Why is tipping always in %?
I never get the concept of tipping as a percentage- it can be quite misleading. Why are tips not presented as an absolute amount in a first place?
I think many people have no problem to tip $2, if they a waiter brings the coffee to your table in a fancy coffee shop where a cup costs $7 (i.e. 28.5% tip) But also many people would agree that tipping $7-$10 for a $100 lunch is enough (7-10%), given that for the waiter it is just a bit more work and we do not need to fund his full hourly rate just because we eat in a fancy restaurant.
Your thoughts?
You’ve hit on one of the most debated aspects of modern service culture. The "percentage" model often feels like a leftover relic from a different economic era, and you're right—it creates some pretty wild logical gaps when you compare a $7 latte to a $100 steak.
Here is a breakdown of why we ended up with percentages instead of flat fees, and why it feels so lopsided today.
1. The "Scale of Service" Logic
The original idea behind the percentage was that it acted as a proxy for effort and time.
The Assumption: A $100 meal usually involves multiple courses, wine service, more dishes, and a longer "table turn" time (meaning the waiter can serve fewer customers per shift).
The Reality: In modern dining, the price of the food is often decoupled from the labor. Pouring a $15 glass of house wine takes the exact same effort as pouring a $150 bottle of vintage Bordeaux, yet the "expected" tip jumps from $3 to $30.
2. Inflation Protection for Servers
If tipping were a flat fee (e.g., "$2 per person"), that amount would lose value every year as inflation rises.
By using a percentage, tips automatically adjust with the menu prices.
This shifts the "cost of living" adjustment from the employer to the customer. If the restaurant raises the price of a burger from $15 to $18, the server gets a small raise simultaneously without the owner having to touch the payroll.
3. The "Sales Commission" Mentality
In the industry, servers are often viewed more like commissioned salespeople than hourly laborers.
Higher-end restaurants require more product knowledge, better social "soft skills," and higher stakes.
The percentage model ensures that "top-tier" servers are incentivized to work in fine dining where the bill is higher, rather than at a diner where the physical labor might actually be more intense but the payout is lower.
4. The "Tip Out" System (The Hidden Math)
This is the part most customers don't see. In many restaurants, servers don't keep the whole tip. They "tip out" the bartender, the busser, and the host based on a percentage of total sales, not a percentage of their tips.
The Danger of the Flat Tip: If you tip a flat $5 on a $100 bill (5%), and the server is required to tip out 6% of their total sales to the support staff, the server actually pays money out of their own pocket to serve your table.
Comparison: Flat vs. Percentage
| Feature | Flat Amount ($) | Percentage (%) |
| Predictability | High for the customer | High for the restaurant's "tip out" math |
| Effort Correlation | Matches physical labor better | Matches the "luxury level" of the meal |
| Fairness | Better for high-end diners | Better for low-wage cafe workers |
My Take
The system is definitely "misleading" because it disguises a service fee as a choice. When you tip $2 on a $7 coffee, you’re being generous; when you tip $10 on a $100 dinner, the server might actually lose money due to those "tip out" rules.
It's a clunky system that places the burden of math and social etiquette on the guest rather than just building a fair wage into the price of the sandwich.
Co-Worker brought gun in to work and showed it to everyone during our Monday morning meeting.
Someone I work with brought in a gun to work. During our morning meeting someone made a joke about him being short....which he is very short maybe 5'2...he then lifted up his shirt a little bit exposing his holster and took the gun our and set it on his leg. He is a 60+ year old man that is very difficult to deal with and is always in a cranky old man type of mood.
We work in a office setting in a high rise building. There is absolutely no reason to bring a gun to our place of business. We don't interact with the public and we have security door to even access our office space.
Our leadership team laughed it off and said oh that just "so and so" he isn't harmful.
IMHO I think that someone who does that should be terminated but what do I know. Thoughts?
Jobadvisor
That is incredibly unsettling. To be blunt: your instincts are spot on, and the reaction from your leadership team is a massive red flag.
Pulling out a firearm in response to a joke about one's physical stature isn't "quirky" or "cranky"—in a professional environment, that is a textbook definition of brandishing and workplace intimidation.
Here is a breakdown of why this is a serious issue and how you might want to navigate it, especially given you are in Texas.
1. The "Cranky Old Man" Fallacy
Leadership is treating this as a personality trait when it is actually a liability.
The Escalation: He didn't just show a cool hobby item; he revealed it in response to a perceived insult (the height joke). Using a weapon to reclaim power in a social interaction is a classic warning sign of potential workplace violence.
The "Reasonable Person" Standard: Most legal and HR frameworks ask: "Would a reasonable person feel threatened?" In an office setting, seeing a coworker unholster a weapon during a meeting would make almost any reasonable person feel unsafe.
2. The Legal and Policy Reality (Texas)
Texas is a very pro-gun state, but that doesn't mean "anything goes" in an office.
