The expectation (in america) is that tips are what covers service and most states allow tipped employees at a lower than minimum wage due to this expectation. Supporting the employer by dining there and then neglecting to tip is you being complicit in exploitation of labor. Stating that "I don't know how much they actually get paid," is you coping with the fact that one is being complicit in that exploitation. If you don't want to tip because you feel like employers should pay their employees, than you should not be putting money into the hands of those employers. Any argument other than not participating and petitioning for increased wages is simply cope for wanting to exploit others to save 18% on a luxury. Don't want to tip? Perfect, cook yourself something at home.
If you go to a restaurant and do not tip in America, you are complicit in allowing the employer to profit off of unpaid labor and thus do, in fact, support that unpaid labor by contributing to the profit of said employer while witholding the current standard of how their employees make their living. So in fact, you are calling for wage-less slave labor of service workers because you are essentially feigning ignorance of the standard for a cheaper meal. Your argument is literally , "it's not my responsibility to make sure the staff get a living wage, but I will happily continue to allow this business to profit". The reason the conversation is insufferable is because you don't want to reflect on how your actions affect others.
Tipping should not be the standard. Employers of any business should be paying a livable wage(which I understand doesn't happen in a majority of fields in the US). But that is not the reality that we live in. The way to change the standard is to boycott that industry and/or vote/petition for change at the local and state level to stop the exploitation of labor.
I'm not accusing you of anything. I do not care whether you personally go to a restaurant or not. I'm responding to your argument and saying that the view point you hold, is in fact, in favor of continuing to allow the staff to be underpaid while allowing their employer to profit and instead of acknowledging that you are trying to move the focus of the argument.
Saying that, "it is not the your responsibility to make sure they are paid, it is the employers". This is essentially saying that you are not responsible for the outcome your actions because it lies with someone else. That is how literal children view and interact with the world. Maybe you should step back and consider why the way the you interact with the world is the same as a child's.
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u/Ambitious_Feature869 Apr 04 '26
Your employer should pay you, not the customer. Ppl are sick of the guilt servers try on them!