Discuss HN: Underpaying at Workplace Food Services
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Companies with workplace service staff...are objectively underpaying their employees and I feel, at this time, this is more due to an ignorance I feel I can absolve than to any intentional act of discrimination.
I have been an enthusiastic member of this community for many years now. ...while I make my living by preparing people cups of coffee.
I was recently fired from a cafe job...and as such have been looking for work.
Of the places I have been interviewing to work ... there has been a consistent issue that I've concluded I am in a good position to address and felt this forum, due its proximity to the people I want to address, would be the best way to encourage a change in behaviour.
If one is to look at cafe job listings, in the SF bay area, you will find the average pay is currently around 16$/hr. Such listings include local cafes as well as workplace food and beverage perks...
The discrepancy arises in...service industry pay practice: tipping.
I understand the reasoning...to be without tipping. Part of the recruiting...to further incentivise highly sought after applicants, but regardless...tipping is still unfortunately a significant part of service industry workers' wage. Removing the tipping without supplanting those lost wages results in an objective underpaying of your service staff.
I thought about the viability to name and shame the companies I interviewed with...
Instead, I simply wanted to present this issue to you all, and also to posit a supplemental challenge...:
Post a comment below naming your company and list the pay scales you have in place for your varied workplace services workers; if you are uncomfortable revealing this information here I would hope you would...think about why revealing such information makes you uncomfortable.