

There are some hotel employees you should always tip — valets, bellhops, and housekeeping, just to name a few. But tips for hotel receptionists are neither expected nor encouraged. The financial company Wise notes that many of the tasks performed by receptionists are part of their basic job description (for instance, helping you call a cab, booking a restaurant reservation) and don’t require you to tip.

However, you’re more than welcome to provide a gratuity as a thank you when your receptionist goes above and beyond. If they offer you a complimentary room upgrade at check-in, then by all means, feel free to leave them a small tip. Just remember these gestures aren’t expected, and tipping the receptionist is entirely up to your discretion.

Lawyers

As noted by etiquette expert Thomas Farley, you should avoid tipping lawyers or anyone else who earns a salary and performs a trade. Farley warns in a CNBC article that if you tip a lawyer, “you could be seen as attempting to curry some sort of favor,” and that the gesture could very well be viewed as an outright bribe.

Remember, lawyers abide by a strict code of ethics, and a well-intentioned tip could be viewed as an ethical violation. Instead of an extra financial compensation, you could show your appreciation by leaving a positive review for the practice online, which could help them earn more business.

Flight Attendants

It’s a flight attendant’s job to keep their passengers safe, regardless of whether the passengers can offer additional compensation. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, issued a statement in 2019 effectively saying as much: “Tipping is not a part of a Flight Attendant’s compensation for serving as aviation’s first responders.” In general, if a person’s safety is at risk, tipping should never be part of the equation.

But when it comes to flight attendants, tipping isn’t just an ethical matter — it also has to do with fair employment. In 2019, Frontier Airlines introduced tipping on flights, which was met with backlash, including from Nelson. In her statement, she decried tipping as a means of dissuading flight attendants from negotiating a fair contract with increased wages. 

Accountants

The financial blog Finance Buzz mentions you shouldn’t tip accountants, especially if you only work with them at tax season and already pay them a fair rate for that service. Accountants are well compensated for the skilled trade they perform, so an added gratuity is often superfluous. Of course, you may be tempted to give them a small gift after the fact, especially if they help net you a big tax return, but don’t feel obligated.

Instead of tipping your accountant for a job well done, you could show your gratitude by telling their manager (if applicable) about the excellent service they provided. If the accountant runs their own business and doesn’t have a manager, leave them a good review for others to read. 

Government Workers

According to section 3.101-2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, “no Government employee may solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gratuity… from anyone who… has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee’s official duties.”

While this law leaves some room for interpretation, it’s generally best to avoid tipping any person working for the government, whether at the federal, state, or local level. For instance, if the town mayor institutes new parking regulations that personally benefit you, you may be tempted to thank them. But giving them a small gift could be viewed as a case of quid pro quo, which may result in them being accused of ethics violations.

Technical Specialists

If someone comes to, say, repair your washing machine, odds are that technician is already being fairly compensated for their time and skilled labor. In a Money.com article, etiquette expert Jodi R.R. Smith explains you should avoid tipping professionals such as plumbers, electricians, painters, and appliance repair workers, among others. As Smith advises, “They are well-paid professionals, and a tip could offend them.”

When it comes to technical specialists, tips are rarely offered to begin with. One survey conducted by Michigan Appliance Repair found only 4% of customers tried to leave a tip, and in each of those cases the gesture was deemed unnecessary. In cases where customers insist on tipping, many companies impose a limit on what technicians can accept.

First Responders

Police, firefighters, EMTs, and other similar professions unquestionably do important work — but they should never be tipped, as gratuities are taboo when safety and security is on the line. For instance, it would be unethical for a cop to accept a tip as thanks for giving you a warning instead of a speeding ticket or for an EMT to accept $20 to examine you first after a car crash. Those are both ethical violations worthy of dismissal if the tips were to be accepted.

Of course, despite those ethical concerns, offering perks to first responders still happens from time to time. A 1985 study discusses how offering cops 50% off at a restaurant may result in them spending more time there and thereby acting as a deterrent to robbers. But that could also leave other members of the community at greater risk. The same applies to each one of us on a personal level — you may think of a tip as a harmless gesture, but it could be perceived as trying to get the first responder to play favorites.

Mental Health Professionals

Similar to how it’s unethical for a doctor of internal medicine to accept tips, this also applies to psychotherapists and other mental health professionals. Let’s say you have a particularly productive therapy session — you may feel like sending your therapist some extra cash as a thank you. But this could lead to an ethical conundrum, as the therapist may feel financially incentivized to tell you what you want to hear as opposed to what you need to hear.

But what about during the holiday season? Should you tip your therapist once per year, much like you’d tip a postal worker or building staff? According to an article written by clinical psychologist Ryan Howes for Psychology Today, the answer is still no. Howes writes that therapists don’t rely on tips and may even encounter issues with the IRS if they receive gratuities. Howes adds that when it comes to therapy, the client’s emotional needs take priority over the feelings of the therapist, so you shouldn’t feel obligated to tip your therapist just to make them feel good.

Service Workers in Some Countries

When traveling abroad, it’s important to educate yourself on the local tipping etiquette. While many professions in the United States welcome tips, employees in other countries may view it as offensive or confusing. This is especially true in Japan: Japan’s National Tourism Organization notes how unusual it is to tip in restaurants or bars. The Boutique Japan blog adds that tips will “almost certainly” be turned down, which may lead to some awkward exchanges.

In some other countries, tips are unnecessary due to the service charges already baked into the cost of your bill. Many services in Denmark, for example, already include a charge in the bill, rendering additional gratuity unnecessary. This is common practice among European nations, especially in Scandinavia.

Brazil is another country with built-in service fees, and if you receive particularly poor service while visiting, many restaurants and hotels will remove the charge at your request. These are just a few examples of other countries where tipping culture is less common than in the United States, so be sure to research local customs before you travel.