Tipping is an American custom par excellence. In the United States, consumers tip for services ranging from airport baggage handlers to hotel maids.
But, according to some analysts, tipping has created an environment in which restaurant waiters are subject to sexual harassment and low wages. The pandemic has only exacerbated these problems.
About three-quarters of workers who receive tips in the restaurant industry are women and almost half are people of color.
In a study by One Fair Wage and the UC Berkeley Food Labor Research Center, 83% of restaurant employees reported that their tips decreased during the Covid pandemic and more than 40% experienced a change in the frequency of unwanted sexual comments from customers.
With the pandemic leaving millions to do essential jobs for low wages, there have been renewed calls for a $ 15 minimum wage and the elimination of the so-called minimum wage with tip – the base salary for many restaurant workers.
Forty-three states, including Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, have a minimum tipped wage for workers, in some cases as little as $ 2.13 an hour.
Still, many in the restaurant industry are opposed to the proposed changes, saying they would result in higher menu prices and fewer hours for workers. According to the National Restaurant Association, the pandemic has already had a devastating impact on the sector, eliminating 2.5 million jobs in restaurants and more than 110,000 food and beverage outlets in 2020 alone.
Watch the video above to find out what the $ 15 minimum wage and tipping minimum wage would mean for restaurants and their employees.
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