i work as a server assistant/food runner at a popular kbbq joint in Arizona, U.S. my coworkers and i are legally considered tipped employees since we do receive a percentage of a tip pool each week. we almost never receive our own tips directly from guests since tables just tip through their server when they get the check. however, one of my coworkers ran food to a table that tipped her some cash directly. this was nice until our boss pulled her aside to explain that she had to give the cash to the server because it was his (the server's) table and he had apparently been stiffed. i asked my coworker if our boss had mentioned any legal clauses that he referred to in order to be okay doing this, and she told me that he simply said it was policy. i'm just confused if this was okay and/or if it's a big enough deal that i should look into it or advise her to, or if they're allowed to maintain a policy like that.