# We Have NO Obligation To Tip You For Doing Your Job



## Noomi (Jun 4, 2014)

And how dare this moron even suggest that we tip. You get paid very good wages, more than double of those in the US - we are not supplementing your income, and we don't care if your business cannot make a profit, that is not our concern!



> YOU, the nation have spoken, and you have a few choice words for the restaurant industry: Tipping should not be standard practice in Australia.
> 
> Yesterday, we posted a story about how restaurants are using a database system called ResDiary, owned by Dimmi, to keep track of their customers behaviour, such as how much they tip. The chief executive of Dimmi, Stevan Premutico said Australia hasnt gotten the tipping culture right and that an average restaurant is lucky to make a five per cent profit margin, so you have an obligation to leave a tip if you have a positive experience.
> 
> Mr Premuticos comments certainly fired up readers. In the almost-400 responses we had to the piece, people were overwhelmingly against making tipping the norm in Australia.



http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/australians-respond-to-stevan-premuticos-ceo-of-dimmis-resdiary-suggestion-that-tipping-should-be-an-obligation/story-fnagkbpv-1226943211483

Click the link to view some of the comments in opposition to obligatory tipping.
I am not tipping anyone for doing their job - no matter what country I am in.


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## alan1 (Jun 4, 2014)

Noomi said:


> And how dare this moron even suggest that we tip. You get paid very good wages, more than double of those in the US - we are not supplementing your income, and we don't care if your business cannot make a profit, that is not our concern!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What about those that make less than a "living wage" for "doing their job"?
Just curious.


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## RetiredGySgt (Jun 4, 2014)

In the States wait staff are not paid minimum wage. Tips are how they make their money. Now that is not true everywhere anymore but is still the law, Restaurants are not required by law to pay wait staff minimum wage.  

So basically you are admitting the by and far Australians are dead beats that don't tip cause they are cheapskates. And proud of it.


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## S.J. (Jun 5, 2014)

Depends on how good looking she is.  If she's a hottie, I'll give her a good tip.  If she's homely, I'll give her my loose change.  If it's a guy, forget it.  He ain't getting a damn tip.


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## bianco (Jun 5, 2014)

RetiredGySgt said:


> In the States wait staff are not paid minimum wage. Tips are how they make their money. Now that is not true everywhere anymore but is still the law, Restaurants are not required by law to pay wait staff minimum wage.
> 
> So basically you are admitting the by and far Australians are dead beats that don't tip cause they are cheapskates. And proud of it.



Australian workers are paid a minimum wage, it's the law....and penalty rates, double time on Sundays and public holidays, from memory.
Time and a half for Saturdays etc...or something like that.

Every time I've gone out to dinner with friends...say 6 people, Chinese cafe/restaurant...we've always left a tip.

If the bill came to $182...we'd make it $190...or $35 each, $210.
We have $1 and $2 coins...the smallest note is $5.
Everyone I know leaves a tip at a restaurant...not at Maccas, Hungry Jacks
ilk though.

The minimum wage was increased the other day.

Retailers warn of job cuts after Fair Work Commission lifts minimum wage by $18.70 per week - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


Minimum wage increase could hurt small business: Restaurant and Catering | Hospitality Magazine

_Minimum wage increase could hurt small business: Restaurant and Catering
5 June, 2014

The Fair Work Commission has announced that the national minimum wage will rise to $640.90 per week, and a three percent increase to all Modern Award wages will be introduced. _


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## bianco (Jun 5, 2014)

S.J. said:


> Depends on how good looking she is.  If she's a hottie, I'll give her a good tip.  If she's homely, I'll give her my loose change.  If it's a guy, forget it.  He ain't getting a damn tip.



I'm an equality opportunity tipper...hotties, homelies, and guys ...all get the same tip.


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## bianco (Jun 5, 2014)

Tipping, being a tourist? ...there's that wise saying;

*"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." *

If I were touring America I'd be finding out what the system is there in the states I'd be visiting ... as regards many things...kissing in public, holding hands in public, eating say a chocolate and drinking a bottle of Coke on the steps of a church, etc.

Wouldn't wanna be tried in one of those kangaroo courts [in my Boxing Kangaroo jacket] in some small town for having broken some obscure law or local rule/culture, and be locked up in a haunted building for 90 days like in the movies. 

We don't have 'bell boys' as a general rule.
We carry our own bags.


_Online entrepreneurs: Stevan Premutico, Founder and MD ? Dimmi | Nico's Musings...

