Why the extra??
Ok, I’m sick of everybody agreeing with me so I came here hopefully getting a difference in opinion. If I order a 16.99 cheeseburger deluxe, too on that would be like 4-5 dollars, right? If I order a nice thick filet for $99, tip would be 22-25ish dollars. Same size plate, same effort by the waiter/waitress, but the tip is 20 dollars more. Can someone make that make sense please? Are we supposed to tip according to great service, or what a piece of paper/menu says? Literally no difference on the waiter/waitress side. Everyone I spoke to agrees with me that it shouldn’t be different, and I HATE IT!! I hate it because if everyone agrees, why the does it not change anything
Jobadvisor
You’re not crazy. What you’re reacting to is a structural inconsistency in how tipping is designed versus how labor is actually performed.
Let’s break it down cleanly.
1. What tipping is supposed to measure
In theory, tipping is compensation for:
Service quality
Attentiveness
Knowledge
Experience orchestration
Emotional labor
None of those variables automatically scale with the price of the entrée.
A server carrying a $16 burger and a $99 filet is performing roughly the same physical task: input order, deliver food, check in, process payment.
So your intuition — “same plate, same effort, why different tip?” — is logically coherent.
2. Why the system ties tip to menu price anyway
The percentage model persists for economic and psychological reasons:
A. Revenue Scaling
Higher-priced restaurants:
Require more menu knowledge
Require wine service competence
Often demand higher service standards
Turn tables more slowly
Serve fewer guests per shift
So the argument is that servers in fine dining generate fewer transactions but must make comparable income. Percentage tipping allows earnings to scale with check size.
Is that perfectly proportional to effort? No.
Is it a rough market mechanism? Yes.
B. Social Norm Simplicity
A flat percentage is cognitively easy.
No negotiation
No subjective calculation
No awkward “rating” system
It’s a heuristic. Not a precision instrument.
C. Tip-Out Structures
In many restaurants, servers tip out:
Bartenders
Food runners
Bussers
Hosts
Tip-out is often a percentage of sales, not tips received.
If you tip 10% on a $99 steak, the server may still owe support staff based on that $99 sale. So lower percentage tips disproportionately hurt them on high-ticket items.
That’s a hidden structural factor most guests never see.
3. The philosophical tension you’re feeling
You’re comparing:
Effort-based compensation
vs.Price-based compensation
Most people say they believe in effort-based tipping.
But socially, they comply with price-based tipping.
Why doesn’t it change?
Because tipping culture isn’t driven by logic. It’s driven by:
Social conformity
Avoidance of stigma
Industry wage structures
Employer cost-shifting
In the U.S., especially, base wages for servers assume tipping income. The system persists because:
Restaurants externalize labor cost
Customers internalize social pressure
Workers can’t individually renegotiate the norm
It’s a coordination equilibrium problem.
Everyone agrees it’s odd.
No one wants to be the defector.
4. Is there really “no difference” in service?
At chain casual dining? Often no.
At high-end places like:
Per Se
The French Laundry
Service absolutely scales:
Wine pairing knowledge
Course pacing
Ingredient explanation
Ritualized presentation
In those environments, service intensity and expertise are materially higher.
But if you’re comparing:
$16 burger vs $99 steak at the same steakhouse?
Your argument holds more weight.
5. So what should tipping be based on?
There are three coherent models:
Model 1: Percentage (current norm)
Pros: Simple, scalable
Cons: Not effort-aligned
Model 2: Flat per-person amount
Example: $10–15 per guest for standard service
Pros: Effort-aligned
Cons: Social friction, nonstandard
Model 3: Service-included pricing (Europe model)
Higher menu prices, no tipping
Pros: Transparent
Cons: Cultural resistance in U.S.
Restaurants that eliminate tipping and bake in service charges often face backlash because customers perceive price increases even when total cost is similar.
6. Why doesn’t it change if everyone agrees?
Because:
Individual deviation carries social penalty.
Workers depend on the current structure.
Employers benefit from the ambiguity.
There is no coordinated consumer movement.
You’re noticing a collective action trap.
Your frustration makes sense.
Percentage tipping is not a precision reflection of effort — it’s a blunt economic proxy tied to revenue rather than labor intensity.
It survives because it’s socially entrenched and economically convenient, not because it’s philosophically sound.
First time in the US, gave 20% everywhere and not even a glance let alone thank you
I'm from the UK and thought, for my first time in the US to reduce friction and go with the flow I would just follow the tipping culture as it's presented to me, which was, as expected right in my face. We were in LA, San Francisco and San Jose.
Everywhere and every thing asked me for a tip, from 1 can of beer at the bar to a take away hot dog. So I went along with it in most cases, and the odd thing was how not a single person ever said thanks, and typically they would not even look at me after they had handed over the card machine for me to decide what to give and then pay, often already serving the next customer especially at bars.
