Persuasive Essay On Tipping

Moving takes a lot of work, both physically and emotionally. It can be a very trying time, even for the most organized individuals. If you hire movers to assist you with your move, and they exceed your expectations, be sure to thank your movers for their efforts with a fair tip.

Tipping encourages restaurant owners to pay employees low-wage salaries. Employers rely heavenly on tips as a form of salary for their employees. In an article written by The New York Times it explains how in some states there is an “exemption” that allows employers to pay very low-wage to those employees who receive tips. For example, in Kansas employees only get paid 1.59 per hour which is way under the minimum wage (The New York Times). But to be able to this the employee must make up in tips what would amount to the minimum wage per hour. So if the employee is not making the minimum wage in tips per hour it is the employers’ responsibility to make sure that server is earning minimum wage. That is still saving the employer a lot of money

Can someone please explain to me how to tip in America? ‘Cause I don’t get it, alright? ‘Cause where I’m from, tipping is seen as “optional”, and to an extent, it’s seen as a convenience, like if I’m eating out and my bill came to 45,000 L.L, I’ll just leave 50,000 L.L on the table. Or more realistically I’ll just pretend that I left my wallet at home, and I’d that my friend pays. But again, tipping is seen as more of a convenience here, I mean, screw the 5,000 L.L they ain’t going to get me broke, you know what I mean?

As a recent employee in the restaurant industry, first as a hostess and later as a waitress, I have had the opportunity to experience the system of tipping not just from a customer’s point of view.

“Tips are accepted not expected” not always the case. In certain restaurants management will automatically generate a 18% gratuity when there are larger parties being served. In a recent article on the 1010 wins.com website ( “tip dispute leads to arrests at soprano’s“ )the reporter tells of a story where people actually got arrested because they refused to pay the mandatory 18% tip. At some point consumers should have the right to draw the line when it comes to tipping. Michael Lewis says “ our natural and admirable reluctance to enter into the spirit of the thing causes the thing to lose whatever value it had in the first place”(23). Tip amounts should not be mandated by the size of the party. A gratuity should remain based upon the quality of the service that was provided.

For example there is a big gap in the amount people get paid in the state in Nebraska, where the tipped wage is $2.13 and the general wage is $9.00 an hour. It is also unfair because in other states like Montana, Nevada and California have little to no gaps, this means that these states are being payed the same amount in tipped wage and general minimum wage.

Many servers depend on their tips because the minimum tipped wage is very low. While you may feel your tip is generous, remember that servers have to pay income tax on those tips. This means that many servers actually make less than the minimum federal wage. In a 2014 Economics Policy Institution report it was stated that many tipped minimum wage employees are more likely to rely on goverment assistance.

“Servers generally make less than $3 per hour. Servers don't make minimum wage, and they do so much more than take your order and refill your tea. Waiters and waitresses often begin their shift hours before a restaurant opens and have to cut lemons, make teas, clean tables, spot sweep and check bathrooms.”(Sun Herald, 2015)

Servers base pay is so low,they depend on tips for most of their income.An average tip in New Mexico is 16.6 %. This sounds like it's very generous until you consider that the tips are taxed.Many of our servers are making less than minimum wage.

In the essay “The Case Against Tipping” by Michael Lewis, Lewis strongly states his feelings against tipping and also whether tipping is an act of kindness or an obligation. One of his main views are, most food industries have eye grabbers that push customers to think about giving an extra tip. Lewis has very interesting arguments, but has very few examples; which makes his claims unsupported.

Since the year 1991, the United States minimum tipped wage for servers and waiters has been the same. From then til now, the minimum wage for non-tipped employees in the country has almost doubled causing a rift in equality in the workforce. Employees who depend solely on tips struggle to make a living and are forced to work more than one

In the article "Server Wages Should Be Increased", it states that "Servers depend on tips as a major part of their income." If they wanted to continue serving, they can always go to a restaurant that is non-tipped minimum wage. Federal non-tipped minimum wage is more than three times higher than the tipped minimum wage.

The wages as a waitress are always unfair, the sad part is it may never be fixed. I am a waitress myself I depend on my tips for my income it's hard to make a living off of just tips, it is ridclous actually. All the resturants I have worked at our wage is $2-4 dollars hour less than minimum wage!

The federal wage for tipped workers is even lower at $2.13, and that has not been changed since 1901. Those working in the food industry should not have to depend solely on tips. Among near-minimum wage workers, 30 years and younger, about 2.5 million people work in the food industry. College students trying to pay off their student’s debt will have trouble because they depend on tips. Although, many customers may not realize that a tip is about 90% of their salary and don’t tip very much. However, there are big tippers, such as those who have worked in the industry and those who felt they had received incredible service. Keith Ellison, an United States Representative stated that he had worked at a McDonald’s once and it was one of the toughest jobs he’d ever had. He stated that those employees deserve to earn way more than what they

Source: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Health, United States, 2002. Flegal et. al. JAMA. 2002;288:1723-7. NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, 1998.