“Hi, folks! How are you doing today? My name is Crystal, and I will be taking care of you this evening. Could I start you off with a drink and some complementary bread?” This is something I recite at least 30 times each weekend. I am paid less than $3 an hour to tend to, provide a meal, entertain and clean up after people.

Have you been to restaurants and wondered how much to tip your servers? Have you wondered how much they make because they are also given gratuity from customers like you? I work, part-time, as a server at a local chain restaurant. I make much less than minimum wage, but receive tips "in-exchange". All of my credit card tips are taxed and a minimum of 10% of my cash tips are taxed. I also pay out a certain portion of my earnings each night to the bartenders and hosts, so they match federal minimum wage. It is morally wrong to be allowed to pay an employee under the federal minimum wage for those who are tipped, but it is permitted by the law.

The Fair Labor Standards Act “Establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments.” The Department of Labor (DOL) is therefore responsible for creating the standards for tipped minimum wage. There are three variances for paying tipped employees. Seven states in the United States are required to pay the full state minimum wage before tips; 26 states require pay above the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, but do not specify how much to increase pay; and 17 states require pay equal to state minimum wage before tips. Notice how the seven states are required to pay state minimum wage opposed to federal minimum wage, there is a difference between the two. Of those seven, three are less than or equal to federal minimum wage. Pennsylvania is one of the states that is required to pay above the federal tipped minimum wage. The law requires a minimum cash wage of a mere $2.83 per hour before taxes. Companies do not see any benefit on their side to increase pay, so most pay only the bare minimum.

A living wage is the amount of money it would take for a person to be able to cover all living expenses, including food and shelter. According to the Living Wage Calculator, the living wage is $9.34, the poverty wage is $5, and minimum wage is $7.25 in Cambria County. How can $2.83 be legal or just? I do believe I am good at my job, which should mean that I can earn more money from tips, but there are always going to be customers who do not tip well enough to make it to federal minimum wage. I work in an industry where my pay is directly intertwined with how the customers feel when it comes time to pay. There is no way I would be able to survive on the pay I currently receive. I honestly believe the government can get away with our slighted pay because they believe if we are in the serving industry, we are good at our jobs and always get the 15 percent or 20 percent tip. I also feel that there are many people who think that the tipped pay is okay because servers are just young people starting out and that these people will not remain in the job field for the rest of their lives. This is not always the case. I know people who are well into adulthood who still waitress as a means of income.

I would feel justified asking the company I work for to increase the pay, however, there is no way for me to force them to pay more. Most companies in the restaurant business understand that they have a higher turnover rate than other industries, therefor companies would have no problem firing someone who brings a negative views to their company. If an individual won an argument with the employer for a raise, what could happen in the workplace? Would only that employee receive the higher wage or would each employee? How would your managers and shift leaders view your actions? A positive atmosphere at work is essential, especially the attitude of the server, in this case. Servers interact face-to-face with their customers and any attitude from feuds within the company could show. The interactions would directly influence any tips. I typically make at least minimum wage at my job but there is still no way I would be capable of living on my own while providing for all of my needs and paying my way through school. The wage for tipped employees is just one issue in this industry. If enough people lobby against the wage for waitresses, there may be room for change.

Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but the Pennsylvania's tipped income does not cut it for most people. Please don't punish your server for something he or she cannot control. Also, the simplest way to always tip well is to take your check total, move the decimal left once and double that number.