Is this the culture? Is it something specific to the West Coast? Is there a certain culture to the situation of working for tips that means it's not the done thing to acknowledge when you receive one?
I would say maybe I got unlucky but it must have happened almost 50 times honestly.
It felt I was not giving a tip, but paying an expected part of the service, which I guess is exactly what it is. In which case it's not a tip anymore, it's a service charge. If I had given a 20% tip for a single beer anywhere outside of the US, the server would probably be genuinely confused, and for a large meal at a sit down restaurant, ecstatic.
Jobadvisor
Welcome to the confusing, wallet-draining world of American tipping. As a Brit, I can imagine the "cultural whiplash" is real—going from a place where a tip is a genuine "thank you" to a place where it feels like a mandatory tax you have to calculate yourself.
What you experienced wasn't bad luck; it was a perfect storm of current US economic trends and West Coast service efficiency. Here is the reality of why those 50 interactions felt so hollow:
1. The "Invisible" Transaction
In the US, especially in tech-heavy hubs like SF and San Jose, the "turn-and-burn" service model is king.
The Screen Flip: When a server flips a tablet around, they often look away or start the next order to give you "privacy" while you select the tip. They don't want to be seen "hovering" or pressuring you, though it often comes across as cold or indifferent.
Delayed Gratification: Usually, the server doesn't even see the tip amount until they close out their shift or look at a report later. Unlike a cash tip on a table, a digital tip is just a data point in their system.
2. Tipping vs. Service Charge
You hit the nail on the head: It isn't a tip anymore; it’s a supplement to their wages. In California, while servers do make the state minimum wage (unlike other states where they make $2.13/hr), the cost of living in LA and SF is astronomical. To them, that 20% is the baseline required for them to afford rent. It’s treated as "standard," so a standard tip gets a standard (often neutral) reaction.
3. "Tip Fatigue" is Real
There is a massive backlash happening in the US right now called Tip Creep. * The Beer/Hot Dog Scenario: Most Americans are actually starting to push back on tipping for "counter service" (where you stand to order and pick up your food).
The Result: Because so many people are frustrated by being asked for tips at a takeaway stand, the staff often becomes robotic. They expect people to click "No Tip" or "10%," so they’ve stopped "performing" for the gratuity.
4. Regional Vibes: The West Coast Hustle
The West Coast—particularly the Bay Area—prides itself on efficiency. In a busy bar in San Jose, "good service" is defined by how fast they get the drink in your hand, not the chat. In the South or Midwest, you’d likely get that "thank you" and a smile you were looking for, but in California metro areas, the transaction is purely functional.
A Pro-Tip for Next Time:
If you are standing up to order (coffee, hot dogs, a single beer at a counter), a $1 or 10% tip is perfectly acceptable. You don't need to go 20% unless you are sitting down and being waited on. Save your 20% for the sit-down meals where someone is actually refilling your water and checking in on you!
It’s definitely a bit of a joyless system compared to the "extra mile" feeling you get elsewhere. You weren't being rude, and they weren't (necessarily) being ungrateful—you were just participating in a very broken, very automated system.
Management is ignoring a massive PPE/Safety violation to avoid a religious HR conversation. What should I do?
Management is ignoring a massive PPE/Safety violation to avoid a religious HR conversation. What should I do?
I work in a maintenance role at a large government facility. We regularly handle tasks that require respiratory protection (N95s or half-face respirators), including working in boilers, tight crawl spaces, and entering rooms with active respiratory illnesses like COVID.
The Issue:
I have one coworker (soon to be two) whose religion does not allow them to shave their beards. As many of you know, you cannot get a legal seal or pass a fit test for a tight-fitting respirator with facial hair.
The Conflict:
Management brought up fit testing once, realized the conflict, and then completely dropped it. Now, the coworker just puts on the mask over his beard and goes into hazardous areas anyway. Management is clearly "looking the other way" to avoid the cost of specialized equipment (like a PAPR hood) or the headache of a religious accommodation/legal HR battle.
The Risk:
Since this is a government facility, the safety standards are supposed to be strict.
If this guy gets a respiratory illness or lung damage, it’s a massive liability.
If we get a safety audit, the whole shop is going to get hammered for a "willful violation."
It creates a weird dynamic where some of us follow the PPE rules and others just "pretend" to for the sake of getting the job done.
It doesn’t "affect" my daily work directly, but it feels like a ticking time bomb for the department.
My Questions:
Should I stay in my lane since it's "not my problem," or is this something I should flag to the Safety Officer?
Since PAPR hoods are expensive ($1k+), is there a way to suggest this to management as a "shop-wide" safety solution without sounding like I'm targeting the individual?
