Sarah Morra (11) | STAFF REPORTER
15%, 18%, 20%, or other. For many of us in North America, we have the option to choose between various options of gratuity when being serviced. The societal expectations of what is a “respectable” amount to be tipped are continually increasing, causing dismay to many – consumers have the opportunity to choose between a variety of tipping options, including “other.” However, the grim reality is that many in the service industry have no “other” option.
When purchasing from an establishment, for example, a restaurant – one is typically prompted to tip approximately 18% or more to the individual providing service. What was once meant to be an incentive for workers to work harder for gratification in return, has resulted in the normalisation of paying extra regardless of the service given. The low wages given to service industry workers have been concealed by the subsidization of their salaries, which has now become a token benefit attached to the culinary industry.
The gratification of a job well done is certainly not a foreign concept; however, modern North American tipping is one that must be broken down. The practice of granting further monetary incentives on top of one’s preexisting salary provided by one’s employer seems abnormal, yet has been woven into the fabric of North American society. When examining the origin of this practice, it can be understood that North Americans did not view tipping as a practice that aligned with egalitarian and democratic views of society. Tipping was originally meant to distinguish the aristocracy from their inferior counterparts, such as their servers or slaves, who were rewarded for exceptional behavior. Though, many believe that wealthy Americans visiting Europe brought this ideal into practice to mimic European customs. Certain hospitality companies would utilize freed slaves, pay them low wages, and would then encourage customers to tip them.
Upon the examination of the origins of North American tipping culture, it becomes clear that undervalued personnel have been shortchanged throughout history. Impoverished individuals working in the service industry would be continually paid lower wages and “rewarded” with tips. Just as the practice lives and breathes in society today, it is undoubtedly a result of a monopolistic capitalist system. Business firms are able to get away with paying unlivable wages to their employees unscathed, while their service workers must rely on other means to survive.
Despite Canada having a free-market economy, do workers truly have the freedom of choice to disband the shackles of the minimum wage if the other options are starvation, homelessness, and poverty? Some may argue that if workers are unhappy with their wages, then they’d have the opportunity to quit and seek out other sources of income. However, individuals deep within the trenches of poverty are systematically disadvantaged, as without proper education and resources there is a shortage of adequate jobs above the minimum wage. Therefore, the workers’ means of production are exploited and monopolized by greedy large corporations – and so they must turn to the support of consumers to make ends meet.
There is a lack of solutions for the entrenchment of tipping culture and inadequacy of the minimum wage, due to the systemic effects of capitalistic society. However, aid to the root causes of poverty would begin with publicly funded and subsidized education and youth programs, or legislative action to raise wages involving government intervention.
Action must be taken by those in the privileged upper class, business owners, and the government to support the working class. The working class is the fabric of Canadian society, making up the masses and carrying the burden of the economy, while subsequent constructs and systems are being woven into said society, therefore effectively solidifying the disparity of the impoverished.
