Tuesday, May 21, 2013
It's National Waiter/Waitress Day!
Thank a waiter or waitress today, and remember...in the United States, the federal minimum wage for tipped employees is still only $2.13 per hour (unchanged since 1991). So, tips are a lifeline for your wait-staff (and no, I have no vested interest, but I've known my share of struggling waiters and waitresses).
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2 comments:
Wow. I had no idea they had lower minimum wages.
Minimum wage in Ontario, Canada is $10.25/hour, including waiters and waitresses, tipped or not.
Thanks for the heads up. It's not like I'll be heading to any restaurant today, mind you (no wheels while hubby at work), but it's good to know!
Different states can offer higher wages (never lower than the federal rate), but only a very few offer the same rate for tipped employees and other hourly employees. For example tipped employees in Illinois make $4.95/hr and others make $8.25/hr., but if you drive over the border into Wisconsin that changes to $2.33 and $7.25. There are 14 states that just use the federal rate, and 8 others where the tipped wage, while higher than the federal rate, is still below $3 per hour. There's a chart that outlines it. http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm I confess that I prefer Canada's method, but the restaurant business has powerful lobbyists who have kept Congress from changing things. I don't know how people who are wait staff can even survive when their wages rely so heavily on tips.
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