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Comment by airstrike | Hacker News Reader

You've answered it yourself

> what is the best path to end this ridiculous custom?

> minimum wage

Do you really think a higher minimum wage would end the expectation of tipping? Asking honestly, because I just don't see that as a solution to this problem. There's a discussion to be had around minimum wage, but that feels like an entirely separate issue.

Yes, it would. Civilized states have done away with tipped minimum wages, so employees can no longer complain about being taken advantage of by employers not paying them for tip totals not getting them to minimum wage limits.

There are different minimum wages for people in e.g. restaurant service, which is to me the quintessential tipping experience. If that went away, it could perhaps pave the path to less tipping overall

But I'm not defending the argument, just adding to the debate. I'm fine with tipping, personally, because I think it aligns incentives to encourage good service. That good looking people get better tips doesn't bother me in the slightest—life isn't fair.

1. Everyone stop tipping.

2. Greedy enployers can't use the promise of tipping as an excuse so they start to paying minimun wage.

3. Government intervenes making sure minimum wage is paid.

It starts with (1).

I'd say it starts with 3 otherwise all people in tip-funded service industry get screwed by the more wealthy people using their services.

The tipping hasn’t stopped even in states and cities the government has already done (3).

But what to do about all those waiters/waitresses that previously made money like some senior engineer and now get paid only minimum wage?

They wouldn't get even minimum wage. Servers earn less than minimum wage in many places, to compensate for the fact that they get tips.

Starting your movement with "don't tip" is a great way to punish workers without much chance of being successful. It should probably start with the restaurants, or even regulation.

AFAIK almost everywhere there's a law that makes it illegal to pay below minimum wage. And if they don't like it, they're free to find a better paid job for an unskilled worker elsewhere.

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