Comments on: Restaurant Staff Decides To Work For Tips Only To Save Business – Would You?

By: on the fence

on the fence — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:07:50 +0000

I am a server and havent been paid in three weeks, so basically am working for free and really dont like it. I do make great tips, and thankful for my job, but part of me is pissed off and makes me not really care about my job. If they can spend money on other stuff why cant they pay me?

By: Truck trader

Truck trader — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:46:50 +0000

wow thats really good thinking and support from the staff workers …

i really appreciate their support towards saving the restaurant or their business.

By: tom

tom — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:20:24 +0000

I think it’s a great idea and even better that it was the employees idea.

By: Charles in Vancouver

Charles in Vancouver — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 05:09:08 +0000

Wouldn’t do it in Canada. In some provinces there is a differential between minimum wages for serving staff and all other employees but it’s not huge. For example Ontario is presently $8.75/hour ($9.50 starting March 1st) but $7.60 for liquor servers ($8.35 starting March 1st). BC has a lousy “new worker” wage of $6 and then after 500 hours of lifetime work it goes up to $8, but there is no lower amount for servers.

So that’d be a significant chunk of money to give up.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:04:02 +0000

Businesses/Companies exists for one reason only. To make money. Part of the cost of doing business is paying you employees. I am not angry. I feel here again is another place where the government has over stepped and in its attempt to socialize us has depended people get paid a minimum of $X per hour. Again supply and depend should set the wages not the government. If you or any one else is willing to work for free so someone else can make money. Go for it. I never will. I work I get paid what I negotiated for. You want to now renegotiated to pay less? Too bad. I will stop working for you and go somewhere else. I might take the pay cut else where since supply and demand will dictate that. But I will not give it to the current employer. You hired me, You decided I was worth X. Because you can not competently run your company does not mean I am worth less. Therefore you pay me or I move on. Business goes under oh well. More people looking for work then. That’s life.
When I can buy something with a thanks it will have value. Until then it is worthless. No matter who you work for yourself or someone else. You can not pay your mortgage with a thanks.

By: david

david — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:52:20 +0000

I am sorry you are so angry about this Paul. That was not the point of the article; the point was if anyone would take a pay cut to save their company and their job. I most certainly would if I believed in the company and my ability to survive and recover.

Thanks are worth a lot in my book, but then again I only work for myself.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:38:39 +0000

David,
Who cares? People will either go or not. If I have to add 15% to my bill raise your prices 15% and pay your employees. I don’t go to the grocery store and pay less and then decide if the cashier should be tipped for doing his/her job. So why should it be that way for restaurants? Lets stop paying everyone. Lets see how much we all get tipped. Again the concept of tipping is stupid. PAY THE EMPLOYEES! and charge what you have to charge to do so. If people can not afford it. Then they shouldn’t be eating out anyways. There should be NO special minimum wage for Waiters/Waitresses. Heck there should be no minimum wage. If someone is willing to work for $1 a hour you should be able to pay them that. When no one shows up for the job paying $1 the employer will be forced to pay more.

Me I will take no job over a pay reduction, unless there was a written guarantee returning me to my prior pay level + raises, when the economy turns around. Employers love this. They can ask for 10/20/30% pay cut and NEVER return that money to you when the company is doing well again.

NO one and I NO ONE will look out for your interests if you don’t. Working for free, given up paid time off cost you and makes the employer money. Sure they’ll say thanks. I don’t want their thanks, I want that which I have earned. Thanks are worthless.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:09:54 +0000

I would. I worked as a server about 4 years ago, and we made about $2.13 an hour. In two weeks I would make a little over $100 before taxes, which took up most of it because you pay taxes on wages and tips. So really, it seems like a small price to pay to keep your job in a bad economy where work is getting harder to find.

Good to see that customers are will to chip in the difference. I wouldn’t doubt it if the employees are coming out at about the same that they usually would. After all, they only have to make an extra $2 an hour.

By: david

david — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:07:53 +0000

Jennifer, most places pay waitstaff around that same amount, so it would be the same almost anywhere else as well.

By: david

david — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:07:17 +0000

Paul, raising prices guarantees your customers pay more, which means they might not come in any more at all. Tipping is optional, so they can choose what to leave.