The better societal rule is to disallow tipped employees from receiving less than minimum wage. A better step yet is barring restaurant staff from receiving tips altogether. The marginal benefit from letting them accept the generosity of customers is far overcome by abusive employers leaning on the guilt of customers to pay their employees something to live on.
> The better societal rule is to disallow tipped employees from receiving less than minimum wage
This is already the case in California where minimum wage is $15.50 and many localities are higher. There is no exemption for tipped employees, regardless of how much in tips they may receive.
> The better societal rule is to disallow tipped employees from receiving less than minimum wage.
That's already the case. Tipped employees have to be paid the normal hourly minimize wage if their reduced wage plus tips doesn't equal out to minimum. This has been the law for decades.
It's not though - the restaurant pays the employee as low as $2.83 per hour. Restaurants should have to pay their employees the same minimum wage as everyone else, and anything the customers decide to give the wait staff should be extra (if tipping really should be legal at all)
