this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2023
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Hey Folks!

I've been living abroad for over half my life in a country where tipping is not the norm. At most you would round up. 19€ bill? Here's a 20, keep this change.

Going to the US soon to visit family and the whole idea of tipping makes me nervous. It seems there's a lot of discussion about getting rid of tipping, but I don't know how much has changed in this regard.

The system seems ridiculously unfair, and that extra expense in a country where everything is already so expensive really makes a difference.

So will AITA if I don't tip? Is it really my personal responsibility to make sure my server is paid enough?

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 2 years ago (4 children)

To be as clear as possible - the minimum wage for tipped staff is $2.13/hr. That's why you have to tip.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 years ago (3 children)

This is deceiving though. In The US tipping is literally everywhere now.

If you are waited on, I. E. Sat at a table or served at a bar, tipping is expected. If you go to a counter and place an order and someone hands you something while you're standing there, those workers aren't making 2.13/hr.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

usually people differentiate between fastfood and actual restaurants.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago

It's not just fast food though! Everywhere from the tiny ice cream shop to the boutique waffle place. Starbucks (who are becoming increasingly unionized) to the local sandwich shop that only does sandwiches, doesn't have tables and doesn't deliver all have tip jars now. It's up to the patron whether to do it or not and our laws should be updated to ensure people don't need them.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

I don't tip if there's no service being provided. Bringing my food to my table after I ordered it from a kiosk and filled up my own drink at the soda fountain doesn't qualify.

[–] fadedmaster 2 points 2 years ago

And this isn't universal either. For example, Culver's will bring your food out to you but you don't tip. So I would add that if you're waited on and pay for the meal AFTER eating and being waited on, then you tip.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Not true, restuarants have to make up the difference in their wage if they dont make enough in tips.

[–] this 17 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Yes, up to minimum wage, which is still often not enought to live on.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's definitely not enough to live on, but that's beside the point, isn't it? I don't tip any other people because they earn minimum wage-- do you? The point is that the person isn't actually making only $2/hr-- they're making at least minimum wage, with the opportunity to make more via tips.

Tipping needs to end, and the laws changed to reflect it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Being a waiter is a skilled job that deserves more than minimum wage.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I don't disagree, but that is irrelevant to the discussion, is it not?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That's just my response to the argument that you can choose to not tip because waiters will make minimum wage regardless. Minimum wage is not an appropriate salary for that line of work.

However, yes, I agree that laws should be changed to remove tipping or at least to require restaurant owners to pay an appropriate wage for the work with optional tips on top for exceptional service.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

Is it a customer's responsibility to ensure an employee gets paid enough?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Do you tip the Walmart Greeter? Why or why not?

[–] this 1 points 2 years ago

I don't tip the wallmart greeted because its not my responsibility to pay them a fair wsge, its walmarts responsibility. I DO advocate for laws and a society that will help them get that fair wage, which walmart should be paying for. It should be that way in all workplaces. Fair pay for fair work.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago

Yeah, legally.

In practice? Lol

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 years ago (1 children)

This does depend on which state you’re in (some states don’t have a β€œtipped wage”), but the vast majority of service workers are not raking in the big bucks, so be generous if you can!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Oregon has kind of a hybrid tipped wage. There's a minimum tipped wage, but if tips don't add up to at least the regular minimum wage then the establishment needs to make up the tips for the shift.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

A higher federal minimum wage would solve this problem. Employers are required by law to make up the difference between the base wage and the federal minimum wage ($7.45/hr) if nobody tips.

But obviously $7.45 isn't a living wage either, so any tipped employee that actually makes the federal minimum is living almost entirely on tips.

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/wagestips

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That's assuming that employers follow the law, which for restaurants is rarely the case.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Fair point. And this is why unions are beneficial to the working class, and also why shitty companies like Starbucks try to bust unions.