I’m hoping I can get some direction on where to go from here. I live in the USA and I work for a touristy ice cream/ chocolate shop in Michigan. The base pay for a regular sales associate (my position) is $14.50 an hour. I was pretty happy with this when I started working as I have done a lot more work for a lot less pay. I was less happy when I found out that we pool all of our tips and are forced to spend them in the store.
I have no problem pooling tips and splitting them evenly, it is the fact that I now have to spend $45 a month on bumpy cake that is frustrating.
Here’s the facts: I know we are coded as non-tipped employees in the system. At the end of every month our boss separates the tips and hands us an envelope full of cash. We have to spend it all in store that day and then hand back in a receipt which they keep on file to prove we really spent it all.
I am too broke to hire an attorney but I really do not think this is legal.
Could anyone point me in the direction of who I should be contacting about this?