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

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

#691

Post by andai »

Tor3 wrote: post #633
andai wrote: post #631

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do they get offended?

It's better explained on this page than how I can explain it: https://www.tripsavvy.com/tipping-in-japan-1458316

> In countries such as Japan where gratuity isn't commonplace, leaving a tip inappropriately is almost like saying: "This business probably isn't doing well enough to pay you a proper salary, so here's a little something extra."

> On the rare occasion that you actually need to give a tip in Japan, do so by putting the money inside of a tasteful, decorative envelope and seal it. The tip should be presented as more of a gift than simply additional cash or payment for services. Hand it to the recipient using both hands and with a slight bow.

> Don't insist that someone accept your tip; it may be forbidden and a condition of employment.

This raises more questions than it answers

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

#692

Post by dabockster »

vxNsr wrote: post #339
dabockster wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But as soon as someone 1099's you, you're out of luck. Found this out the hard way when I got 1099'd by a startup I was working for in 2017. The IRS has a mechanism on the Federal level to fix things enough to avoid the higher tax burden, but WA state explicitly requires a W2 from an employer for even the most basic of unemployment benefits (the determination letter from the IRS apparently doesn't count).

So go the other way and report them for abusing 1099, for 1099 to be legal they can't even directly give you any hardware, you need to pay for it yourself, I think there are even laws about using their desks.

What I'm trying to say is that even if you report them for 1099 on the federal level, you do not necessarily convert to "employee" status in a state's eyes. This has an impact on your ability to file for unemployment, tax burdens, etc. You'd think that the federal opinion would influence the state's, but there's a breakage.

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

#693

Post by ylesaout »

evilolive wrote: post #496
ylesaout wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is a difference between EU countries. In France, you cannot even tip by credit card or anything else that can be controlled by the employer or the state. It's only cash and at your discretion. Thus, it cannot even be a taxable event. However you need to have some cash if you want to tip.

I think you can, you have to ask "I want to tip x euros" before the waiter puts your cc in the machine. It feels really awkward and so most don't do it

Indeed you are right, you can do it! However they need to add a line to the invoice to sell you something more (e.g. a bottle of water). And when they will report what they have sell and what they have buy there will be a difference. So for few customers it may be OK, but they can't do it every time.

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

#694

Post by RoboTeddy »

(The following is completely predicated on the truth of the report that a customer tipping $x doesn't result in workers' total compensation being increased by $x)

As a YC alum, I'm disgusted to see a YC company behaving like this.

Instacart: It shouldn't have to be said, but you don't cheat your customers and workers. Whatever internal rationalization you've developed for this practice is just that — a rationalization.

Stop cheating people. If your unit economics are so broken that you can't survive without deceiving and cheating people, then shut down instead.

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

#695

Post by throwaway415415 »

fencepost wrote: post #690
throwaway415415 wrote: post #457

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does. Most people I know in SF, including me, don't tip. Waiters here are way more used to it and don't necessarily expect it.

If you're in places where non-tipping is expected and the staff are paid based on that, fine. If you're doing this in places where staff pay is determined based on expectation of tips, you may be an exemplar of what people hate about Silicon Valley dudebro culture. It's entirely possible that restaurants in SF have shifted to non-tipping and jacked their prices up to pay higher base wages just because it's so expensi…

Restaurants in other part of the country will raise someone's paycheck if the tip didn't reach a minimum threshold. We call waiters who expect tips "wasters" here in the bay.

That's not a bro thing, just a shift in culture.

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

#696

Post by throwaway415415 »

csa wrote: post #467
throwaway415415 wrote: post #444

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why I refuse to tip in restaurants. Most people in san francisco that I know don't tip and as a consequence most waiters here don't expect a tip.

> This is why I refuse to tip in restaurants. Most people in san francisco that I know don't tip and as a consequence most waiters here don't expect a tip. This is absolutely fucking hilarious. I swear someone who is not from the US is going to quote your throwaway account as being gospel about how things are changing in the US. Thank your for making my day brighter with your humor.

Not a joke.

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

#697

Post by Retra »

wilkskyes wrote: post #659
askafriend wrote: post #590

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you need to take a step back and truly reflect to take in some of the feedback people have given you here. Egos tend to expand to protect themselves, only to a person's detriment. Your question was not well asked. At all. It carried a ton of baggage with it, made several assumptions, and generalized a whole class of people in society and you seem to be extremely oblivious to it. This isn't meant as an insult.…

If I could go back, knowing what I know now, I don't think I would have asked the question. I was a fool to think I could get any sort of simple response.

You're a fool for not thinking of the response yourself. Fault, as a concept, is a measure of means. The poor don't have the means, so they are not at fault. It's a damned tautology.

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

#698

Post by manicdee »

sabujp wrote: post #462
manicdee wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As participants in a democratic nation (whether that be the US republic, the UK parliamentary monarchy or whatever) it is our responsibility to be involved in all facets of the world we interact with. We hire people to grow our food because it is a better optimisation of labour, not because we can just forget about the process of growing food. We need to be aware of things like: is this food processing sanitary, is t…

way too many libertarians on HN, what is it with programmers who think they've conquered the world and their way is the best? I swear they'd all run away and go live in on a space station like in Elysium if they could

Are you trying to say something, or did that word salad you vomited up only exist for the purpose of satisfying your need for attention?

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

#699

Post by thaumasiotes »

cannonedhamster wrote: post #679
isostatic wrote: post #649

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, tips are bullshit

Tips are a holdover from the days of slavery. That's why it's so terrible. https://www.fordfoundation.org/ideas/equals-change-blog/post...

Farming is a holdover from the days of slavery too. Almost everything is.

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

#700

Post by [deleted] »

kakarot wrote: post #687
GreenToad5 wrote: post #669

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You all are being duped into contrived outrage. The example given in the OP link is very misleading and it is quite obviously cherry picking (to spark emotion) and is actually an outright lie. The truth is that Insticart actually pays a $10 minimum per delivery (this isn't even mentioned in the OP link) So how did this person make 80 cents an hour? The delivery was 0.7 miles and took 69 minutes. Ironically, under Ins…

What the hell does that have to do with my comment and my own experiences? I worked these jobs while trying to support and educate myself so that I could get a better-paying job. At the same time, if 6-8 hours a day of Instacart deliveries isn't enough to provide you with an apartment, tuition money and food & entertainment for a wife and two children, then it's a service that shouldn't exist and it is only propped u…

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