I work as a bartender/waitress in a small town, the kind of place where “everyone knows everybody’s business”. And it’s great, for the most part, until you have a customer literally steal tips from the bucket, in front of not one, but three cameras!!!
So, what did I do? I hailed down a town cop and gave him my report. I was told this from another customer, that he reached his hand in the tip jar and pulled out a bunch of ones. I believe him, and even though I don’t necessarily keep track of my tips during my shift (to save from getting discouraged), I know he wasn’t being a farce because one customer in particular gave me $37, which his bill was $31 (and some odd change), and told me to keep the rest, so I “should” have had at least 4-one dollar bills in the bucket; but when I looked after being informed what the other customer did, there was only a ten and 2 ones. Twelve dollars worth… out of an entire shift… but that’s not it, where’s the multiple single dollar bills? There is no way on this green earth, is it EVER okay to reach into a tip bucket to make change… always ask the cashier.
So, I got ahold of the owners, and being that I have seniority and them being out of town, I asked to have the password to the cameras so I can get this investigation started/over with and I can reclaim my stolen tips…
Here we are, two days expo facto, and my boss is “still working on it”…
Sadly, on Thursday when I’m asked where I am, I’ll say “I’m working on it”. I legit don’t want to go back in until I get an answer.
And I’m my state, the owners don’t have to equal minimum wage due to state laws stating “if they make less than 500k a year they can opt out of it”…
What would you guys do?