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Pay your employees a living wage (thelemmy.club)
submitted 3 months ago* by to c/microblogmemes@lemmy.world
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Pay your employees a living wage
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[–] 42 points 3 months ago (37 children)

If you don't like tipping culture, don't screw the worker while inconveniencing the restaurant not at all. Boycott the restaurants unless they pay fair wages. Go to the grocery store. Plenty of good meals to be found there.

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  • [–] 24 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (18 children)

    If a waiter does not make enough in tips for minimum wage, the businesses is legally required to cover the difference. So let's stop with the guilt trip. Part of the problem stems from the same servers that oppose doing away with the tip system because they make so much more from it.

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  • [–] 9 points 3 months ago (5 children)

    Ha.

    I've served plenty of time in the food service industry and I can tell you that the number of restaurants who actually "make up the difference" to minimum wage in the absence of tips is zero. Even though it's a legal requirement, I've never set foot in a restaurant that actually does this.

    No one tracks cash tips. And yes, the servers like it that way. Because cash tips are money under the table and they're not taxed. But your boss ain't paying you jack shit over that $2.13 an hour because who is going to prove it?

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  • [–] 9 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    I believe you when you say this.

    But why is that the customer's problem? You have legal protection should you wish to pursue it. The fact that you accept the situation shouldn't mean it's on everyone else to support it.

    I grew up in the US so I'm annoyed by tipping but personally wouldn't boycott it. But i would also have no issue with those that do. My biggest gripe is this push for 18-20% as a new normal.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    $7.25/hour isnt enough to live on. Servers still need the tips to survive. That's $1,160 gross per month with 4-40 hour weeks.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (5 children)

    and it's federal law, so applies in all states

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago (4 children)

    If it were enforced, it would

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  • [–] 6 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    unenforced laws in a country are nobody's problem but that country's. One can't blame tourists for one's own lack of enforcement.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    Even if it was enforced to the letter of the law, that's still only $1,160 gross wages per month (assuming the employee got a full 40 hours for 4 weeks). Federal law stipulates that workers are paid at least US minimum wage which is $7.25/hour. Federal law doesnt say anything about guaranteeing the raised minimum wage rate set by any state legislature.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago

    You seemed to say that federal law provides protection for underpaid workers, and I pointed out that it doesn't provide that protection. You then blame the country for the lack of protection, which seems tantamount to victim-blaming here - you seem to imply they shouldn't be working where they are.

    I agree that the tourists are not the cause of the issue - but are places that engage in this practice places you want to patronize?

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago* (1 child)

    If a waiter does not make enough in tips for minimum wage, the businesses is legally required to cover the difference. So let’s stop with the guilt trip.

    OH YEA, cuz that worker who gets paid $2.13 per hour is totally going to be able to afford pay a couple thousand in legal fees to take the billion dollar "Mega-Restaurant Corp" to court and wait the 6 months to several years to get judgement and gather their back pay of $200.

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  • [–] 16 points 3 months ago (8 children)

    But that requires a personal inconvenience instead of feeling good while saving money.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago (7 children)

    Visitors staying in hotels also don't have the luxury of a stocked kitchen to cook meals

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago (6 children)

    If you can't afford to feed yourself without helping somebody get robbed, then you can't afford the vacation.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 months ago (4 children)

    Sounds like the workers can't afford to work at a restaurant. General strike or find a better job. Tipping culture is cancer.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    Boomers in America say the same thing, except to vote harder instead of general strike.

    Imagine going into a restaurant and telling the employees there that they're enjoying a luxury they can't afford, and should simply get better jobs. And that it's their fault for not general striking, in a country that fights tooth and nail against unions in ways you don't understand. American corporations have murdered the families of strikers. Anyhow, that's why you get this nice cheap holiday.

    I bet you had a simple solution for the workers of the 2022 World Cup too.

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  • [–] -4 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    why are servers special? what about all the other people making minimum wage?

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

    They aren't paid 'regular' minimum wage which is i believe somewhere between 10-20$ in most if not all US states, but a 'tipped wage' equalling <5$ hourly in most places, though afaik laws vary greatly between states. They are special because even with tips they might not make a living wage. Not saying that everyone earning minimum earns a living wage, but their financially they are just not in an equally shitty position.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago

    32 states have a minimum wage higher than federal minimum wage.

    However, federal law is the one we are talking about. Federally, servers are paid $2.13/hour. A restaurant needs to supplement income if a server's wage plus tips is less than $7.25/hour (US minimum wage). The Fair Labor Standards Act only requires restaurants to pay up to federal minimum wage, not a minimum wage that any state legislature has come up with.

    Federal minimumm wage is $1,160 / month gross income, if you work 40 hours for 4 weeks. This is unheard of in the restaurant industry, servers never hit 40 hours. Restaurants dont schedule that many because they dont want to risk any overtime, where they would have to pay time and a half ($10.85 /hour) rather than $2.13/hour and insurance.

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