Entering the restaurant industry, particularly as a waiter or waitress, comes with its share of challenges. Dealing with demanding customers who may exhibit impatience and disrespect can be taxing, not to mention the physical strain of being on one’s feet all day.
However, the most significant hurdle is the low pay. Due to the reliance on tips, U.S. regulations permit restaurant owners to compensate workers below the federal minimum wage. In 21 states, servers receive as little as $2.13 per hour before tips. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, nearly 15% of the nation’s 2.4 million waitstaff live in poverty, a stark contrast to the 7% poverty rate among all workers. Additionally, they often lack access to paid sick leave or health benefits, making financial stability even more challenging to attain.
Despite the expectation of receiving tips, some customers exhibit such rudeness that they opt to tip below the standard 15% or not at all. This was the case for waitress Taylar Cordova, who, infuriated by the customer’s disrespect, chose to publicize the bill online to shed light on the mistreatment faced by workers in the service industry.
Cordova received no tip on a bill amounting to $187.43, a standard tip would have amounted to $28.11. Her post garnered over 12,000 shares, sparking conversation and raising awareness about the challenges faced by service workers.
Caption:
“This. This is the reason I work tirelessly. This is why tears flow in the shower. I struggle to provide for my daughter, to put clothes on her back, and food in our mouths because of THIS. You are the lowest of the low. When you decide it’s okay not to tip your server, that’s another burden piled onto them. This bill represents food for the week that our families will go without because you didn’t see fit to tip, even after receiving everything under the sun for free. This means one less essential my daughter goes without, all because even an extra two dollars was too much for you.
Every choice has a consequence. Servers earn a base pay of $2-5/hr, depending on the employer, so next time you hesitate to tip, consider how hard you’d have to work on that wage to feed your family, not just yourself. Could you manage your bills on that pay alone? Could you feed your family and yourself? That’s the reality when you choose not to tip. Please, tip your servers, even if the service was subpar. A 10% tip is a significant blow, but this, this shattered me. If you can’t afford to tip, don’t even step foot in a restaurant. There’s a McDonald’s nearby if you’re that tight-fisted.
But there’s hope on the horizon for servers. According to Eater, seven states, including New York, have already increased or eliminated the lower-tipped minimum wage, and seven more are in the process of doing the same. This change is crucial because, as per the National Restaurant Association, by year-end, 12.9 million people will work in the restaurant industry, constituting 10% of the U.S. workforce.
Please share this message with your loved ones.”