How Tipping Helped Make Sexual Harassment the Norm for Female Servers

[LittleGirl]

2. When I was a waitress

the pay was $2.01 an hour + tips. Then in 1983 (I think), the gov't decided that we made too much in tips to be exempt from taxes so our totals sales were taxed at 8% even if we didn't get a tip from our customers for the service. So if we sold 100 bucks worth of food and drinks, we'd have to claim 8 bucks in tips on top of our 2.01 an hour "salary" which also had taxes taken out. Trust me, there were times when I didn't get 8 bucks in tips because of cheap patrons and there was not a damn thing I could do about it. Just suck it up and hope that your next scheduled shift made up for that awful shift. I also paid out of pocket for my heath insurance coverage (when I could get it) and there were many of my so-called paychecks that were 0 or minus because of the insurance premiums, social security, state and medicare taxes that were taken out. I also had to provide my own uniform outfit and wash them with my own money. Oh and I'll never forget when a tooth abscessed and I had to ask my Mother for the dental fees. My rent at the time was 220 all utilities paid and I had a studio apartment that was about 500 sq ft. I tried to pay for college but just couldn't swing it. My income was too much for a Pell Grant (thanks to Reagan). I finally graduated from college at age 45.