My girlfriend says I should tip waitstaff at restaurants. I say they’re just doing their job, like construction workers and fast-food employees. Who’s right?

I don’t understand why waitresses need to be tipped when they’re like all other service staff, such as construction workers, cleaners, fast-food attendees, etc. 

I’m not expected to tip all other service staff, so why is she bothering me with tipping the waitress every single time we go to a restaurant? They are doing their job like everyone else.

She keeps telling me it’s the right thing to do — but why? 

Please explain.

A Confused Non-Tipper

You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions related to coronavirus at qfottrell@marketwatch.com, and follow Quentin Fottrell on Twitter.

Dear Non-Tipper,

I assume you choose not to tip waiters too. There are several reasons why you should tip waitstaff. The first among them is that restaurants expect you to tip, they leave a blank space on the bill for you to tip, and if you don’t want to tip, you can not tip in your own kitchen.

It’s part of a social contract — whether you like it or not — every time you go to a restaurant. Every time you leave without tipping, you are not only insulting the person who waited on your table, but you are breaking that social contract. So you do have a choice: Stay home and don’t tip, or go to a restaurant and tip. 

Second, and most importantly, it’s an economic justice issue. Waitstaff are not like the other workers you have mentioned. The federal minimum wage for tipped employees like waitstaff and bartenders is $2.13, a figure that has not budged in 30 years, versus $7.25 per hour for non-tipped workers.

It’s left up to the states as to how to deal with that: Some states require employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before tips, while others require employers to pay tipped employees a minimum cash wage above the minimum cash wage required as per the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Service workers have taken the brunt of the financial and health ramifications during the pandemic. They deal with the public’s questions and mood swings — along with the added threat of coronavirus exposure. Listen to one person decide what they want — not wait, they’ve another question! — now do it 20 times a day.

“In 2021, with the onset of the COVID variants and the end of most pandemic relief programs, tipped workers report finding themselves facing more risks and even worse conditions than the first year of the pandemic,” according to a recent report by the nonprofit organization One Fair Wage.

“Not only have health and safety risks remained prevalent in 2021, but workers also report that wage theft has increased, even while tips have reduced even further and sexual harassment has increased since last year,” the organization, which seeks to improve wages and working conditions in the service sector, added.

Tip wait staff and delivery people as much as you can afford during these uncertain times. Restaurant workers have an unemployment rate of 7.5%, above pre-pandemic levels and higher than the overall 4.8% unemployment rate. Many venues closed down, while other workers have decided it’s not worth it anymore.

And third, of all the issues to make your cause célèbre, this one is a doozy. Did you tip on your first date with your girlfriend in order to ensure smooth passage to a second date? Because this would be one sure way to prove a petty point, and nix any chances of a follow-up date.

In other words, is it not easier and more gracious to leave an extra 15% to 20% for a meal — a few dollars here and a few there — to help someone else put food on the table? Is that not the best practice of all capitalists and socialists — spread the wealth, keep the economy chugging along?

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