Tipping isn’t a common practice in many countries around the world. And if the habits of millennials in America are any indicator, who knows — we might soon be following suit.
One in 10 people ages 18-37 routinely “stiff” restaurant servers entirely, while about a third leave less than 15 percent, according to a new study of 1,000 people conducted on behalf of creditcards.com.
Age, gender, race, geographical location, and marital status were other predictors of those who tip more generously, the study found. Older people, women, white people, those from the Northeast and Midwest, and those who are married are all better tippers than those who do not fall into those categories.
At first blush, it may appear millennials’ tipping habits are based solely on their income. Even though millennials are better educated, they’re earning 20 percent less than the baby boomer generation did at the same stage of life, according to CNBC.
The real story about today’s tipless trend is more nuanced.
Many millennials and others believe the practice of tipping is not only outdated, but also that it’s counterproductive and leads to a flatly discriminatory situation. There is no evidence to suggest it leads to better service; nonwhite service staff end up making less than white service staff for doing the same job, and the system is rife with abuse by employers, as an article in The Washington Post indicated.
In addition, since quite a number of service workers in tip-centric jobs are female and poor, those groups absorb the biggest hit.
It is time for tipping to come to an end?
Only eight states and territories in the U.S. require employers to pay tipped employees the full, federal minimum cash wage of $7.25 per hour before tips.
Eighteen states require employers to pay the federal minimum cash wage of just $2.13 an hour for tipped workers. In addition, the cash wages of tipped minors, students and trainees can be even lower.
It is time for tipping to come to an end? Would you be willing to pay more for services and at restaurants if tipping were out of the picture? See some reactions here — and then tell us, in the comments section below, how you feel.
https://twitter.com/repalec/status/1009098711488557058
https://twitter.com/_HamidHabibi/status/1009097728305987584
Listen, as a waitress, I don't buy this. I've watched fellow millennials tip me their last $10 even if the kitchen messed up their order and we were so busy I only checked back once. Older generations think $2 is a great tip for a $30 meal when they drove me crazy the whole time! https://t.co/96SvpWAOWI
— Em Sharer (@EmSharer) June 19, 2018
This sucks. The majority of millennials are giving a select few a bad rap. I always tip 20% or more and in cash that way it can't be taxed. https://t.co/rC7GepRuXi
— Brandon Hammock (@bd_hammock) June 19, 2018
If you like tipping, you're old…"Millennials tip the least, but it may not be for the reasons you think" https://t.co/y5x6qVbbwg
— 乃乇尺ズ Ö乙レ乇尺 (@BerkOzler12) June 19, 2018
but if the baristas don't get tips, then how can millennials afford to tip? Classic chicken egg situationhttps://t.co/d4Qbkp25CV
— Ryan M.J. Burke (@ryanmatthewb) June 19, 2018
Michele Blood is a Flemington, New Jersey-based freelance writer and a regular contributor to LifeZette.
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