We Are Not On the Menu
- Apr 22, 2024
- 1 min read
Maryland Tipped Workers Report Pervasive Sexual Harassment, Gender Pay Inequity and Wage Theft
The subminimum wage for tipped workers is a direct legacy of slavery, created after Emancipation to allow restaurant owners the ability to hire newly freed Black workers – women in particular – and force them to rely on tips. Codified into law in 1938 as part of the New Deal, the subminimum wage for tipped workers continues to affect a workforce that is still overwhelmingly women and disproportionately women of color. Seven states had always required a full minimum wage with tips on top - California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Montana, Minnesota, and Alaska - and have the same or higher restaurant industry growth rates, tipping averages, and small business growth rates as Maryland and the 43 states that have persisted with a subminimum wage for tipped workers.
The article you shared about "We Are Not On the Menu" really hits home after my own frustrating experience with service charges and tip pooling. It honestly made me think of a recent visit to IHOP where the bill had all these unexpected fees, and reading reviews on https://ihop.pissedconsumer.com/review.html showed I wasn't alone in feeling confused about where our money actually goes. It's just so important that we talk openly about how restaurant policies affect real people trying to earn a fair living.