Technically, no one is required to tip. But in reality, most servers rely on the generosity of customers for the majority of their income, as the federal minimum wage for tipped employees in the United States is as low as $2.13 per hour. While not tipping is simply not an option for many diners, some are baffled by the practice, as it takes the burden off giving workers a fair paycheck for customers. And others try to manipulate the system and pay nothing but their meals.
A recent story shared on the AITA subreddit puts this into practice. Redditor InformationPrimary31 detailed how a recent family dinner led to some surprised dinner companions, confused servers, and a scene when it was time to pay the bill. As they were spending some quality time at the restaurant, the thought of his boomer father-in-law not tipping was in the back of his mind. So they decided to do something about it.
The user secretly deposited an additional 20% in cash to “make the server right.” And while they weren’t trying to be “a hero or a jerk”, things turned sour after FIL found out and blamed them for embarrassing him in front of the whole family. Read on to find out how the situation played out, as well as the verdict readers were quick to judge, and share your own thoughts with us in the comments.
After his boomer father-in-law left a rather low tip when he invited the whole family to dinner, this person secretly tipped the waiter
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
But when their actions sparked tension within the family, they turned to the internet for perspective.
Image credits: Timur Weber (not the actual photo)
Image credits: InformationPrimary31
After reading the story, Reddit users unanimously sided with the user and agreed that they weren’t jerks for leaving an extra tip to the server. Many applauded them for considering the well-being of the server, although some mentioned suggestions on how to better handle the situation and avoid creating drama within the family.
For example, some people pointed out that it would have been better if the user had been honest and direct with FIL from the beginning, and others chimed in saying that they should have given the money directly to the server. Oh, and to all my fellow Friends fans, if this situation sounds familiar, it’s exactly what happened in an episode of the show.
However, the topic of the post generates more discussion. Heated debates over the tipping system have recently been in the headlines again. One side says the practice of pressuring customers to leave a generous tip regardless of service is getting out of hand. Others argue that the salaries of servers and bartenders are often so low that they deserve to be rewarded for their efforts, especially considering that they have to rely on tips to survive.
On paper, tipping is a way of showing appreciation to people who provide a service. But Irene Tung, a senior researcher and policy analyst with the National Employment Law Project, explained that the median portion of hourly earnings that comes from tips is 58% of earnings for service personnel and 54% of earnings. bartenders earnings. For workers, gratuity is not just a kind “thank you,” but a means to help them make ends meet.
While we often hear that servers can make a lot of money when customers are generous, that doesn’t seem to be the case. “We found that the median monthly tip earnings for waiters and bartenders is $867, suggesting that many of these workers rely on their tip earnings to pay essential expenses like rent and utilities,” Tung continued.
But even with tips, workers still earn very little per hour and per year: “The median hourly wage for servers and bartenders is just $10.11 per hour, including tips.1 That’s just $2.86 above the federal minimum wage. current, and well below what workers across the country need to make ends meet.”
So while tipping is an outdated practice that doesn’t seem to benefit customers or service, refusing to leave tips to rebel against the practice often leaves employees paying the price.
bored panda I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. What do you think about the tipping system? Would you have handled the situation differently? Feel free to share your thoughts, as well as your personal experiences, in the comments below.
They then jumped into the comments section with some details to clear the story up.
Readers overwhelmingly sided with the user and shared some suggestions on how to handle these situations.
Source: news.google.com