2 of 3

No

Write now Article Tools

Restaurant servers are an over-worked, under-appreciated bunch of individuals. Most of the time servers must work many short shifts to fulfill their
monetary quota, resulting in very little down time. As much as two-three hours of a shift can consist of prep work and cleaning up, which you receive very little compensation for. Servers must be accommodating to all sorts of rude people, special preferences, and parents who let their kids make huge messes without guilt. On top of that, servers are often the only communication point between the guest and the restaurant, so the faults of the cooks and other various kitchen staff often fall squarely on their shoulders. Yet, even with all these factors, bending over backwards to make the guest happy oftentimes only results in a 10-15 percent tip, often less, as many people believe since servers are paid they do not need to be compensated further.

I don't believe that servers should receive the same minimum wage as everyone else, but I do believe that the server minimum wage should be raised.
In my home state, the federal minimum wage in the last year has risen from $5.15 an hour to $7.15 an hour, which is a two dollar difference. However, the server minimum wage has remained at a steady $2.83 an hour. If the government has deemed the cost of living to rise so that workers must be compensated two dollars more an hour to be able to support their families, why are servers exempt? Servers too, must buy food, shelter, and clothing for their families. This said, I believe that server minimum wage should be mandated not as a specific amount, but rather as a set percentage of the federal minimum wage, to keep things fair.

Raising the minimum wage to the same rate for everyone, I believe, is not necessarily the answer. Serving always has been a job in which the person is compensated accordingly by the level of enjoyment the guest is given in their dining-out experience. If servers were paid a flat rate, there would be a lot less people willing to do the job, the cost of restaurant food would skyrocket, and the average guest's dining experience would suffer. Serving being the job that it is, employers would have to compensate $15-$20 dollars an hour for people even to be willing to do it. It's a very difficult job where you're required to be on your feet all day long, often without a chance to eat, or even go to the bathroom. That whole time you must be upbeat and deliver service with a smile no matter a guest's horrible attitude or the cheerios that three-year old is flinging all over the floors and the walls. If servers began being paid for their services by the company, fewer people would want to eat out as all the menu prices would raise so that the company could stay afloat. Also, the server would have no reason to provide over-the-top service as they're getting paid the same whether or not the guest is necessarily happy. The job would truly become a "take order, give food" job. This would be a disaster. After all, in the restaurant business, it's all about guest satisfaction.

Overall, I believe that the best way to make server minimum wage fair without hurting the restaurant business or the guest's dining experience is to mandate it as a percentage of the federal minimum wage. This way, when the federal minimum wage goes up, everyone is kept on an even keel and no-one is left behind, struggling to support their families on an un-fair system.

Learn more about this author, Jillian Hahn.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Should service industry employees earning tips receive the US federal minimum wage??
We want to hear your view. Write now!