news.bbc.co.uk — Employers are to be banned from using tips and service charges to "top up" staff pay to meet the minimum wage, under government plans. The changes, set to come into force next year, will benefit those working in industries such as restaurants, where tipping is commonplace. Firms are currently allowed to divert service charges into takings
Jul 31, 2008 View in Crawl 4
npsquire1Aug 1, 2008
If you've ever worked in a restaurant, you realize that managing 4 tables at once, is not as easy as it initially appears. Trying to keep 16 people happy at once is not the easiest task to perform, much less gracefully. I politely ask you to reconsider how hard some of these waiters work.
steelejkAug 1, 2008
So you pay for you own police service? What if the building where you live catches on fire, are you going to call your own personal fire brigade? Well if not, STFU.
lateralis1Aug 2, 2008
It's s**ttier when restaurants include a service charge in the bill and the waiters still expect you to tip. Japan have the right idea: the waiters' wages are included in the bill, so if you tip they chase after you to give you the extra money back!
Closed AccountAug 2, 2008
SteeleJK, I think by "two jobs", he meant two shifts a week at Walmart.This guy doesn't even sound qualified to clean up my dog's s**t.
bmatherlyjrAug 2, 2008
"that's the kind of elitist argument that comes up all the time in this country in regards to minimum wage issues, but it simply doesn't hold water. Higher costs (and higher taxes) do not mean lower standard of living - if you don't believe me, visit any Scandinavian country sometime. Fair wages benefit everyone.Note: I am a business owner with employees. I'm not just talking out of my ass."Higher cost from higher taxes justifies more government intervention and thus more ridiculous 'codes and regulations' that further suppresses a business owner from running their establishments as they see fit. Which lowers the morale of the owner, and has a trickle down effect to the hired hand in the form of lower wages because the money the business owner was going to allocate for payroll is now being used to finance his state representatives paid vacation, or some piece of expensive real estate.Mean while, outside in the real world beyond the borders of said establishment - the cost of living goes up across the board because the same scenario is being repeated across the board. The more government involvement you have the more everyone has to pay, now you are caught in a perpetual circle of having to pay more money to compensate the cost of living which is increasing however because of government involvement the rate of inflation (printing the money out of thin air depleting the value of it's own currency) and the rate of taxation (which is affectionately referred to as "legalized extortion") is raising at a much faster rate causing the price of the product and service to sky rocket while you're still making what the government thinks is fair compensation for business owners in the guise of saving them money just to fleece them else where.Eliminate minimum wage, get the government out of commerce and let the employees and owners be able to enter meaningful contractual agreements and decide for themselves what they each profession is worth and how much a business person is willing to pay for said service. This system seems to be working fine in professional sports (sure greed becomes an issue at some point but if your providing a service that is making the company more money as a result of higher customer retention is it not only logical to reward said skill worker with more financial compensation?).With this all being said, it's not the customer's obligation to mitigate the financial damage exercised by government and shouldn't be forced to pay someone extra because they bring food out to you. The wait staff isn't employed by the customer directly they are employed by the restaurant and thus it's the restaurant management who is responsible for the financial compensation of THEIR wait staff. You don't tip the sales person on the floor who is carrying your electronics purchase to the front counter. They get a commission of your purchase. Same concept here. Ok, I'll get off the soap box and yes, I realize we don't live in a perfect world but that's the way business was designed to work. It's government who keeps throwing monkey wrenches into the plan.
blizzardiceAug 2, 2008
Because if I am the one delivering your pizza, no one can see what I do with it in my car.
blizzardiceAug 2, 2008
I wish the U.S. would follow. We get screwed in the delivery business. Drive 12 miles for some assh**e to stiff you. That's why I now give the people who don't tip s**tty business and the ones that do, I'll take the best care of their food. Plus if you don't tip, I'll just be more tempted to do something to your food before it reaches your door.Cardinal rule: Don't F*ck with the people who handle your food!!!!!
drewerdyAug 14, 2008
you really should rethink your "15% is a good tip thought"! I work in a restaurant and if we do not have our tips above 18.2% average at lunch and 18.5% average at dinner by the end of our companies quarter they fire those servers that did not meet the requirement. 20% is the new standard, you really need to think about getting out of the 70's where that was alright, its 20% now and that should be noted by anyone who eats in a restaurant.