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.
And the Socialist Red Herring Award Goes to...(drumroll)...
Employers should not be permitted to steal tip money from their employees!
I think's it's elitist and unAmerican.
Not all businesses do this. The people I know who were subjected to this usually had a creep for a boss. Sorry, 20% is all I can afford.
My policy when tipping is usually in the 15% to 20% which is fairly standard. However, when I use my credit card most times I tip with cash ... no tip amount on the credit card slip.
The answer is to abolish most of the IRS and regulations that choose favorites like they always do.
I got no problem with this - as long as the IRS gets a free yearly audit of all people who make most of their money from tips...
Whiel I can't speak for the rest of Europe, tipping isn't customary in Germany.
Of course they know where it is and count on Americans to tip them.
$10 per dance, but only if she's fully naked.
It is totally capitalistic and very American. If someone's service is worse than adequate, they will get less for their services.
Unfortunately, there are people out there that are cheap and will never tip, and then complain or file a lawsuit when they get horrible service.
I was just there.
It is customary now, even among non Americans.
As for tips themselves, the good waiters prefer the current non-pooling system because they make far more than they would with a minimum wage.
But restaurants that pool tips and give a cut to the salaried manager are evil, and there needs to be a law passed prohibiting that.
Also, FYI, if you don't tip at least 12.5%, you are seriously screwing the waiter, because the IRS taxes him/her based on them receiving a 12.5% tip per meal. Therefore, if you skip out on the tip, the waiter not only loses out on needed income, but is paying tax on it.
For those who despise all tipping...go to a restaurant in Europe sometime. You'll quickly see the genius of our system.
So are you saying that employers are allowed to takes tips from the server? I was a waiter through college (10 years ago) and my employer never even saw the tips I made. it was my choice how much I would tip the bus boy, hostess, etc.
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