Has anyone else in a government or union environment dealt with the "beard vs. respirator" issue? How was it resolved?
Jobadvisor
This is a classic "hot potato" situation where management is choosing the path of least resistance today at the cost of a massive liability tomorrow. In a government facility, "looking the other way" on OSHA/NIOSH standards isn't just lazy; it’s a willful violation, which carries much heavier penalties.
Here is a breakdown of how to navigate this without becoming the "office snitch" or getting caught in the blast zone when the audit eventually hits.
1. The Reality Check: Is it "Your Lane"?
Normally, I’d say stay in your lane, but in maintenance and safety-critical roles, a "willful violation" environment degrades safety culture for everyone. If management is willing to skip fit tests for one person, they are signaling that safety protocols are "suggestions."
Moreover, if there is an accident, the subsequent investigation will likely interview the whole team. "We all knew he wasn't sealed" is a statement that can dismantle a department.
2. The Solution-Oriented Approach (The PAPR)
You mentioned the cost of a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR). While $1,000+ sounds high, it is significantly cheaper than a worker’s compensation claim for chronic lung disease or a five-figure fine from a safety audit.
How to suggest it without targeting the individual:
Frame the PAPR as a versatility tool for the shop, rather than a religious accommodation.
The Angle: "Hey Chief, I was looking at our PPE inventory. Since we’re doing more work in crawl spaces and boilers lately, have we looked into getting a couple of PAPR units for the shop? They’re great for anyone who can’t get a perfect seal with a standard mask, and they’re actually more comfortable for long-duration jobs in the heat."
The Benefit: It solves the religious conflict implicitly by providing a tool that doesn't require a clean shave.
3. Protecting Yourself (The Paper Trail)
Since this is a government facility, there is likely a Safety Officer or an Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) department that is separate from your direct supervisors.
| Action | Why? |
| Check the SOP | Re-read your shop's written Respiratory Protection Program. It likely explicitly forbids facial hair for tight-fitting masks. |
| Anonymous Tip | Most gov agencies have a "Safety Hotline" or an anonymous reporting system. This triggers a formal inquiry without your name being attached. |
| Union Rep | If you are unionized, talk to your steward. Their job is to ensure the contract (which usually includes "safe working conditions") is being followed. |
4. How Others Have Handled This
In most government and military environments, the "Beard vs. Respirator" issue is settled in one of two ways:
The "Fit for Duty" Requirement: If the job requires a seal and the employee cannot/will not shave, they are moved to a role that doesn't require a respirator.
The Reasonable Accommodation: The agency buys the PAPR. Under the law, the employer must provide a "reasonable accommodation" for religious practices unless it causes "undue hardship." For a large government facility, $1,000 for a PAPR is rarely considered an "undue hardship" in a legal sense.
My Advice
Do not confront the coworker. This isn't their fault; they are just following their faith. This is a management failure. I would suggest sending a casual, "solution-focused" email to your supervisor or the Safety Officer asking if the shop can "upgrade its capabilities" by purchasing a PAPR. If they ignore that, and you feel the risk is too high, use the anonymous safety reporting line.
Note: If an audit happens and you are asked directly, do not lie. "I observed that fit-testing wasn't being strictly enforced" is a factual, professional way to state the truth.
] I had an internal interview today. Can my job do this?
Hey everyone, hope all is well. So basically I have been working at the same company for six going on seven years now. Today I had an interview for a promotion position from 2:30 PM to 3 PM. My supervisor clocked me out for the interview. I was never notified that I would be clocked out of my shift for the interview.I only know I was clocked out because in the system we use to clock in and out it shows that I clocked out when I didn’t. When I asked, the supervisor told me that she did.
In all my years working here, I have had a number of interviews and not once was I ever clocked out for any of them. I contacted corporate HR to find out what their policy is, but the lady didn’t have an answer so she submitted a ticket and said they will get back to me tomorrow. My shift is 7 AM - 3:30 PM.
I was under the understanding that because the interview was taking place in the building and it was related to a job within the same company that I would be covered. Instead, they take from my available sick or PTO time. In this case because it was only half an hour and they don’t pay in half hour increments I am loosing an entire hour of pay!
Jobadvisor
That is incredibly frustrating, especially for a loyal employee of seven years. Being clocked out without notice—and then losing a full hour of pay due to a technicality—feels like a "nickel and diming" tactic that kills morale.
The short answer is: Legally, it’s a gray area, but professionally and by typical corporate standards, it’s a very poor look for your supervisor.
Here is the breakdown of how this usually works and what you should look for when HR gets back to you.
1. The Legal vs. Policy Divide
The Law (FLSA): Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers generally don't have to pay you for time not spent performing "productive work." Since an interview for a new role isn't technically performing your current job duties, many companies treat it as personal time.
