[6gvONxR4sf7o]

Tipped workers must be paid at least the untipped minimum wage. If the tips plus the base pay don’t add up to the untipped minimum wage, the employer has to make that up. I know some employers steal wages and don’t do that, but that’s a separate issue too. I’m assuming it’s not a factor here, or else it would be bizarre for him to leave out wage theft.

[StewardMcOy]

You're right, and I forgot to factor that into my calculations, because, in my experience, that kind of wage theft is the norm. Employees have to proactively petition their employers for the top-off if they make less than minimum wage, and in situations like this, where even the manager is working 12 hour days without breaks, that kind of thing falls through and gets missed.

But I don't think the author was trying to accuse his employer of that kind of wage theft.