Private Property Rights: Even in Texas, a private employer has the right to prohibit weapons in the workplace. Check your employee handbook immediately for a "Weapons-Free Workplace" policy.
The 30.06 / 30.07 Signs: If your high-rise building has these signs posted at the entrance, your coworker may have actually committed a trespass offsense by bringing it past security, regardless of his LTC (License to Carry) status.
Brandishing: Texas Penal Code is specific about "Deadly Conduct." Displaying a firearm in a manner calculated to alarm others is a crime.
3. Why Leadership is Laughing (and why they're wrong)
They are likely trying to "de-escalate" by normalizing it, but they are actually creating a Hostile Work Environment. By dismissing it, they are signaling that they will not protect employees if "So-and-So" actually loses his temper.
What You Should Consider Doing
Since leadership has already brushed it off, you have to be tactical to protect yourself:
Document Everything: Write down exactly what happened, the date, the time, who made the joke, what the coworker said, and exactly how the leadership team responded. Save this outside of your work computer (personal email or a physical notebook).
Check the Lease/Security: If your office is in a high-rise, the building management likely has a much stricter "no-weapons" policy than your specific boss does. If security finds out a tenant is unholstering weapons in the boardroom, they will likely take it much more seriously than your manager.
HR vs. Anonymity: If your company has an HR department, this is a "Safety and Compliance" issue. If you fear retaliation, check if your company has an anonymous ethics or safety hotline.
The Exit Strategy: If leadership thinks a gun in a meeting is a laughing matter, they have a fundamental failure in their understanding of workplace safety. It might be time to quietly update your resume.
I feel like I may be about to get fired after a series of misunderstandings at work. From an HR perspective, how should I handle this?
I’m a 35-year-old woman currently working at a debt collection call center. I took this job because I needed stable income, even though it’s unrelated to my degree (I studied Film and Media production).
From the beginning I had some awkward situations with supervisors. I tend to be shy and socially anxious, and when I first started I would greet people very quietly or sometimes not greet them at all because of anxiety. I later realized this probably came across as rude or dismissive, even though that wasn’t my intention.
Despite that, my performance numbers have generally been good, which is probably why I’ve been able to stay in the role.
However, I’ve always had the feeling that some supervisors formed a negative impression of me early on. Over time there have been small tensions or misunderstandings, and I often feel like I may be perceived as having a “bad attitude” even though I try to do my job well. Also i Heard them talking about me , like they saying i'm nosy because i help My coworkers. Also Heard them laughimg at going to therapy ( i told this to My BOSS behing closed Doors)
A few weeks ago, i was talking with a coworker who tends to complain a lot about work, and I ended up saying something out loud along the lines of feeling like another coworker is treated better than me at work and named a supervisor that's rather new, and the razón for that is that our female BOSS really likes her. It wasn’t really meant as envy, more like frustration in the moment, but after saying it I realized a coworker overheard it, it could easily be interpreted the wrong way. Also i said i didn't want to became Friends with My supervisor because of the things they been saying about me.
Right now at the office they stop saying hi to me , answering My emails work related and also laught at me telling them i'm not getting any calls.
It been getting Progressively worst, and so i don't know what to handle this till i leave
Jobadvisor
I am so sorry you’re going through this. To be completely honest, what you are describing isn't just a "series of misunderstandings"—it sounds like a toxic work environment where professional boundaries have dissolved into high-school-level clique behavior.
When supervisors are laughing at your mental health (therapy) and freezing you out of work-related emails, they aren't just being "cranky"; they are potentially engaging in workplace harassment or creating a hostile work environment.
From a strategic HR and Employee Relations perspective, here is how you should handle this to protect yourself while you look for an exit.
1. Shift to "Paper Trail" Mode
Since they have stopped answering your emails and are laughing when you report technical issues (like not getting calls), you must document everything.
The "No Calls" Issue: If you aren't getting calls, your performance numbers will drop. Send an email to your supervisor and CC your personal email: "Per our conversation at [Time], I am reporting that I am not receiving calls. I want to ensure my productivity stays high and this is resolved."
The Therapy Breach: It is highly unprofessional (and in many jurisdictions, a violation of privacy/labor laws) for a boss to share your confidential medical/therapy information with others to laugh at. Keep a log of when you heard this and who was involved.
2. Control the "Bad Attitude" Narrative
In HR, "attitude" is subjective, but "conduct" is objective.
Kill them with professional kindness: Continue to say "Good morning" and "Have a great evening" clearly. If they don't respond, that is their unprofessionalism on display, not yours.
Stop the venting: The comment about the new supervisor and the "boss's favorite" likely got back to them. In a call center—especially debt collection—gossip travels like wildfire. From this moment on, become a "vault." Do not vent to anyone at work.
