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[–] 109 points 4 months ago (14 children)

As wish many things American, it goes back to slavery. Tipped workers were a way for employers to avoid paying (mostly black) workers, effectively providing slavery-lite even after slavery had ended (Happy Juneteenth).

In any case, current U.S. labor law has specific carve-outs for certain tipped jobs that allow the minimal wage to be not the already unlivable $7.25/hr but the unsustainable $2.15/hr. Technically, employers are required to bring a tipped workers pay up to $7.25/hr if they do not report enough tips, but in practice employers encourage reporting incorrect tips and find reasons (if needed) to dismiss employees that do not report enough tips.

Fisherman, Sailor, Teamster, and Chef are not tipped positions. Waitstaff is a tipped position.

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

    Tipped workers were a way for employers to avoid paying (mostly black) workers, effectively providing slavery-lite even after slavery had ended

    It's not just about being cheap though. It reinforces the idea that the worker is of a lower social status than the customer. The customer may, at their own discretion, choose whether or not to pay the worker a fair wage for the work they have done. That's a very clear power imbalance.

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  • [–] 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    my wife hates this but money burns a hole in my pocket. i inherited it from my dad. so while i contribute to the problem, it's because a larger than average tip really brightens someone's day. it means i can't eat out as much, but that's my problem not theirs.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    As someone in the industry, I can't thank people like you enough. A great tip can make a shitty shift so much better. I wish so many others were as kind. Or at this rate, just kind enough to tip 20%.

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

    True but some states don't have this distinction and it means servers actually make pretty decent money.

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

    Yes and "tipping" has gone insane. Not just amounts (tho even when I was a child, my parents consider 10% the bare minimum) but also you get prompted to leave a tip for transactions that don't involve a tipped position.

    My experience is from one of the shittier states for workers (Arkansas), right-to-work effectively eliminates all union activity, the state would remove the minimum wage if it could, and there's even people that want to make it easier for 14-18 year olds to work.

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago (5 children)

    Outside of the US it's a reward for good work

    Inside the US its you directly subsidising the businesses refusal to even pay minimum wage.

    So bitching about a higher tip is bitching about fair wages for work. You got an issue paying that, you take it up with the employer who has shoved the burden of paying their waitstaff onto you.

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  • [–] -2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Exactly! Don't like paying tips? Stop eating at those establishments.

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