Do you ever wonder where your tip money goes? To the waiter? The busboy? Maybe you don’t think about it, but if it’s just lining the pockets of the owner, then I care.
An Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament says that’s exactly what happens in some cases, which is why on Monday Michael Prue introduced a private member’s bill that makes changes to the province’s Employment Standards Act, banning owners and managers from taking a cut from the waiters’ tips. It would still be up to restaurants to decide how waiters split tips with the rest of the staff.
‘The manager expecting a portion of the tips is [a form] of blackmail’
“The bill is very simple. We are not opposed to what is called a bill sharing, but we are opposed to what is called a tip out,” said Mr. Prue, who is introducing the bill for a second time after it died at the committee level before the most recent provincial election. “The manager expecting a portion of the tips is [a form] of blackmail.”
Before you say who cares, consider how much you spend on restaurants in a given year. According to Statistics Canada, the average couple spends $1,850 a year on restaurants. At a 15% tipping rate, that’s about $275 annually in gratuities.
Mr. Prue says, and I certainly agree, customers are shocked by… citeste tot