3. Prepare for the "Performance Improvement Plan" (PIP)
If they are looking to fire you, they will likely try to put you on a PIP or cite "culture fit/attitude."
If you are called into a meeting, take notes. * If they claim you are "rude," ask for specific examples: "Can you help me understand which specific interaction was perceived as rude so I can correct it?" * Do not get defensive or emotional; stay as "boring" and professional as possible (this is often called the "Grey Rock" method).
4. Leverage Your Background
You have a degree in Film and Media Production. Use that! The skills required for production—attention to detail, project management, technical troubleshooting—are highly valuable.
A debt collection center is a high-stress, high-turnover environment that often rewards aggressive personalities. It is likely a fundamental "mismatch" for someone with your creative background and temperament.
Your Immediate Action Plan
| Action | Purpose |
| Save Performance Reviews | Print out your "good numbers" now in case you lose system access. |
| Log the Harassment | Write a timeline of the "therapy" comments and the "freezing out." |
| Update Resume | Focus on your production degree and your "high-volume communication" skills from this job. |
| Minimize Contact | Do your work, stay off the "gossip" radar, and keep your head down. |
New boss asking me to put in PTO for minutes late clocking in. Is this legal?
(Ny) Context: I came back from lunch last week one minute late. When I submitted my timesheet, they sent it back to me and told me to correct it and put in one minute of PTO.
Additionally, they are stating they will not accept any time sheet that has any day less than 8 hours recorded. Workday records our clock ins down to the second, so even if I clock in 30 seconds past my scheduled time it’s not going to show 8 hours on it.
Manager has made it clear falsifying timesheets is a fireable offense, so deleting the seconds from workday isn’t an option.
I really don’t know how to handle this, it seems unreasonable at the very least.
Jobadvisor
This sounds like a classic case of a manager being "penny-wise and pound-foolish," but in New York, their specific demand is walking a very thin legal tightrope.
To be clear: Asking you to use PTO for 1 minute of tardiness is generally legal, but the "perfect 8-hour" mandate is a massive payroll compliance risk for them.
Here is the breakdown of the legalities and the practical "trap" your manager is setting.
1. The "De Minimis" Rule (The 1-Minute Issue)
Under federal (FLSA) and New York State labor laws, there is a concept called de minimis time.
This usually covers small increments (1–5 minutes) that are technically too small to track or compensate fairly.
However, because your company uses Workday (which tracks to the second), they have removed the "difficulty of tracking" excuse.
The Verdict: An employer can require you to use PTO to cover a gap in your 40-hour week. However, forcing you to use exactly 60 seconds of a PTO bank is administratively absurd and rare.
2. The "Falsification" Trap
This is where your manager is creating a legal liability for the company.
The Conflict: They are telling you (A) "Do not falsify time" but also (B) "Your sheet must say exactly 8:00:00."
If you worked from 8:00:30 to 5:00:30, you worked 8 hours. If they force you to enter PTO for those 30 seconds while you were actually working, they are forcing you to falsify a federal record.
The Risk: New York Department of Labor (NYSDOL) takes "time shaving" very seriously.
If you are working but they are forcing you to record it as "Leave/PTO," they are technically misreporting hours worked.
3. NY Wage Notice & Rounding Rules
New York allows "rounding" of time, but it must be neutral.
If they round down when you are 1 minute late (costing you money), they must also round up if you stay 1 minute late (paying you extra).
By demanding your sheet says exactly 8 hours, they are essentially banning "incidental overtime," which is legal to do, but they cannot do it by "stealing" your PTO or forcing you to lie about when you were at your desk.
How to Handle This (Strategically)
Your manager is likely trying to "clean up" the payroll report so they don't have to explain 1-minute variances to their own boss. Here is how to push back professionally:
The "Clarification" Email: Send an email to your manager (and BCC your personal email) to get the "8-hour rule" in writing:
"I want to ensure I am following policy and not falsifying my timesheet as discussed. Workday shows I clocked in at 8:00:45. To make the sheet show exactly 8.00 hours, should I record 45 seconds of PTO, or should I stay 45 seconds late to balance the time? I want to ensure my 'hours worked' accurately reflect my actual presence at the desk."
Contact HR/Payroll: This is a "Manager Issue," not a "Company Policy" issue. No sane HR or Payroll director wants to process 1-minute PTO requests. It is an administrative nightmare and a huge red flag for an audit. Ask Payroll: "What is the company's policy on rounding for increments under 5 minutes?"
The "Buffer" Strategy: If they insist on this, clock in 5 minutes early every day. If they then tell you that you can't have "unauthorized overtime," you have proof that the 8-hour rule is impossible to follow perfectly.
The Bottom Line
Your manager is power-tripping over "perfect data." In New York, if they fire you for being 1 minute late once, you would almost certainly qualify for unemployment because it doesn't constitute "misconduct."