by Andrea Evans

Created on: February 12, 2009

Having worked in a guest house and restaurant in a tourist area of British Columbia, I can definitely advocate for the importance of receiving tips in addition to minimum wage. Although the restaurant was very busy from June until September with the summer and golf tourism, and from December until March with the skiers, those months in between could be very quiet with maybe only two tables a night midweek. The fact that I had saved my tips got me through the rougher times or I would have been unable to support my family. Work in a town of three thousand people was difficult to come by, so I appreciated those generous tourists who contributed to my income.

In addtion, I believe that tips encourage workers to provide a decent standard of customer service. I am sure that if those working in the customer service industry only provided the lowest standard of assistance, the minimum wage would be all they could expect and we all know that is barely enough to survive on. Extra effort is required in order to receive tips from often very arrogant and demandng members of the public. At the end of a shift it frequently takes major effort to relax the rather frozen smile that one has been sporting for eight hours. Counting the tips helps sooth the aching head and feet and brings one back to an often thankless job the next day.

If you compare the concept of tips on top of minimum wages with the process of bonuses received by white collar workers, which are more deserved? The restaurant worker who receives a tip from a customer grateful for good service, gets that based on their own merits. The white collar worker often receives a large amount in bonuses is based on the hard work of the blue collar workers below them in the hierarchy. That white collar boss is adding his or her bonus to a base wage far higher than minimum rate. Yes, their management skills possibly come into account but for any of us that have worked in a target driven setting, we know the pressures that come down on the front line workers to keep achieving or possibly lose their job. Fear of becoming unemployed is what drives them and guarantees bonuses for their senior management.

In conclusion, minimum wage does not provide a decent standard of living. The supplemental addition of tips motvates a person to try harder at provding good service which in turn benefits the business owner and keeps people employed. However, due to seasonal or economic conditions, a worker cannot be expected to depend on tips alone as an income.

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