Server says restaurants are stealing tips by using 'tip pooling' to increase profit: 'It's illegal'

The issue of tipping continues to be a divisive point, with people having different views on the subject. Many restaurants also have different policies when it comes to tipping their servers, making it even more complicated. Angelo Leotta– who goes by @i_cant_and_i_wont on TikTok–shared a video where he revealed how he had just got a new job at a restaurant and uncovered the restaurant's questionable tipping policy. The video has amassed 41.2K views and 794 comments on the platform.

Leotta starts the video by stating that the problem is going to be a bigger thing and that he will provide viewers with an explanation of the "illegal" tipping culture at his new job. He says, "I got a job at a restaurant, and I just did a training shift and I was asking about tipping because tipping is not always straightforward." He shares that it is most likely never the case that the server fully receives $20 when a customer tips them the amount. Furthermore, many restaurants practice "tip pooling," which means servers put their tips together and management disperses a certain amount from the entire amount. 

Leotta shares that he is familiar with this system but is still curious about how tipping works at his new job. During training, he asks his manager for more information, and she replies, "We lump tips in with the sales and that all counts as net sales." Specifically, management considers the tip pool to be 6% of net sales. He is not too happy with this answer and decides to dig deeper because there might be a scenario where all of the tips will be more than 6% of net sales. 

He is careful while phrasing his question as he "didn't wanna push too many buttons." The server's manager provides him with a very vague answer, starting to talk about how much money he can make in a week. With the explanation he hears, it seems to him like the restaurant is just "taking tips," essentially increasing their profits. Leotta highlights how this is illegal and that he will wait until he gets his first paycheck before he starts asking questions. He also decides to contact a lawyer and ends the video by stating that he will provide viewers with updates. 

People who watched the video were shocked to hear that a restaurant would do such a thing and shared their thoughts about it in the comment section. @user4020985418559 shared, "I always tip in cash because I don't trust the restaurant to distribute tips left on credit card sales. Never have." @arb8181 commented, "I hate that tipping culture has now included every possible type of worker. And I don't believe they personally get what I leave for them. Corporate greed." @iza1095 revealed, "Chicago has been transitioning to putting tips on a debit card. So even if you give me cash, I have to turn it in. No more walking with what you made."

You can follow Angelo Leotta (@i_cant_and_i_wont) on TikTok for more interesting insights about a server's life.