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Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

workingwa.org

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Re: Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

#61
post #45

DoorDash does the same thing of “stealing” tips. Either you should tip in cash or not at all.

Not only do they steal tips, they also jack up the prices of the food itself. I make six figures and honest to god I have no idea how anyone affords to use DoorDash.

The restaurants, like the grocery stores in Instacart's case, determine the cost of food in their respective apps.

Re: Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

#62

This is why the tipping system in the US is absurd. The whole "you must tip because they get paid peanuts" argument is a circular logic. How about making sure that the worker gets paid fairly by their employer and customers can then optionally tip for outstanding service?

The idea that things are the way they are because people are convinced by an "argument" is a common misconception.

In reality, the system in the US is what it is because of the mostly random process of cultural development.

Changing cultural norms is not easy in any society, even if you have good logical arguments against them.

Re: Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

#63

This is why the tipping system in the US is absurd. The whole "you must tip because they get paid peanuts" argument is a circular logic. How about making sure that the worker gets paid fairly by their employer and customers can then optionally tip for outstanding service?

That's not the logic behind the tipping system. It's, "tipping incentives employees to perform well because they'll make more money for doing a better job".

It doesn't work that way either, but that's the rationale.

Forcing people to tip to ensure people get paid enough money is a consequence of the system, not the reasoning why the system is implemented.

Re: Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

#65

This isn't uncommon or new. Many states allow for tips to offset wages, even if wages fall below the minimum wage. Some states even have a separate minimum wage for tipper workers that is below the standard minimum wage. If you want to blame someone, I suggest looking for the actual culprit and not a law-abiding company. This has little to do with Instacart and everything to do with state wage laws.

Yes, this is common in the restaurant industry. But a few differences: (1) Tips are expected in the restaurant industry (2) Waitstaff knows what they're signing up for (3) The restaurant does not adjust wages after tips have been received

> (3) The restaurant does not adjust wages after tips have been received

In many cases they do. If you receive zero tips for a shift, they are obligated to pay out minimum wage. If you receive $200 in tips for a shift, they pay out a lower figure, usually around $2.

Re: Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

#66

This is why the tipping system in the US is absurd. The whole "you must tip because they get paid peanuts" argument is a circular logic. How about making sure that the worker gets paid fairly by their employer and customers can then optionally tip for outstanding service?

Fuck it pisses me off how the conversation in America somehow shifted to make everything the fault of the poor.

Service disrupted because bus driver/garbage collector / teacher/hotel employee strike? How dare those selfish underpaid and overworked peasants stand up for reasonable hours! They should consider themselves lucky they have a job at all! (It should be: how dare the corporations or federal agencies pay so little to their employees that their only recourse was to risk their livelihood by walking off the job)

How about that case where the teacher used her health insurance to pay for an impoverished student's pills? She committed insurance fraud, she's just raising rates for everyone else! (Never mind that rates will be as high as an insurance company can legally get away with in this insane profit driven healthcare industry)

Or the housing crisis. Stupid proletariat, taking loans they knew they couldn't afford! Why didn't they educate themselves? (Instead of 1. Why weren't banks doing due diligence 2. Why were banks allowed to not do due diligence 3. Why the fuck don't they teach us basic financial skills in elementary school?)

Re: Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

#68
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> From my perspective Instacart is stealing from its customers and workers by doing this. This is 100% wage theft.

They better hope there's no binding arbitration clause.

The chances of there not being is approximately zero.

Re: Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

#69
post #63

This is why the tipping system in the US is absurd. The whole "you must tip because they get paid peanuts" argument is a circular logic. How about making sure that the worker gets paid fairly by their employer and customers can then optionally tip for outstanding service?

That's not the logic behind the tipping system. It's, "tipping incentives employees to perform well because they'll make more money for doing a better job". It doesn't work that way either, but that's the rationale. Forcing people to tip to ensure people get paid enough money is a consequence of the system, not the reasoning why the system is implemented.

People do make the argument that you should tip generously because they're poorly paid.

Re: Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

#70

The whole tipping system should be stopped. The businesses will be forced to start paying fair wages to their workers.

A restaurant in my neighborhood did not have tipping before New York raised its minimum wage to $15 because they paid their servers a "fair wage". It has since re-implemented tipping.
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