Visiting the US soon - do I really have to tip?
Visiting the US soon - do I really have to tip?
Hey Folks!
I've been living abroad for over half my life in a country where tipping is not the norm. At most you would round up. 19€ bill? Here's a 20, keep this change.
Going to the US soon to visit family and the whole idea of tipping makes me nervous. It seems there's a lot of discussion about getting rid of tipping, but I don't know how much has changed in this regard.
The system seems ridiculously unfair, and that extra expense in a country where everything is already so expensive really makes a difference.
So will AITA if I don't tip? Is it really my personal responsibility to make sure my server is paid enough?
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You should take a look at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_US_states_by_minimum_wage and see what the minimum wage is in the state you are visiting. The minimum wage where I am is one of the highest in the nation so I don’t tip anymore.
Edit: I am aware many states have below federal minimum for tipped employees. My point was if they’re visiting one of the states with a high minimum wage, they should forgo tipping. Nobody below bothered to link it, but here's the minimum wage page for tipped employees: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped. It's worth noting that even in the states that can pay tipped employee as little as $2.13/hr, the employees never actually make less than the federal minimum of $7.25/hr because the employer has to make up the difference if the employee doesn't make enough in tips, not that $7.25/hr is even remotely a livable wage in 2023...
Regardless, tipping is an inherently flawed system, and it's not the responsibility of the consumer to pay specifically the server a living wage while everyone in the kitchen suffers (I would know, I've been there). If you're not happy with the wage laws in your state, get involved in politics and exercise your right to vote to do something about it.
But a lot of states pay less for tipped labor. Which is why tipping culture started in the first place, and this list doesn't show how much tipped workers make.
Most states in the US have separate lower minimum wages for tipped workers, with a federal minimum of $2.13/hour.
This. There are a few states that make paying tipped workers less than minimum wage. So you'dnewed to cross-reference that list with the minimum wage list.
Don't be an asshole. Your server may be making $3/hr.
I actually just looked into this, and no state in America can legally pay an employee less than $7.25/hr. If you as the employee don't make enough in tips to make your wage at least $7.25/hr, the employer has to pay beyond the $2.13/hr to make sure you always make at least $7.25/hr, not that $7.25/hr is even remotely a livable wage in 2023…
Sorry, that's not the case. I guess you don't have any friends who work as wait staff..
Highest in the nation is still far too low.
I live somewhere with a high minimum wage ($17) but that's because the cost of living is ridiculously high.
$17/hr is about $2285/month after taxes if you work 40 hours a week and take only 10 unpaid sick/vacation days a year. In my city, a 1-bedroom apartment is about $2,300/month, so minimum wage is literally not even enough to afford your own apartment, not to mention food, clothing, transportation, health care, etc.
Is there actually a place where the minimum wage is high and the cost of living is low?