“The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires payment of at least the Federal minimum wage to covered, nonexempt employees. An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equals at least the Federal minimum wage, the employee …show more content…
He starts by stating that tipping pushes servers into poverty. Restaurants keep costs low by only having to pay their servers $2.13 per hour; this is not beneficial for the servers themselves. Many waiters and waitresses work in inexpensive restaurants where they don’t receive a lot of money in tips. I have personally found that getting hired at an inexpensive restaurant is a lot easier than getting hired at a higher end eatery. Many managers at low end restaurants overlook a potential employee’s lack of experience, negative work history, and even criminal records. This is the reason that people serve at low end restaurants where they don’t make very much money in tips. Stuart also points out that the value of the tipped minimum wage that servers make ($2.13 per hour) has fallen with inflation since 1982. Stuart also cites that people tip less than they used to due to fluctuating financial situations. Other arguments Stuart includes are that tipping causes discrimination and sexual harassment. When I was 18 years old, a male customer in his late 30’s asked me for my phone number. When I politely declined he took his $10 tip off of the table and left me nothing. There is a man in his late 50’s who comes into my restaurant and hands female servers $50 bills as tips. I asked him why he does this one day, and he said, “I like giving young hot girls …show more content…
He starts with listing the economic reasons as to why tipping should continue. Smith conveys that tipping is positive for restaurant employees due to the fact that they can receive tax free income (many servers do not claim cash tips). He also states that tipping is used to measure the level of service. If a patron receives wonderful service, the server is rewarded with a larger tip. Smith also claims that there are benefits for the customers. When a patron tips a server they are giving money directly to a low income worker, which in turn makes the customer feel more satisfied. Smith also argues that tipping helps with human connection; It creates personal relationships between servers and their