Diwali bonus dilemma: Should a nanny earning Rs 40,000 per month from Pune family get the same festive monthly bonus as a maid?

Diwali bonuses are a familiar part of the annual household budget for many Indian families who employ domestic workers. But deciding how much to pay can become complicated when different employees earn very different monthly salaries. A recent Reddit post has brought this dilemma out after a Pune man sought advice on how much Diwali bonus it should give its cook, maid and nanny, including a full-time caregiver earning Rs 40,000 per month.

The man revealed that he pays Rs 7,000 monthly to his cook, Rs 4,000 to his maid and Rs 40,000 to his nanny. It also clarified that no additional work is expected from the employees during Diwali. The question was whether the nanny should receive the same festive bonus as the other household staff despite earning considerably more.

How much Diwali bonus should a nanny earning Rs 40,000 get?

The nanny's salary became the biggest talking point in the Reddit discussion. When one user asked whether she was employed for 24 hours, the original poster confirmed that she was.


Several commenters suggested that the family could consider a smaller percentage of her monthly salary instead of paying an entire month's salary as a bonus.

One user recommended, “10% of the salary + Some mithai (sweets) should be enough for the nanny.” Another suggested, “One months salary is the norm but I guess the nanny should be given half months salary.”

Others proposed a fixed amount or a percentage of her pay. One commenter suggested Rs 5,000, while another said, “Its normally 1 months salary but not sure how you are going to manage for the Nanny, probably 25% of the salary should be enough.”

However, not everyone agreed that the bonus should be reduced. One user insisted, “Atleast half their salary, this is the least.”

Reddit divided over what is standard bonus

The debate shows a wider disagreement among employers about what domestic workers should receive during Diwali.

In another Reddit discussion, a family man employing a cook for Rs 9,000 per month asked whether it was necessary to pay a full month's salary as a bonus. While some suggested paying 40-50% of the monthly salary, others argued that one month's salary was customary after completing a year of service.

“One salary is standard,” wrote one commenter. Another suggested that employers could add a small festive hamper to the payment.

A separate discussion also highlighted the divide between employers concerned about their household budgets and those arguing that domestic workers deserve better compensation.

“They’re already underpaid. They don’t have the privilege to get work in a house they’ll be properly paid but you have,” one Reddit user commented.

Another person shared an experience from his student days, saying that a helper had stopped working properly after receiving only 50% of the monthly salary as a Diwali bonus. He added that he then started negotiating the salary, festive bonus and Diwali vacation in advance when hiring domestic workers.