Hi Reddit, I’m looking for advice regarding the pay policy at a cafe I just started at.
When I applied on Indeed, it was for Prep Cook @ $17-18 per hour. When I get called back he informs me that the position isn’t REALLY for prep cook, but it’s something I can work into. Everyone starts from the same position.
I say ok but when he asks me my expected pay rate I say exactly what the Indeed posts advertised. He says no, that it’s “x.xx” plus tips and then explains how the tipping works.
So apparently the way this place pays their employees is that there’s a cumulative tip pool from which they give their employees raises. Everyone, regardless of seniority, gets paid the same, including managers. As one’s duties, responsibilities, and tenure increase, instead of getting a standard wage raise, their raise comes out of the tip pool.
So for example I start making coffee AND sandwiches instead of just sandwiches, then my pay goes up $1 an hour, but that amount isn’t reflected on my pay, it’s reflected on the percentage I receive of the cumulative tip pool. I don’t get an actual “pay raise” – I just get more tips.
At first I didn’t pay any mind to it because I was desperate for a job, but now that I’m looking at it, it seems to leave the door open for employees being treated unfairly. Also, they have a written policy saying that discussing wages AT ALL is a terminal offense, which I know is illegal to implement.
I’m relatively new to food service so I don’t know if this is common practice, but something doesn’t seem right and I can’t put my finger on it.