Re: Last night was "surf and coop."

Jill McQuown wrote:

On 3/8/2025 5:33 PM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:

On 2025-03-08, Dave Smith <adavid.smith@sympatico.ca> wrote:

 
Make it something close to what they would be expected to make
with tips. They are the restaurant's employees so they should be
responsible for paying their employees, not the customers.

 
The customers pay the employees either way.
 

That's true.  But in states like SC where the minimum server wage is
still a ridiculous $2.13/hour, it's kind of silly to have to depend
upon the kindness of strangers to make up the difference between that
and the Federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour.  (Technically the
employer is supposed to make up the difference.)  Counting on the
customer to leave more than a 50 cent tip on a $40 meal doesn't cut
it.
 
My manager and his wife eat out a LOT.  He had no idea $2.13 is the
base server wage in this state.  And oh, it doesn't matter if you tip
in cash or put it on your credit card because server income is
reported based on sales rung at the register.  Handing them a tip in
cash makes no difference whatsoever in what gets reported as taxable
income to the IRS.  They assume you're earning at least the Federal
minimum.
 
Jill

The danger is 'assume'.  I worked a job at base 2.13 in 1978, for 2
weeks.  Not only did I not meet the minimum wage then (Believe it was
3.25hr by then) my employer filled in that I made that amount so I was
taxed on it without making the money.

That is illegal and I took him to small claims court and won.  Te
employer is required to verify the tip amount per shift and can not
'assume'.  Assumptions on that one is illegal.

The job sucked BTW and I quit after 2 weeks having only worked 5
shifts.  As the 'new guy' I was given the section under renovation and
in 5 shifts, got only 2 customers.  One tipped 4$ (reasonable, not an
expensive place, hit 15%) and one tipped 13cents, siting the
construction mess and that it took 13 minutes to get his pizza.  I
ended up OWING more in taxes than I made.  I never did 'tip work' again
and instead worked my ass off in mostly minimum wage jobs the rest of
my college days.  (I always got a raise over minimum at those, which
made me feel good and appreciated even if it wasn't much.)