The notion of tipping people for their performance in serving others is an archaic practice and its time this country puts an end to it.
This tradition was actually born in the 19th century when Americans abroad brought back to home soil the European idea of tipping employees to reward them for doing good jobs.
Ironically, teh tipping custom has declined in much of Europe unlike America.
While Americans were at first outraged at the idea, the restaurant industry realized it could be a possible boon for their businesses.
Since then, the custom of tipping has become ingrained in American society. It is especially entrenched within the restaurant industry, which employs more than 60 percent of all tipped workers.
But employees shouldnt be the only people outraged by the system.
Allowing restaurants and other establishments to pay tipped employees a sub-minimum wage also should be offensive to patrons, who are essentially paying a portion of the overhead costs normally associated with doing business namely employee wages.
Reasons to abolish tipping
If youre been a supporter of the system in the past, let us provide you with some reasons to change your opinion.
n Tipping relies on stereotypes.
Studies show across the board that white people tend to receive better tips than people of color regardless of both the level of service they provided and the race of the customers.
In addition, waitresses with larger breasts, smaller body sizes and blonde hair also receive better tips than women without those attributes for the same quality of service.
n Tipping leads to sexual harassment.
A recent 700-person survey showed that nine of every 10 waitresses have been victims of sexual harassment on the job. One-third of all waitresses and 20 percent of waiters said they had been inappropriately touched on the job.
The restaurant industry is also the source of nearly 4 in 10 sexual harassment complaints to the Equal Opportunity Commission, although only 7 percent of working women are employed there.
The problem is that servers are paid sub-minimum wages significantly lower than the federal minimum wage and are expected to make up the difference in tips. This heavy dependence on tips makes waitresses and waiters put up with high levels of sexual harassment from both customers and employers.
Tipping drives people into poverty.
Institutions, like restaurants, that employ tip-able employees can pay them much less than the minimum wage. The federal rate is just $2.13 an hour, which hasnt increased in 25 years despite numerous attempts to increase it.
Although Floridas minimum hourly rate for tipped employees is higher than many other states at $5.03, servers here still rely heavily on tips to make a living wage.
While servers in the high-end restaurants can generally make a living wage when tips are added to their hourly rate, those toiling in diners or less-expensive restaurants are often hard-pressed to rise above poverty.
In fact, according to a 2014 report from the National Economic Council, servers are three times as likely as other workers to live in poverty. Many, in fact, are heavily reliant on public subsidies to even make it.
n Tipping is incredibly arbitrary.
Although we like to believe that tips are merit-related, nothing could be further from the truth.
Studies show, for example, that people paying with credit cards leave larger tips than people paying with cash.
Theyve also shown that servers who touch a customer on the arm or draw a smiley face on checks receive larger tips. So do female waitresses who wear red or squat next to a table instead of standing up straight.
According to one study, a customers assessment of a servers work only accounts for somewhere between 1 and 5 percent of the variation in tips.
The complexity of tipping was illustrated in a story in Mondays Life section that offered 10 examples of services that involve tips.
Wouldnt it be more simple and fair that price of a service be fair and avoid tipping altogether?
In Australia, for instance, here is the advice from a travelers website: In Australia you dont have to tip ever. But you can if you want to.
Regarding Australian restaurants, Its something you willingly give for good service, rather than something you feel you have to give for standard service.
n Tipping has long-term effects for employees.
There are millions of American workers who are tipped employees. Many of these people enter such positions very young, as their first job out of high school or college.
When people are economically forced to accept a sexually harassing, demeaning, stereotypic, arbitrary culture, especially when they are young and impressionable, they may come to believe that these things are just part of holding down a job.
Sadly then, this early experience is setting a very low bar for whats acceptable in the workplace and young tipped employees may have fewer skills in place to succeed.
So how do you change a longstanding tradition without hurting the economy?
It already has been changed in some cases where tips are automatically added or in bills of large parties at restaurants.
We would rather the government get involved. A cultural change requires greater awareness of the advantages of gettign rid of the tippingculture.