The r/EndTipping subreddit aims to shake things up so that “US workers aren’t reliant on tips.” Members of the online community share examples of just how ridiculous and shameless demands for tips can get. We’ve curated a list of the most powerful pics to show you that the system really does need to change when things are as egregious as this. Scroll down to see for yourselves, Pandas. Bored Panda wanted to learn about how customers can gently push back against Tipflation (tip inflation), so we got in touch with Max Alberhasky, Ph.D. He was kind enough to share his thoughts on this, as well as how changes in the minimum wage can affect tipped employees. Alberhasky is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at California State University Long Beach and is the author of the insightful ‘Psychology, Money, and Happiness’ blog on Psychology Today. “Having a standard amount you want to tip going into a purchase helps prevent nudges to tip more (which is common on tablets via high default choices) or social pressure from the cashier or those behind you in line to make a fast decision,” he told Bored Panda in an email. “Research from Uber and former Chief Economist John List suggest most consumers have a habit or idea in mind for what they prefer to do, with 60% of riders never tipping, 20% of riders always tipping, and 20% of riders deciding to tip or not based on the quality of their ride.” Alberhasky also commented on the drastically different minimum wages across various states in the US. “Service industry workers doing the same job in California likely earn more than workers in Nebraska. If the overall minimum wage is increased, it may indirectly affect tipped employees,” he told Bored Panda. “In circumstances where tipping is the norm (bars, restaurants, coffee shops), increasing wages and prices is likely to lead to higher tips because customers are tipping the same percentage on a larger bill. In circumstances where tipping is not standard yet it’s an option (fast food restaurants, bowling alleys, tattoo shops), increasing prices is likely to decrease tipping because customers are facing an expensive bill that would make tipping additional money seem unreasonable,” he said. For some more expert insights, be sure to check out Alberhasky’s ‘Psychology, Money, and Happiness’ blog on Psychology Today. Pew Research Center calls it a patchwork system: “For example, a restaurant server in Waukegan, Illinois, is entitled to a $13 minimum wage—$7.80 in direct wages from the restaurant, plus a $5.20 tip credit. But for a server 17 miles away in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the minimum is $7.25—with $2.33 in direct wages from the restaurant, plus a $4.92 tip credit.” As Pew points out, the minimum wage for most workers, under US federal law, is $7.25 per hour. However, there is a major caveat. If an employee is a tipped employee, their employers can pay them just $2.13 per hour… so long as they get the remaining ‘tip credit’ of $5.12 per hour in tips. The employer is bound to make up the difference if their employees do not meet this minimum in tips. The tip credit also varies greatly. For instance, in Virginia, the minimum wage stands at $12. However, the tip credit is $9.87, meaning that the actual minimum wage (depending on your employer and company) can be $2.13, with the rest being considered tip credit. However, some states (e.g. California) have refused to accept tip credit as a workable concept altogether. This means that companies are supposed to pay their employees a fixed minimum wage (e.g. $16 per hour in California, far higher than the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour). They can also keep any tips they get on top of that. Tipping becomes less of a reflection of good service and more of a way of supporting employees who might be living paycheck to paycheck. The responsibility, which should rest on the employer’s shoulders, is passed down to the customers. However, if you’re tipping even when the food’s awful, the service is horrid, and you feel disrespected, you’re effectively rewarding the business for bad behavior. This way, there’s no incentive for the restaurant to improve or to conduct better training for its employees. The moderators running the group suggest one alternative that would mean rolling a 20% surcharge into the menu prices themselves. The mods invite everyone to share their rants, tipping-related news, info about service-included restaurants, and people’s plans to reform the system. However, they set a pretty high bar for the quality of everyone’s posts. The mods urge everyone to not write “useless or stupid stuff.” They also ask the members of the sub to treat everyone with respect, avoid ragebait posts, and avoid calling anyone out by name. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Swing on by the comment section to share your thoughts! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
