The news story on June 19, To tip or not to tip? Changing expectations confound customers, was disappointing because it only focused on the employees’ need for tips to survive rather than the responsibility of the employer to pay fair wages.

The expense of fair wages should be built into the prices charged for goods and services. Just like every other business, it’s a business expense. The news story perpetuates unfair labor practices and the tipping culture that food, beverage, service workers and customers confront.

It was reported that we should tip “to show appreciation for the effort the person or team made to prepare and serve the order.” Maybe I’m old fashioned, but isn’t “effort” just another word for a job or work? Isn’t a customer already paying for this? Why don’t employers show their appreciation for this effort by paying a fair wage so employees don’t need to rely on erratic tips as a substantial part of their income to pay bills?

Because a business owner’s personal profits are more important than their employees?

Food and beverage tipping changed significantly in 1966 when the tip credit was amended into the Fair Labor Standards Act. This law was lobbied by the National Restaurant Association and the American Motor Motel Association.

The problems stemming from this legislation are what I believe perpetuates an unequal and unfair exception to labor laws. It shifts the responsibility for providing fair wages from employers to customers. It creates inconsistent income and increases vulnerability to biases (gender, sexual orientation, age, race, personal appearance), and contributes to class-based inequalities.

Most people also don’t realize tipping has racist origins. Should a portion of an employee’s wages be supplemented by tips, which are susceptible to these biases?

Tipping isn’t ideal. We should be promoting fair wages for employees without pressuring customers to supplement wages through tips. Sure, a business could just raise prices and wages. From a customer’s standpoint, that would be more palatable than indirectly pressuring patrons to pay extra for goods and services already paid for when the order was placed.

Sam Evans
Eugene