Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip • Hacker News Board

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

#21

Post by jtbayly » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:23 PM UTC

sokoloff wrote: post #9

I read it as they paid him only $0.38 (not $0.80) for his time.

You are correct. You can't really count mileage reimbursement as "pay." It's a reimbursement for wear and tear, fuel, etc.

I mean, it's hard to fathom how you could get worse than $0.80. But less than half that? That's worse for sure.

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

#22

Post by nsenifty » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:23 PM UTC

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?

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

#23

Post by tzhenghao » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:23 PM UTC

This is ridiculous! We need to start moving away from tipping. This reminds me of US restaurants. I'd much rather be charged mandatory service fees. It's a poor way to signal poor food/service by hurting those in front than the cooks behind.

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

#24

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:24 PM UTC

_t2kx wrote: post #7

How is this not wage theft? They're literally taking the tips from workers and using it to pay them. I'm tipping the worker, not Instacart.

[deleted]

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

#25

Post by glhaynes » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:25 PM UTC

standardUser wrote: post #11

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.

I'm definitely in favor of improving the laws, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't criticize a company's policy, too, even if it's legal.

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

#26

Post by karl_p » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:25 PM UTC

My wife looked into instacart and we canceled after learning they don't provide business car insurance for their drivers. What a scam.

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

#27

Post by excalibur » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:26 PM UTC

awake wrote: post #2

I used to work for a delivery company with this same pay structure. This is garbage and its taking advantage of young people who are looking for jobs.

Is this common? When I tip it's always with the intent of helping the individual, never the company. The much larger original bill is their share, in case they've forgotten.

Are cash tips an effective method of keeping grubby corporate hands out of it?

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

#28

Post by NegativeLatency » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:26 PM UTC

standardUser wrote: post #11

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.

There is a larger problem, but that doesn't absolve Instacart (or any other company) in this matter.

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

#29

Post by nsenifty » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:26 PM UTC

warp_factor wrote: post #17

people should simply NOT tip. At restaurant maybe because it is socially mandatory, but anywhere else, a signal should be sent that it is stupid and doesn't make any economical sense to tip!

It is not "socially" mandatory as much as the workers suffer otherwise because they are paid less than minimum wage.

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

#30

Post by jwalton » Tue, Jan 29, 2019, 9:26 PM UTC

standardUser wrote: post #11

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.

Washington state appears to not be such a state: https://www.minimum-wage.org/washington/tipped-employee-mini...