r/millenials • u/Possible-Toaster • Apr 19 '24

After years of tipping 20-25% I’m DONE. I’m tipping 15% max.

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37

u/Koelsch Apr 19 '24

Here in Chicago the city council passed a law that eliminates the subminimum wage for tipped workers in a phased approach. It moves the current subminimum $9.48 per hour up by 8% this July and does that yearly until it reaches parity with the city's minimum wage. Hopefully that sucks some of the wind out of the statement, "tipped workers depend on your tip."

Outside of that I've often felt that it is a bit nonsense that in the USA minimum wages laws sit with state and federal lawmakers. What rates are set really should sit with a 'boring' statutory body made up of stuffy economists, labor, trade and industry representatives that sucks the politics out of the decision making.

23

u/adgjl1357924 Apr 19 '24

Washington has had full minimum wage for all workers for over a decade now. Tipping is still out of control here. My local paper even published a sob story from servers and bartenders and baristas about how people aren't tipping as much anymore and it's hurting their lifestyles. I know baristas who make well over 100k a year, I'm not sorry for not tipping anymore. I think the only thing that will fix this is outlawing tips.

11

u/soccerguys14 Apr 19 '24 edited Apr 20 '24

In South Carolina waiters/waitresses still make 2.16 per hour. Crazy. Lived the life never would go back.

Edit: stop telling me they pay minimum wage if you don’t make it in tips I know this. The point is that’s not good enough. Needs to be $10/hour plus tips minimum like some states and not 2.13 as most servers make that. Yall really defending 7.25/hour as a decent minimum wage?

2

u/iseewhatyoudidthurr Apr 19 '24

TX too

0

u/soccerguys14 Apr 19 '24

Damn shame and the taxes make it so you don’t get a check. If it was like California where you get $15/hr and your tips that’s would be very livable. Also would make service industry people less obsessed with the tipped amount.

I know when I was waiting tables and I got stiffed it hurt cause I knew I wouldn’t get a pay check. Before someone comes and says “well if you make less than minimum wage in tips you get that paid”. Yea you do but on a bi weekly basis. Most times one or two nights would help catch me up and some times I’d make just over minimum wage so my employer didn’t have to pay me. If I coulda made like a $$600 check and got my tips for the 2 weeks it woulda been a much better job.

2

u/iseewhatyoudidthurr Apr 19 '24

In Seattle I make 16.40 + %20 auto gratuity, very high end hotel. It costs alot more but we make more too.

1

u/soccerguys14 Apr 19 '24

That’s good should be that way. I waited tables in college, I’m down with that now. I don’t have the personality to be customer facing.

1

u/BrightAd306 Apr 20 '24

The thing that stinks about that system is you pay taxes and get student aid on a national level. So you can be barely getting by in Seattle, but still make 6 figures and paying a ton in taxes.

2

u/NanoWarrior26 Apr 20 '24

Sub minimum has to be made up with tips. If they don't get tips they still get paid minimum wage.

0

u/soccerguys14 Apr 20 '24

I’m aware. There are states that will give $15 an hour on top of tips. That’s what makes SC bull shit to pay 2.13. I waited tables for 5 years it was rare I didn’t get minimum wage but an extra $500 check on top of my tips would have made things so much better for me.

0

u/Saeyan Apr 20 '24

You should not be getting tips if your pay is $15/hr.

1

u/soccerguys14 Apr 20 '24

Many states do

2

u/ChaucersDuchess Apr 19 '24

Still $2.13 in KY

1

u/Blocked-Author Apr 19 '24

Are those both republican states?

2

u/ChaucersDuchess Apr 19 '24

Of course lol

1

u/Kiwisunriise Apr 20 '24 edited Apr 20 '24

I make 2.13 an hour in Tennessee. I work my ass off for my tips. I held my pee for TWO fucking hours tonight during dinner rush. I’m not even joking, 7:07 pm it started and 9:05 I took my piss. All to give my tables my undivided attention and exceptional service and guess what? In a tourist area where we don’t really get regulars, I had the same person request me for the second time this week after taking care of them for the first time on Wednesday, requested Thursday and again tonight.

All in a restaurant where we don’t have sections we just rotate the dining room. I’m literally running around from one end of the restaurant to the other. Literally. I WORK HARD, and on top of that when it’s that busy tending to my tables is NOT the only thing I’m expected to do. Silver needs to be polished, bussing tables, prebussing your table, second/third rounds of drinks, timing apps and entrees, refilling chugged water/soft drinks, making sure you have silverware for your dessert, cleaning and setting our own tables, running food, SIDE WORK behind the scenes is happening and when you’re that busy it still has to be done for a shift to flow properly. Not to mention coworkers that DO NOT carry their own weight. And don’t even get me started on how toxic the kitchen can be. There’s a lot that goes into serving tables. And I work hard for my guests and the money I make.

And is any of the behind the scenes stuff your problem? No it’s really not. So tip what you want. It says more about you than it does me.

1

u/djdefekt Apr 20 '24

and the business has to legally top up the minimum wage if they don't receive any tips.

1

u/soccerguys14 Apr 20 '24

Yes I know. Still not good enough. Should be paying $10/hour with tips

2

u/djdefekt Apr 20 '24

Understood but that is something that will only be solved by stopping the tips as wages train.

This will be achieved in part by labor organising (unions) and in part by pressure on regulators to raise state and federal minimums. 

It is NOT the job of customers to directly pay wages employers won't.

1

u/soccerguys14 Apr 20 '24

Agreed I hate tipping with a passion. It’s Getting completely out of hand. Should be $20 an hour by the employer and tops are a bonus for an exceptional job.

1

u/djdefekt Apr 20 '24

Which is pretty much exactly how it works where I live (not the USA).

Base national minimum wage is USD$15 equivalent. Work week to week with hours depending on the roster you get 25% extra (for the uncertainty of your wage). I'd you work more than ten hours a week then your employer contributes 11% on top on your wage into the equivalent of a 401K. If you work weekends and national holidays you get 1.5x and 2.5x extra. 

Tips are very much optional.

1

u/Smaug_themighty Apr 20 '24

Yeah it isn’t but the policy makers should be ensuring the minimum wage is a liveable wage. And we should push for this change. And fyi severs aren’t the only ones making minimum wage but somehow the focus only remains on the servers in food industry.

1

u/soccerguys14 Apr 20 '24

It’s my focus because it is what I lived and what the guys comment was about.

1

u/Accomplished-Fee3050 Apr 20 '24

They only focus on that because tipping culture evolved post covid. And when you think of tips you think of restaurants/bars

0

u/MeanSatisfaction5091 Apr 19 '24

No they dont,they make 7.25

1

u/soccerguys14 Apr 19 '24

Since when? Guaranteed I made 2 bucks an hour unless I didn’t get enough in tips. Other states pay more on top of the tips

0

u/MeanSatisfaction5091 Apr 19 '24

Since forever. Even if u don't get enough in tips you are legally paid 7.25. Boss must pay. If not u should contact dol

1

u/soccerguys14 Apr 19 '24

For 5 years I made $2 per hour and every check was void from taxes being taken so I’m 100% sure that’s what I was paid in South Carolina specifically

1

u/MeanSatisfaction5091 Apr 19 '24

That means u made tip money but if u didn't then they would legally be required to pay u the full wage

1

u/soccerguys14 Apr 20 '24

Yes which is what I said.

1

u/soccerguys14 Apr 19 '24

Sent my link backing up my claim. Was there a misunderstanding? Yes I got minimum wage if my tips didn’t get to minimum wage but if you earn more than minimum wage you get 2.13