Who's actually getting the tips in cafe's and fast-food places that pay minimum wage and up? Does the cashier get it? or person cooking the food? Do they do tips outs like normal sit down restaurants? Or do all the tips go to the owners pocket?
I have noticed in this post Covid world, fast food restaurants/coffee shops now have a default tip option on the debit machines, some are 15% but a lot start at 18% even 20%! 18% tip for a coffee I'm taking home or to work to drink? That's crazy.
Before our lives were tossed upside down two years ago, it was a common guideline to tip a favourable 15 per cent or higher at a Toronto restaurant. …
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I feel very strongly that we ought to move away from 'tipping culture'.
To be clear; I have no desire to see hospitality staff continue to earn an abysmally low minimum wage ( no one else should either, but I digress).
Employers should be expected to pay a living wage, and a fair-market wage to every employee, period, full-stop.
I as the customer will end up paying in the price either way; but one thing this avoids is the random unfairness of tip-based professions, ranging from what shift you get (Friday night pays better than Tuesday lunch);
to differences based on a server's appearance, or even excessively flirtatious behavior (or tolerance of same from a customer). (side note, I think its perfectly OK to be into your server for them to be into you, I'm referring both to harassing behavior, but also un-due pressure faced by many servers, that goes beyond simply being good at their jobs, and polite etc.)
I'm happy to pay an extra .50c for my coffee, or $2 per combo or $20 for a nice restaurant meal to ensure staff are fairly compensated.
But I'd rather that be embedded in the price, and represent a guaranteed wage to staff, rather than serendipity/dumb luck or worse.
Lets raise the minimum wage (over a couple of years) to $22 per hour (the same as Seattle, Washington).; with market-wages being higher for more skilled staff; then ditch tips.