An astute hospitality marketer with experience across the United States, the UK and Australia, Dimmi Founder, Stevan Premutico has built a successful business borne out of his own first hand frustrations at the inefficiencies of restaurant reservation systems. Since establishing Dimmi in 2009, Stevan has built the business into Australia&#8217;s leading real-time restaurant reservation and review website. _

#####

Stevan should stick to reservations and reviews...because he sure seems to have no real idea about Australian culture.

*Forcing* the sons and daughters of the Southern Cross to pay tips, quickest way to empty the restaurants.


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## The Professor (Jun 5, 2014)

RetiredGySgt said:


> In the States wait staff are not paid minimum wage. Tips are how they make their money. Now that is not true everywhere anymore but is still the law, Restaurants are not required by law to pay wait staff minimum wage.
> 
> So basically you are admitting the by and far Australians are dead beats that don't tip cause they are cheapskates. And proud of it.



I respectfully disagree.

According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the employer may consider tips as part of wages, but the employer must pay at least $2.13 an hour in direct wages.  An employer may credit a portion of a tipped employee's tips against the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009.   An employer must pay at least $2.13 per hour.   However, if an employee's tips combined with the employer's wage of $2.13 per hour do not equal the hourly minimum wage, the employer is required to make up the difference.

The employer who elects to use the tip credit provision must inform the employee in advance and must be able to show that the employee receives at least the applicable minimum wage (see above) when direct wages and the tip credit allowance are combined. If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference. Also, employees must retain all of their tips, except to the extent that they participate in a valid tip pooling or sharing arrangement. 

The above information can be found at the following link:

http://www.dol.gov/wb/faq26.htm

Conclusion:  Employees must pay each tipped employee $2.13/hour.  This is so even if the employee makes $100/hour in tips.  However, if the employee's tips plus the $2.13 is less than the minimum wage the employer must make up the difference.  In the end, each employee gets at least the Federal minimum wage.  Of course some states have a minimum wage which is higher than what the Federal law requires.


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## Politico (Jun 5, 2014)

RetiredGySgt said:


> In the States wait staff are not paid minimum wage. Tips are how they make their money. Now that is not true everywhere anymore but is still the law, Restaurants are not required by law to pay wait staff minimum wage.
> 
> So basically you are admitting the by and far Australians are dead beats that don't tip cause they are cheapskates. And proud of it.



We aren't talking about the US. They get paid there whether they do a crappy job or not.


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## Noomi (Jun 5, 2014)

alan1 said:


> What about those that make less than a "living wage" for "doing their job"?
> Just curious.



Everyone earns a living wage. The issue is the lack of hours casual workers have. Its not about the hourly wage - working in a high class restaurant, you are paid around $25-30 an hour. No need for tips at all.


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## Noomi (Jun 5, 2014)

RetiredGySgt said:


> In the States wait staff are not paid minimum wage. Tips are how they make their money. Now that is not true everywhere anymore but is still the law, Restaurants are not required by law to pay wait staff minimum wage.
> 
> So basically you are admitting the by and far Australians are dead beats that don't tip cause they are cheapskates. And proud of it.



No, we pay extra for the meals we buy, so why pay even more? If we are paying $40 for a three course meal (and that is a modest amount) why should we be expected to pay more? We are not cheapskates at all.


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## rayniac (Jun 5, 2014)

It is important to put oneself in so.'s position..if you were a waiter or witress...wouldn't you be pleased about some tip? Even more if you aren't paid minimum wages? 

as you are so much into your money I guess the answer is "yes"...

so always treat people as you want to be treated yourself.


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## bianco (Jun 5, 2014)

Politico said:


> RetiredGySgt said:
> 
> 
> > In the States wait staff are not paid minimum wage. Tips are how they make their money. Now that is not true everywhere anymore but is still the law, Restaurants are not required by law to pay wait staff minimum wage.
> ...



Yes we are...in the course of the conversation.
And, in the first post of the thread...underneath the photo in the link, the type reads;

_ Tipping might be standard in the US, but their wait staff make as little as $2 an hour. Source: Supplied  _


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## alan1 (Jun 5, 2014)

Noomi said:


> alan1 said:
> 
> 
> > What about those that make less than a "living wage" for "doing their job"?
> ...



Well, I'm glad that's settled.


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## blastoff (Jun 23, 2014)

If Aussies don't tip in the U S folks will just assume they're Canadians.


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