Tipping Culture

As of July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage is $7.25. While some workers receive $2.13 an hour, the employer gets away with that by saying that the worker receives a cash wage in tips. The economics of the tipping culture acknowledges a class system by not paying a living wage to some people in some industries. The tipping economy biases workers to be less intellectual and not worthy enough to earn minimum wage.

A few weeks ago, I posted on Facebook asking why we tip and whether we should continue supporting a tipping culture. That post brought back many responses, with a majority of people saying yes, they will continue to tip until legislation guarantees a living wage for every worker in Wyoming.

I learned a lot from the responses. The stereotype is that if I don't tip, I'm a terrible person, not that the business is awful, for not paying the workers a livable wage. Tipping makes it seem like you'll get paid for your productivity; however, in an environment where everyone gets to share tips, one person's labor often unfairly benefits another.?

Tip earners do have to report tips to the IRS. Tracking tips from somebody's debit or credit card is easier than cash tips when filing taxes. However, it hurts the tip earner to only report some of their tips because they must report it for income to qualify for loans. Because of this, tipped earners are less likely to qualify for loans.??

There is the misconception that raising the minimum wage will hurt small businesses while many small businesses run on a small margin and still pay their workers fair compensation. The thought is that the costs will increase if they pay workers more. I don't know about you, but the price of a meal out for me has increased significantly, and the workers still don't make a fair living wage. Some people think workers are greedy. Finally, we tip workers for food and providing service. We tip extra for civility.?

I started thinking about who gets tipped and who doesn't.

I tip a taxi driver but not a bus driver.

I tip a barista but not an airline hostess.

I tip for food delivery but not package delivery.

I tip a hair stylist but not for dental hygiene.

I tip a massage therapist but not a physical therapist.?

I tip a Subway sandwich maker but not a McDonald's hamburger maker.

I tip a bartender but not my pharmacist.

I tip my manicurist but not my mechanic.

I started asking people in all industries whether or not they got tipped. It was interesting when I asked my dentist. She had an astonished look on her face.?

I took my computer to the local computer mechanic to look at it. The person and I had a long conversation, and he was accommodating. He took a lot of time to look at my computer, to listen to what I had to say was wrong, look for the pieces to make it run faster, compare prices, and make sure that all of the extra cables and things that I was going to need would be available. He performed a service. And I asked him if he got tipped, and he laughed. He said, "Well, no, I don't, but if you want to give me your money, I'll take it."

No, I don't need the tip, but I'll take it if you want to give me your money. This thinking is why corporations like Subway ask us to subsidize their workers by tipping. Asking workers to pay to compensate other employer's employees is taking our money, and we willingly give it. Tipping can be a moral decision; worker's wages are an ethical issue, and legislative action is needed to guarantee that every worker in Wyoming earns a livable, fair wage. And $2.13 an hour is not it.

?My decision when it comes to tipping is that I will no longer put a tip on my debit card or credit card. Think about it: if you put a tip on your credit card, you have to pay interest on it, and yes, some of us pay off our credit card every month, but we as a nation are still one point something billion dollars in credit card debt, you can't tell me, everybody is paying off their credit card every month. If you think about it, you go out to dinner, add the tip to your credit card, and now you are subsidizing that employer's employee's wages and paying interest on it. Is that tracking for everyone?

Until the IRS gives me a tax deduction because I am subsidizing an employer not paying his workers a livable wage, I will no longer put a tip on a debit or credit card. I'm not saying I won't tip because I tipped that computer mechanic. He performed a service, was civil, and deserved it. I paid him a tip, and he took it and he smiled. He's self-employed, by the way, and so his employer, who is himself, is doing everything he can to keep a small business open in Wyoming.

Another tipping story I want to share is when I visited Curt Gowdy State Park. I'm going camping and wanted to check out my camping spot. I talked to the lady at the front counter who was helping people with the day passes, telling them about the park and assisting with whatever they needed, and again, she was accommodating. She showed me the map and where I needed to go, told me it was a nice campsite, and told me what to expect.

The look on her face was absolutely amazing when I asked her if she accepted tips. It was a compliment, meaning she did an excellent job, especially if somebody wanted to tip her. Unfortunately, she couldn't accept tips. I donated to the park instead.?

I'm not here to tell anyone whether or not to tip or how much to tip. I am here to work for and with others and encourage us to reach out to our lawmakers and make our voices heard that every worker in Wyoming deserves a livable wage. We've got to stop making excuses for giving people $2.13 an hour and saying it's okay because other workers will make up the difference. It is not okay.?

I wanted to touch base on universal sick leave. It is a big issue that needs to be addressed. In my research, I learned that guaranteeing paid personal time off (PTO) is the best way to go with legislation. Workers with PTO can use that time for preventive healthcare, scheduling appointments and procedures ahead of time rather than waiting for an emergency. This benefits the employer by having notice of when an employee is absent and the ability to cover the shift beforehand. Paid PTO helps workers take time off to help with sick family members without fear of losing financial stability.

Let's move on to housing.??

The cost of living increased without the federal minimum wage increase. When demand is high, and supply is low, the supply cost goes up. The need for quality housing is high, and the supply is low. One solution is that we have so much housing that the price goes down because the supply far outnumbers the demand. Thus, while there are many solutions to the housing shortage, the strongest one is incentivizing permanent housing construction. Creating housing that supports workers' way of life, work-life balance, and quality of life. Housing that you want to live in and that you'd wish your family members to live in.

Wages, sick leave, and housing remain the top three concerns for the current laborforce.