Company Policy: Most large companies (especially those you’ve been with for 7 years) have an "Internal Growth" or "Career Development" policy. It is industry standard to allow internal candidates to interview on the clock. The fact that you’ve done this before without being clocked out suggests your supervisor might be "going rogue" or applying a rule that isn't actually in the handbook.
2. The "Unauthorized" Clock-Out
This is the part that is most concerning. In many jurisdictions and company policies, a supervisor manually editing your timecard without your consent or a prior conversation is a major HR red flag.
Timecards are legal documents.
If she "clocked you out" as if you did it yourself, that’s a misrepresentation of your actions.
The fact that it forced you to use Sick or PTO for an internal interview is particularly stingy.
3. The "Rounding" Issue (Losing an Hour)
If they are docking you a full hour for a 30-minute interview, that may actually cross into a wage theft conversation depending on your state laws. While "rounding" to the nearest 15 minutes is common, docking a full hour for a 30-minute absence is highly irregular and often illegal if you were actually working for that other 30 minutes.
Your Next Steps
| Step | Action |
| Check the Handbook | Look for keywords like "Internal Transfer," "Promotion," or "Professional Development." See if it mentions "release time" for interviews. |
| Document Past Practice | Note the dates (or approximate months) of your previous internal interviews where you stayed on the clock. This establishes a "past practice" precedent. |
| Wait for the Ticket | Since HR already opened a ticket, let them finish. If they say "It's supervisor discretion," you have a culture problem. If they say "That shouldn't have happened," you have a payroll correction coming. |
How to handle the Supervisor
When you speak to her again (or if HR asks), keep it focused on the lack of transparency:
"I was surprised to see my timecard edited. In my seven years here, I've always interviewed on the clock as part of our internal growth process. If the policy has changed, I would have appreciated knowing in advance so I could have scheduled the interview outside of my shift or planned for the PTO usage."
A bit of wit for the road: If they’re worried about 30 minutes of pay for a 7-year veteran, they’re spending dollars to save pennies. That’s not "management," that’s just bad math.
Just had a group job interview, I accidentally let a cuss word slip, could I still be hired?
The job is a seasonal warehouse job, often hiring high-schoolers. We were given a tour as a group of interviewees, and later had an opportunity to ask questions 1-1 (though publicly) with some of the workers that were helping with the review process.
A worker [mid20s f] asked if I was in school, I said I was a Senior. She said “wow how do you feel about it?” And I thought for a second and said “I’m getting through it, I’ve been taking on a few more classes for preparation, which have been kicking my ass” I said this, and the rest of my conversation, quietly and confidently, smooth enough that I hope it didn’t stick out.
She didn’t show any particular expression, maybe a small amount of surprise, but she was continued to smile and when I complimented her glasses, she laughed and said she liked mine too [we had the same glasses lol].
There were some other people who talked to multiple workers, but after I was done speaking with her, she said I could exit out the nearby door. She said it like I was lost, not in trouble- but I’m still a bit worried. Am I getting rejected?
Jobadvisor
Take a deep breath—you are almost certainly not getting rejected over this.
In the world of professional slip-ups, using a mild phrase like "kicking my ass" during a warehouse interview is a minor blip. Given the context you provided, here is why you can probably stop stressing:
1. The "Warehouse Factor"
Warehouse environments are generally less formal than corporate offices or high-end retail. While you should always aim for professionalism, the linguistic bar is usually "can you follow directions and work hard?" rather than "do you speak like a Victorian poet?"
2. Relatability vs. Unprofessionalism
You used the phrase to describe your work ethic and academic load. You weren't swearing at someone, complaining about the job, or using derogatory language. You were expressing a relatable struggle about being a busy student.
The Reaction: The fact that she laughed and complimented your glasses afterward is a huge green flag. If you had truly offended her or violated a strict "zero-tolerance" policy, the vibe would have turned icy immediately.
3. The "Exit" Confusion
Don't overthink the "you can exit out this door" comment. In group interviews/tours, the staff's main goal is logistics—moving people from point A to point B without anyone getting lost in the machinery. She likely saw you were done with your 1-1 and was simply being helpful by showing you the quickest way out.
Why you’re likely still in the running:
| Factor | Why it helps you |
| The Role | Seasonal warehouse roles prioritize reliability and availability. |
| The Connection | You had a "moment" (the glasses) that made you memorable in a positive way. |
| The Context | "Kicking my ass" is often viewed as "colorful" rather than "profane" in blue-collar settings. |
| The Delivery | You said it "quietly and confidently." It sounded like natural speech, not a lack of control. |
The Verdict
You showed up, you engaged, you found common ground with the staff, and you demonstrated that you’re a hard-working student. Most recruiters would take a "hard worker who slips up a word" over a "perfect speaker who is lazy" any day of the week.