Posted on 12/06/2005 12:33:26 PM PST by George14
It has recently been publicized that a 20 percent tip is now appropriate because servers are usually only guaranteed $2.13 an hour and the tips have to be split. Let me explain something. It is the customer's sole right to determine whether a tip is given, the amount and who will be the recipient of his tip. Such rights are not only guaranteed by our constitution they are clearly explained in the Code of Federal Regulations. Customers may tip any amount they choose. Instead of a higher tip being appropriate, what is now actually appropriate is for the public to start questioning why they are being expected to tip more.
While it has been widely publicized that tip splitting and lowered wages are both creating a need for higher tip percentages, what is not being publicized is an explanation of what these business practices actually are and why they create a need for the public to tip more. You see in both cases, such practices equate to employers being allowed to take part the tips away from the employee to whom the customer has presented a tip. You see, tip splitting is the business practice whereby employers take part of the tipped employee's tips and give them to workers whom the customer had every right and ability to tip but didn't. The $2.13 an hour business practice which has been publicized is actually called a tip credit. The tip credit also allows businesses to take or credit part of their employee's tips for themselves. In both cases the public's tips are being taken by businesses owners. The problem is not that customers should be tipping more the problem is that business owners should not be utilizing their employee's tips for the business's interests.
The truth is, business owners are using the customer's tips which undeniably and indisputably are not intended for the business owner for the business's own interests. Such business practices are being allowed by our government even though such business practices are an illegal dominion over the customer's property. To put it simply, businesses are being allowed to steal the money customers present as tips. Now, the public is being expected to tip more because the workers are not receiving the financial benefits of the tips they have been presented.
What is needed is not a higher tip percentage but some educating of the public of what is actually happening to their tip. Businesses have lobbied our federal government and I believe have probably even paid off many of our judges so they can steal the financial benefits of the tips our public is tipping workers in the service industry. The stories you read on how the public is being expected to tip more are actually stories about how our country is allowing businesses owners an ability to blatantly steal from their workers. If the real issue was resolved there would be no issue.
Employers should be prohibited from using their employee's tips to establish a lower minimum wage for their tipped workers. Customers are not tipping so the business can lower it's payroll expenses and thus benefit itself to the customer's tip. Customers are not tipping so the business owner can decide who should share in their tip. Both these business practices are fraud on the public for they are clearly the misappropriations of the public's property. Because our public has sat back and done nothing as business owners misappropriate the public's tips to their own interests, there now exists an undue pressure on the public to tip more to make up for such criminal acts.
The reason I believe our public has sat back and done nothing as business owners reap the financial benefits of the tips presented to their workers is because the media has also been paid off to avoid informing the public of what is actually happening to their tip when the courts ignore the constitutional rights of the customer and when our federal government so blatantly misappropriates the public's tips. The courts have ruled that employers may share the customer's tip among employees whom the customer had every right to tip but didn't. The federal government has allowed businesses to benefit themselves to the customer's tip through the tip credit without the consent of the customer. Such acts by our federal government and courts are not only unconstitutional but criminal. The media is covering up such crimes by intentionally avoiding the issue and keeping the truth from the public.
The tipped employees of this nation need some help from the public on these issues. The truth of what is happening to the customer's tip is being withheld from the public so that employers can continue to steal our tips while the public is left to foot the bill.
Okay, I have a question.
My daughter works at Subway, where they have a tip jar on the counter. It never occured to me to tip the guy making my sandwich until she mentioned how much she made in tips one night. Frankly I think it's silly.
But anyway, I told her that she needs to keep track of her tips because they are considered to be taxable income. She told me I was full of it. She asked her fellow employees (who are under 18 and probably don't know didly about the IRS) and they told her the tips weren't taxable income.
Who's right?
Of course, that is always they case. They were part of the racket themselves!
Sounds like a sadist.
I once met Ron Kuby at a bar while waiting for a train, and after speaking with him for a half-an-hour, I left thinking that he's one of the nicest, most honest, and generous people you will ever meet despite our obvious political and philosophical differences. I listen to him and Curtis almost every morning, and next to Mark Levin, Kuby is probably the smartest and most intellectually honest person on talk radio today. (He is also pro-Second Amendment.)
Sorry but tips are considered taxable income.
it won't hurt the business as much as pooling would. pooling allows those who are less than average make as much as everyone else, that lower class of serice will infuriate customers, and cause other employees to work to the same standards as the least productive employee- that or the good ones will quit. either way, pooling is a long term hurt, where a lousy server is only a short term hurt.
You are.
All income is reportable. Tips are explicitly stated as taxable income right on the form.
Oh, that was bad form on his part
Agreed. Its not how much you tip, its how much you over tip. I generally overtip in places I frequent and generally get treated like royalty. I figure the few extra bucks are just a small investment.
I loved it when Vinnie tried to tip the FBI agents.
Good old Doug Sulliman -- one of the unheralded players from those early Devils teams from the "Mickey Mouse team" era of the 1980s.
TIPS (TO INSURE PROPER SERVICE) were 10% in my youth if the service was satisfactory...a penny was left if it wasn't. Now folks want me to tip 15 or 20 percent because the wait staff needs it because the cost of living has gone up.
I've got news for them. The cost of a meal has also gone up, so when you give a 10% tip it's already indexed for inflation.
Not to change the subject, but what about real estate agents that get paid 6-7% for the sale of a home? Wow talk about adjusted for inflation!
ok back to tipping.... :0
*Some* employers are indeed using this 'tip share' scam to pay dishwashers, BB's, etc. all 2.13 per hr. (saves employers from having to pay min. wage to them.)
My kid was informed she would 'tip share' with all including the dishwasher, who was paid the same 2.13, didn't speak English, NEVER saw any customers.
The *employers only* love this 'tip share' scam, why pay min. wage when you can FORCE the food servers to *share* tips ???
"but what about real estate agents that get paid 6-7% for the sale of a home"
Contractors all need a tip share....the tax man needs a tip share...the housing authority needs a tip share, local municipalities need a tip share, LOL
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