Opinion: Guy Leaving 'No Tip' Cards Because Of Seattle's $15 Minimum Wage Is An Idiot And Here's Why
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Ladies and gentleman, we finally have a hero among us willing to go toe to toe against the evil forces known as the "minimum wage"! There's only one problem...
He doesn't seem to understand how it works.
The "it" in this case is the $15 an hour minimum wage that went into effect earlier this year in Seattle, which isn't unlike Chicago's recent $13 minimum wage hike. To be clear, the fact that it went into effect does NOT mean all workers in Seattle now receive $15 bucks an hour. Similarly, all Chicago workers are not currently making $13 an hour. Before I get to that explanation, I want to first address the "idiot"...
(To be absolutely clear, this article is not against people who don't like the minimum wage or tipping culture. This article is against idiots spreading falsehoods.)
According to WTKR, a bartender named Anthony Fetto in Seattle recently received a unique tip. Instead of giving Fetto cash, the customer left him an "informational" card dubbed "Why I don't tip in Seattle." The card gives its recipients a free "economy" lesson detailing the many ways the $15 minimum wage is bad.
Basically, the card is an excuse not to tip. It relies on the idea that waiters and bartenders are making a whopping $15 bucks an hour. But, of course, that idea is false.
"At least come up and tell me personally..." Fetto responded. "Don't be very passive aggressive and just kind of leave this and walk away without saying anything."
You can read the card's wisdom for yourself below...
So why isn't Fetto making the $15 bucks the "info card" claims?
Anyone who's bothered reading Seattle's new minimum wage law (and if you're going to be leaving cards based on the law that make you sound like a self-righteous jerk, you should probably read it) would know that the law takes effect gradually. So yes, the law went into effect in April of this year, but the minimum wage isn't actually $15 yet.
For employers with fewer than 500 employees, for example, the minimum wage is currently $10 bucks and won't be $15 until 2021.
For employers that have employees that receive tips, things are a bit less straightforward. For tip-based jobs, employees receive a minimum compensation. A minimum compensation is based off a combination of hourly wages AND tips (and medical benefits, if applicable).
Yes, that is right, though waiters and waitresses will theoretically be paid $15 bucks an hour by 2019, that number is supposed to include tips.
These facts basically nullify our mystery man's "tip card." Listen, if you're going to be a jerk, the least you can do is get your facts straight.
In Chicago, despite the $13 minimum wage law, the current minimum wage is $10. That will slowly go up until 2019, when it will become $13 bucks.
And even though the minimum wage in Chicago is currently $10, the minimum wage for tipped employees is actually $5.45. So please, don't be a jerk by refusing to tip your waitress!
Want to study up on the many intricacies of these laws so you don't look like an idiot? Read about Seattle's here and Chicago's here.
Mason Johnson is a Web Content Producer for CBS Chicago. You can find him on Twitter.
