[conductr]

Servers are typically loving the current state because they frequently make way more than minimum wage(after tips). They all know they’d make the equivalent of back of house/fast food wages if the employer was paying it in full.

Despite this the general attitude is such that most people are cheap for anything less than ~20%, I’ve heard that even the servers running the take out stand expect these types of tips. The sense of entitlement is crazy, it’s such a low skill job and I’m so rarely actually impressed by the service or even attention I receive (there’s a general/generational degradation of all service that’s occurred in past say 15-20 years).

[rocqua]

Yes, for some people the current situation works great.

But for plenty of others, the current situation sees them being exploited and payed less than minimum wage. It isnt a rare few either. I'm not okay with a situation where a large group is being exploited below the poverty line, just because it works out better for another large group.

[amrocha]

Nobody gets paid less than minimum wage. The employer needs to make up that difference if tips don’t cover it.

[conductr]

Agree. I think this is nearly an imaginary problem. Although plenty of crappy restaurant owners and the economics of the industry make scamming employees an occasional occurrence. Thankfully all those employees usually have the ability to pick up a new job anytime anywhere. So, it’s not like we have a perpetually entrapped underclass of people getting paid peanuts and being exploited

[rocqua]

And all employees know of those rights, and all employers freely give them?

Personally, I don't believe that at all. I do conceed that, if this were the case, things would be fine.

[amrocha]

I think employees know about it, but don’t say anything because it marks you as a low performer, and it’s very easy to fire low performers.

At the same time, employees know that tips are incredibly lucrative for them, and would rather have a sub minimum wage day every once in a while for the on average above minimum wage pay. There’s a reason servers don’t want to get rid of tips.

That being said, none of this is my problem as a customer. If you choose not to pursue your rights that’s on you at the end of the day. I’m not going to feel bad that your scheme to have me subsidize your wages failed.

[janalsncm]

I think they are saying that employers are breaking the law.

[amrocha]

Ok, so bring it up with the NLRB.