Today my Provinces (British Columbia) minimum wage increased to $16.75 and as expected the Food and Beverage Sector is screaming bloody murder. The threat of $25 hamburgers was thrown into the rage along with claims that their staff rarely looks at their paycheque and would rather live on customer tips. I'm sure that $25 hamburgers already exist at restaurants where servers live exclusively on tips. That's not what this increase addresses. It's for all of the retail, manufacturing, service jobs including fast food that don't see tips. Employers use tipping against both the consumer and their employees to benefit their bottom line and the tipping culture has gotten out of hand. Many people have stopped or curtailed there dining out activities and record numbers of restaurants are closing or filing for bankruptcy because they aren't necessarily needed. Covid and the resulting economic realities have forced priorities and dining out is now a luxury for most of us, adding 20+% to a bill I don't need doesn't incentivize me one little bit. Restaurants should pay their employees what they're worth and adjust their menu prices accordingly, not slip in hidden fees or “suggesting” higher tips. If they go out of business, they shouldn't have been in it to begin with.
For the record $16.75 is $8.00 below the poverty level where I live, one bedroom apartments are $2,300 mo.