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Tips for a first-time waitress?

I am a waitress should I be able to keep my own tips?

  • I've just started a new job as a waitress 2 weeks ago. Since then I always believed that when you tipped a waitress that tip went personally to them (I only tip when the service is good). However in this job when I get a tipped it goes into a jar - which is then at the end of the night shared between everyone in the restaurant evenly - even if someone has worked less hard than yourself they get there share. Also that tip is then used to add up the till if it is down at the end of the night. And I think that most of it is 'disappearing' either by the manager or greedy waitresses. Since some nights I'm told that there are no tips today. I worked a 12hr shift - no breaks - and got £12 in tips personally, then my tips where used to pay for some customers meals who ran off without paying and then it was shared between the 10 other staff members. I ended up with 40p worth of tips that day instead of the £12. So is it right for me to put my own tips into my pocket?: 2 days in a row two different old ladies have given me a tip of £2 each - both of them handed me over the money inconspicuously in the form of a handshake- telling me that it is 'for me to keep'. On both occasions I have put the tip into my pocket and kept it - is this the right things to do or should I have gave it up to the manager? I am 20 years old and live in the UK . Thanks for all your help.X

  • Answer:

    if they put tips in a jar, then it's company policy. and while it may not be fair considering that some people work harder than others it's not like you can change it. i don't see the harm in you keeping tips that were given directly to you, but it depends, like at the sandwich shop i worked at, everyone working on that line making the sandwich, from one end to the other, is working on that persons food, so i never cared that we split the tips since i wasn't the only one working on it. luckily my boss let me keep my tips when it was just me working on the line. however if you work at a table to table restaurant then i think you deserve the tips yourself, being so that YOU waited that table. that's why i try to give the tips to the waitresses personally

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thats messed up and it doesnt work like that in the US. The tip is based on their performance, and is theirs. but, i guess it could be different in the UK. Do you get paid hourly as well? If you're paid minimum wage or above then it would be alright i think. below that then i think it would be illegal

Worked for years where we all split tips. People claimed they refused to tip because they got bad service from one person and did not want her to benefit from their tip (bogus) Se could get fired for keeping tips. Rules are rules and I would find a place to work where you can keep your own tips.

Yes you are being ripped off. I'm not sure, this is legal, but I would check it out with the Labor Board or some other authority in the city where you live. In the states, the tip goes to the Server, we don't call them waiters anymore. In some restaurants, a part of the tips, may be shared with the bus boys, who clear and set up the tables. Which I think of as fair, provided the servers all agree, and all share the same percentage of their tips. The origin of tipping, comes from England, and was meant to mean, "To insure Promptness" Or to reward good service. There are some restaurants that automatically add 'tips' to their bills. If I visit one of them, it's a one time only for me. So do some research about the legality of this type of operation, it seems to be theft of your income to me.

What they don't know wont hurt them, but if you get caught keeping tips prepare for the worst up to loosing your job. If you keep all tips and never turn in in this will get you caught FYI.

That isn't typical. They should go straight to you. Tell your manager if you don't get to keep your tips you're going to have to quit and work somewhere else.

A lot of restaurants do different things with tips. I worked at pizza hit once and at the end of the day we had to give the chef 20% of what we made individualy. And when our paychecks came they would take the money we made through tips out of it. They also made us pay up with the till was short. I'm sure its legal it just sucks they can do it.

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