Wages, tips, and harassment in the restaurant industry
TW/CW: mention and testimonies of sexual harassment
A recent report conducted by One Fair Wage and reported by The 19th found that nearly half of women who work for tips in restaurants have experienced harassment from customers or supervisors during the pandemic.“Fifty-seven percent of women…said they have considered leaving due to instances of sexual harassment…on top of the low wages they receive. Sixty-three percent of women of color said the same.”
Tipped restaurant workers, which usually include servers, bartenders, and sometimes bussers and hosts who receive a combination of tips and tip outs from other front of house workers, have been vulnerable to entitlement, harassment, and poor treatment from customers and supervisors for as long as this system has existed. Harassment has occurred more frequently since the pandemic, including common requests to “take off your mask so I know how much to tip you.”
It is still legal in Pennsylvania for employers to pay tipped workers as little as $2.83 an hour, and many of us who have worked in these positions can attest to the power imbalance that emerges when our income is almost entirely reliant on customers’ tips. Images of servers’ $0 paychecks from their actual employers routinely go viral as examples of the importance of tipping. What we really should be asking is why it is still normal for front of house staff to work for employers that do not pay us.
Prior to the pandemic, Black tipped service workers were more likely to report that their average hourly wage including tips was less than $10 compared to all other workers surveyed (20% vs 13%). Since the pandemic, Black tipped workers were more likely to report their tips had decreased by half or greater compared to workers overall (88% vs 78%).
Research and anecdotes alike prove that the tipped minimum wage system upholds racism and sexism, and often leaves women and trans people of color in the most vulnerable positions due to what many consider a legacy of slavery. Restaurant employers who continue to rely on this system should be embarrassed; instead they continue to grumble about how “no one wants to work anymore”. Instead of blaming workers who wish to escape environments that may be toxic and unsafe, studies like these show a need and desire for systemic reform in the industry. A living wage can make the difference between feeling empowered and feeling scared to stop harassment and mistreatment.
If you have experienced sexual harassment or assault at work, or as a result of your work, know that you are not alone. Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid’s physical and digital spaces are safe spaces for you to share your experiences and get connected to any help that you may need. Our doors, DMs, emails and phone lines are open.
We also hope you’ll share your thoughts and experiences with tipped work and what you envision a fair wage system to be.
PRWA recognizes that wage disparities are one of several factors that contribute to a culture of poor treatment in the restaurant industry, and we will continue to fight for better, safer, healthier conditions in the industry. In this phase of the pandemic, our work is sometimes met with skepticism as some assume that full-time jobs are in abundance and restaurant workers no longer need assistance. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and the aforementioned wage and harassment issues contribute to restaurant workers’ continued insecurity. We appreciate the work of other organizations, including One Fair Wage and the Restaurant Opportunities Center, for providing resources to combat the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault in the restaurant industry.