‘The Racist History of Tipping’ by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber highlights the racial injustices that occurred in the past and that are still ongoing within the practice of tipping and the minimum substandard wage offered to workers being tipped. Tipping originated as a result of slavery because the employers at that time did not want to pay people of color, so they tipped them (Barber II, 2019). There have been fights to do away with it, but it remains in the restaurant industry.
Changes to make on the Policy
As the owner of a restaurant in New Jersey and having laws just passed recently in the NJ state to set the minimum wage to $15.13, I have to make changes to the wages I offer to my employees. For the longest time, the minimum wage for workers being tipped has remained to be $2.13 an hour, and despite efforts being made to address this, it has remained the same (Barber II, 2019). Therefore, I would revise the policy because, one, there have always been racial injustices surrounding this issue, as tipping remains a reminder of the racial discrimination the people of color faced. Raiding the wages would hence help them get good pay and not rely on tips from the customers to attend to their daily needs. In this way, it will also be a stepping stone towards doing away with historical injustices, thus promoting equity among workers. A law was passed that if the tipped workers did not achieve their goal of regular wage from tipping, the employers were supposed to reimburse the rest, but this law needed to be reinforced, hence the need for embracing the rise of the minimum age in my restaurant.
Secondly, as tipping is widely embraced in these restaurants, there are still cases of racial discrimination that are ongoing. Barber, in his article, points out that customers who come into these big high-end restaurants, which mainly consist of whites of high social status, tend to tip the white servers and waiters/ waitresses more than the people of color even if they offer equal quality services. It, therefore, leaves no room for equity, and they can only rely a little on the tips. The minimum wage of $2.13 was set for the tipped workers because of the reason that they will get tips that will add more to their salaries for them to get significant pay at the end of the day; hence, if stereotypes, it will be hard for them to make their ends meet. The other staff, the manager, chef, cooks, and dishwashers, would not be affected by the raise in the minimum wage because they earn above the minimum. However, they will benefit from working in an environment that provides equity; thus, coordination and harmony will be easily achieved among them.
Tipping as a continuation of a racially biased system
Tipping is not a continuation of a racially biased system. Yes, it developed as a form of racial discrimination in the past, but today it has evolved. Tipping is a way a customer can show appreciation for the services their servers have offered them. The customers tip at their preferences, and it is an excellent way to motivate the servers to do quality work, and thus, they can earn more based on their performance. It also helps them raise their income as this would increase more to what they earn which is very low, and thus help them tend to their essential and personal needs.
As much as it is a form of historical injustice, tipping has become deeply rooted in the service and hospitality industry. People can only eliminate it if the minimum wage is raised; customers would still tip their servers at their own will. Even in third-world countries or regions of origin of people of color, they have also embraced this culture in their service industries. It is, therefore, time to accept that no matter what policies are established, it will be challenging to eliminate them. Therefore, policymakers should develop policies to re-evaluate tipping practices to promote fairness and equity among all workers. Such policies will help avoid the stereotyping or profiling of people of color that is still ongoing in some of the areas.
Reference
Barber II, W. J. (2019). The racist history of Tipping – Politico Magazine. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/07/17/william-barber-tipping-racist-past-227361/
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