this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2025
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Fair point! I guess it’s just so ingrained that I feel like a jerk if I don’t.
ETA: I don’t tip at businesses just because they have a tip screen on their new POS system. I only tip at restaurants.
The employers are the real problem. But without an organized movement, random people deciding not to tip anymore is only going to hurt already underpaid workers and kind of does make you a jerk. Some servers literally don't get a paycheck at the end of the week if they didn't get tipped enough because they're paid so little that it's all absorbed by social security and medicare taxes. If you feel you can't afford to tip, just pick up food to go rather than being waited on.
But 100% do not tip at random business that have decided to use a tip screen. Not sure how many people know this, but the companies that make those machines actually get a cut of the tips which is partly why they push tipping so aggressively. These days I just pay with cash everywhere to avoid the issue altogether. Better for my privacy too, and local businesses often offer cash discounts.
Everywhere I've lived, employers are legally required to make up the difference if tipped employees made under the min wage (and no, I don't mean the sub-min or "tipped" wage). If they're not doing that, we're back to employers/the culture are the problem.
The real jerks are the employers.
They, as usual, have conditioned workers to work against themselves.
Business owners always get a pass because they're insulated from the actual work.