Waiters and Waitresses Deserve Good Holiday Tips

[Diogenes]

Originally Posted by Reality

How do employers pay them less than minimum wage like that? Most waiters and waitresses I have known make minimum wage and rely heavily on tips to complete their deserved salary. I am just curious how employers can get around the minimum wage requirements. That's a little disturbing quite honestly.

/reality

It's a muddy water issue. Minimum wage requirements depend on the class of the employee. Employers are not required to meet federal mimimum wage requirements for "servers." IIRC, the actual minimum hourly wage they must pay them is a little over 2 bucks an hour.

However, if the hourly wage in addition to tips received does not total the federal minimum wage, the employer is required to make up the difference.

I think.

[AmarilloCowboyFan]

Originally Posted by rocboy22

I think the labor laws vary by state, and some allow lower than minimum wages for servers due to the expectation that tips will make up the difference, and they will still make actual minimum wage or higher.

Yep, in Texas the minimum is I believe $2.13 pre hour for tipped employees. Not very much money. Not tipping a waiter/waitress here can really hurt them.

[Sam I Am]

I was never a waiter or anything like that, but my brother used to do it all the time. I remember for one company, his pay was something like $2.14 an hour + tips, (this was years ago) but the company would set a minimum. (I think it was like $300 or something per week) If his normal pay and tips didn't equal a specific amount, they would compensate until it did.

[RoyTheHammer]

Originally Posted by AmarilloCowboyFan

Yep, in Texas the minimum is I believe $2.13 pre hour for tipped employees. Not very much money. Not tipping a waiter/waitress here can really hurt them.

This is the answer for reality right here.. tipped employees dont' have to be given normal minimum wage, and in most states, from my experience.. waiters/bartenders/etc.. are given around 2.50 an hour.

Now, if you talk fine dining, that's completely different.

[ethiostar]

Generally speaking, bartenders are paid more per hour compared to waiters.

[Denim Chicken]

Originally Posted by Diogenes

It's a muddy water issue. Minimum wage requirements depend on the class of the employee. Employers are not required to meet federal mimimum wage requirements for "servers." IIRC, the actual minimum hourly wage they must pay them is a little over 2 bucks an hour.

However, if the hourly wage in addition to tips received does not total the federal minimum wage, the employer is required to make up the difference.

I think.

This is correct. Per pay period, if wage + declared tips do not reach min wage, the employer must compensate to match.

[Faerluna]

Originally Posted by RoyTheHammer

This is the answer for reality right here.. tipped employees dont' have to be given normal minimum wage, and in most states, from my experience.. waiters/bartenders/etc.. are given around 2.50 an hour.

Now, if you talk fine dining, that's completely different.

When I was living in NY, I worked for awhile as a server, then as a bartender at a TGI Fridays. I remember most of the time we never got paychecks because the taxes on the tips that we had to declare (I want to say 20% of your check total for the night?) were greater than our income. Most of the time we owed a bit of money at the end of the year as well.

After that, I worked in fine dining, where most tips were on credit cards and had to be declared completely. You definitely never got checks there and always owed taxes at the end of the year.

In short, salary doesn't mean jack to a server for the most part. Just a way to offset some of the taxes you'll eventually pay.

[Phrozen Phil]

When I saw this thread, I looked around for Springs1, knowing that her obsession with this topic could unleash a Holocaust on us all. I'm a big beleiver in rewarding good sevice and encouraging wait staff. I want my dinner out to be good experience for me, the people I'm with and the people looking after me.
I find that people who are obnoxious, demanding and insulting generally get the service they deserve. If I have a problem with my waiter/waitress, I look them square in the eye and talk quietly and very directly to them. This has not failed me yet.

[CowboyMcCoy]

Originally Posted by Hostile

I really appreciate waiters and waitresses and how hard they work. If you take your family out to eat this holiday season remember to tip well and let them know you do appreciate their often thankless service for a tough job.

I agree. Service people are so under-appreciated. I watched a woman the other day while she was out to eat and she didn't say, "can I please have some napkins?" Instead she said, "napkins." The waiter got some napkins for her. Then later she said to the waiter I'm sorry for being a blank. The waiter shrugged it off. Then she was offended and went on about how much of a blank she could be or wasn't being. Total idiot though. I was embarrassed for her, especially after I saw her leave a measly $2 tip.

I despise these kinds of people. I don't care if you order an $8 cheeseburger. If you can't tip 5 bucks, don't go out to eat.

[CowboyMcCoy]

Originally Posted by Reality

How do employers pay them less than minimum wage like that? Most waiters and waitresses I have known make minimum wage and rely heavily on tips to complete their deserved salary. I am just curious how employers can get around the minimum wage requirements. That's a little disturbing quite honestly.

/reality

It's 2.13 in Texas.. not sure where you are from, but if someone is making minimum wage plus tips, I want to sign up where they're working. Some bartenders makes minimum wage plus tips, but not servers.

[jayhouston12]

I have no problem tipping them. alot of waiter/waitresses usually make about 3.50/hr because the management factors in their tips as pay as well its really complicated (not really, i just don't feel like explaining lol) usually if food takes to long it isn't the waiter or waitresses fault its the cook. aslong as the waiter does not come to me with an attitude or scratching themselves and popping gum i'm fine with tipping.

[rkell87]

Originally Posted by Hoofbite

I almost wonder if she googles terms, hunting for any forum to express her opinion.

But, the bait has been laid. The traps are set, will the beast dare approach another thread?

On a side note, I hope she's never banned. When the offseason rolls around I might have to chum the waters with a weekly waiter thread just to stay entertained.

she does.

her key words are:

It is not the waitress's fault






























and now we wait

[Hostile]

Oh boy..."this is gonna be greaaaaaaaaaaaat." --Flounder

[rkell87]

Originally Posted by Reality

How do employers pay them less than minimum wage like that? Most waiters and waitresses I have known make minimum wage and rely heavily on tips to complete their deserved salary. I am just curious how employers can get around the minimum wage requirements. That's a little disturbing quite honestly.

/reality

federal minimum wage for tipped employees is 2.13/hr

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires payment of at least the federal minimum wage to covered, nonexempt employees. An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equals at least the federal minimum wage, the employee retains all tips and the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference.
Some states have minimum wage laws specific to tipped employees. When an employee is subject to both the federal and state wage laws, the employee is entitled to the provisions which provides the greater benefits.
http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/002.htm

[SaltwaterServr]

Originally Posted by CowboyMcCoy

It's 2.13 in Texas.. not sure where you are from, but if someone is making minimum wage plus tips, I want to sign up where they're working. Some bartenders makes minimum wage plus tips, but not servers.

At my new job, servers make twice that plus tips. I was surprised, but apparently it's pretty common in hotels. Bartenders are also compensated well beyond what I'm used to. Part time banquet bartenders can make $20+ an hour plus tips.