I’m usually a lurker and never a poster; I’ve seen a lot of posts on here about anti-tipping culture and how employers should pay their workers minimum wage. This argument boils my blood so much that I feel I have to post because I don’t see anyone else posting this.
Yes, employers SHOULD pay their servers a living wage, but they DON’T. A server’s income totally relies on their tips; by not tipping, you are only impacting the server. These employers DO NOT CARE whether you tip or not because they are not the ones impacted by your righteousness. They get to get away with paying the bare minimum either way. You are not hurting the business. You are not hurting the employer. You are just hurting these servers- the very people you’re supposed to be defending with your belief.
Not giving a tip is going to do absolutely nothing. You’re not forcing the employer’s hand. You’re not hurting the employer’s pockets. You’re not putting them on blast or bringing it to anyone’s attention. You’re just hurting your server and letting an employer get away with their shitty pay.
And you guys are clearly aware that a server’s income is reliant on their tips if you’re making that argument that it shouldn’t be. Yes, it shouldn’t be, but that’s not the world we live in and refusing to tip is not going to make that happen. You’re making a righteous argument to justify stiffing your server.
If you actually care about getting your server a livable wage, it starts by protesting, getting the attention of office members, boycotting restaurants, complaining to corporate, and doing things with IMPACT.
It starts by hurting the employer’s pockets; it does not start by hurting your server’s. I am tired of people making these arguments in supposed support of servers all the while they’re only hurting the servers. If you don’t want to tip, just say that. Don’t speak in support for us.
Edit: And to remind you guys, companies have started firing workers that make low or no tips. But yea, you’re doing it to earn these people a livable wage.