Isn't it time for servers to be covered by labor laws?

[hedgehog]

I think it's absolutely ridiculous that servers are paid less than a kid mowing a lawn and are expected to survive on tips. It's way past time for them to be covered by the minimum wage.

[jberryhill]

1. Or just have people bring their own when they eat out

[snooper2]

2. we run our servers 24x7x365

Bout time they get some legal protections

[Enrique]

4. what if they went on strike

[snooper2]

6. I guess I would have to shut down the HVAC until they got back to work

LOL

[Walk away]

3. The last time I was a server I made about $60,000 a year.

And that was twenty five years ago. I know that that isn't true of everyone but waiters I know would rather take tips than salary any day.

[Recursion]

5. Well, they are "covered by minimum wage", it's just that their tips count

If they don't get any covers in a night, the restaurant has to pay them minimum wage.

[RantinRavin]

7. I believe they are

If the hourly rate plus the amount earned in tips does not equal the minimum hourly wage, then the employer must increase the base rate to make up the difference.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Ask the servers-- a lot of them like it that way...

Regardless of the common complaints, most servers I know are quite happy with the way things are now. Almost every one I know makes far more than minimum wage, and not many have a problem finding a new job if tips are low. Most don't pay that much in taxes, either.

Biggest complaints are not about tipping, but tip sharing. Health insurance would be nice, too.

There are a lot of other jobs out there sneaking through the cracks. Driving immediately comes to mind-- cab and limo drivers get paid by the ride, and limo drivers typically spend maybe half the day in dead time between rides. Delivery drivers also get paid by the job and spend a lot of time waiting for the next call. And when you're using your own car or truck, it gets expensive.

Cable TV companies have been known to outsource installation-- installers incorporate themselves and buy their own truck, tools, and worker's comp insurance. Then they get paid by the specifics of the jobs each day, ie the connections made, the holes drilled, etc,

And there are so many more...