Is tipping basically mandatory?

[Latimer]

It felt like you couldn't have a shit without tipping someone.

Occasionally I find myself in a place, often a European train station men's room, at other times a posh hotel or restaurant men's room where a (generally) elderly woman watches over the room to be sure it's kept clean and gives you a towel to dry your hands. A tip is of course expected.

The last time I experienced this was at Caffe' Florian on piazza San Marco, already extravagantly expensive. But sitting at the edge of the piazza sipping an aperitif while listening to La Vie en Rose played by the restaurant orchestra is one of the essential Italian experiences and worth every dime at least once in your life.

 

[Telstra]

My guess about the history of tipping is,
rich people feel sympathy for the workers and just throw a few dollars here and there.
This is demeaning, just charge what ever and pay the workers properly.

 

[Latimer]

^

Caffe' Florian

 

[zoltanspawn]

Every other industry if an employer tried such he would have trouble from the comunity as well as the government.

The community doesn't seem to be too troubled by the practice.

Maybe there's something to that?

 

[Rickrock]

Actually, yes. I used to work as a server and bartender, and my paychecks were ALWAYS $0. The employer reports each server's sales to the IRS, and if the server doesn't declare any tips, they're taxed on 8% of their sales on top of their base pay.

Thank you for this information. It is not common knowledge.

 

[pat grimshaw]

...Australia don't have a tipping culture...

Surely the staff is…

I think the practise…

I think our thoughts are irrelevant to the OP in Chicago.

Our countries are ruled by thuggish trade unions who dictate to the government which then dictates to employers when they may operate and how much to pay employees. We also have a ridiculously generous welfare state which encourages people to live on the dole rather than take low-paid jobs.

The USA doesn't have that.

 

[LilBit]

What other deductions did you have? The whole tax withholding setup takes into account the standard exemptions, unless we choose to have more withheld from our paychecks so as to get a juicy refund at the end of the year. Or as I mentioned above, you may have had other deductions, like for back taxes that weren't paid, or alimony/child support current/mot paid or health care premiums, etc.

I had no extra amount withheld, and the only deduction was my health insurance, which was the equivalent of about an hour's salary per week. I declared all of my tips, and IIRC, that was the only year in my entire life when I actually owed taxes in April.

But I had plenty of coworkers who declared no tips at all, and they also got $0 paychecks. But please, continue to call me a liar.

 

[Telstra]

I still think tipping is like this
but worse, if you don't tip you make the other person angry.

 

[Telstra]

According to this video,
tipping is relatively new in America.
And all over the world, you do not have to tip anyone

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

My guess about the history of tipping is,
rich people feel sympathy for the workers and just throw a few dollars here and there.
This is demeaning, just charge what ever and pay the workers properly.

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