Oh my chimichangas.... my texan bussy is blessed by the recognition Evan you have made my day. Edit: also Thanks to everyone who liked this y’all too made my day. 🫂🫂
“First off, if your business can’t afford to pay every employees a fair wage, and remain in business, well then your business is run pretty badly, and shouldn’t be in business anyway.” Instant subscribe.
There's no such thing as "a fair wage". If the job requires little more than a pulse and an ability to take commands, it shouldn't pay much. This is quite possibly the stupidest line of reasoning I've ever heard. And yes, it bespeaks the ethos of a posh bird like Evan who has never gotten his fingernails dirty, doesn't understand that small businesses owners must incur risk (their employees--not so much), and that paying "fair wage" only forces the service provider to charge higher to maintain profitability, thereby driving costs up for everyone...including the employee benefiting from the "fair" wage. But if you're both a petulant child and economically illiterate, then sure, Evan's reasoning is right-on.
@@americandirt7834you are berating others about their knowledge of economics yet every other first world country sets their minimum wage much higher then America. Is it blind patriotism or are you ignorant about economics yourself? The way America functions is a joke, tipping is a scam. If you can’t pay your workers without scamming customers you should close shop.
@@allistairkumaran3582 Most other countries consistently have 10% unemployment rates and pay for their others to stay on the dole. They don't have the array of small business growth. Besides, having hordes of illegal invaders coming in to take low-wage jobs creates a surplus of labor, further disincentivizing employers to pay more. If we controlled immigration more, we'd be doing a huge service to low wage workers by creating an employment landscape where they could much more easily negotiate for higher wages. You're an imbecile if you think most small businesses (many of which are already paying their staff more than the owners making, especially if revenues are down) can get away with astronomically high wages, especially for labor that's so easy a six year old could do it. Shoveling fries at McDonald's isn't worth more than $7 an hour. Sorry. If you don't like it, develop skills so you can find jobs that pay more.
Indeed. Like literally other things they buy. Imagine the outrage that something normal in all other areas of business becomes normal in here too. But maybe I am wrong and USA citizens love some maths to go with their meals.
Also, why do they seem to manage paying minimum wage to restaurant workers in Europe, whilst having similair pricing (especially if you take into account the amount consumers 'have' to tip? It is done in multiple countries in the world, so learn. The exuse is bullshit
They pay their workers 2.13 an hour and expect the customer to pay the difference up to minimum wage or tax payers pick up the tab if they don't make at least the minimum. These places who pay tip wages gets the double benefit of not paying the server as well as the customer paying for their services
But they don't HAVE to tip, and a lot of people don't. My mom still thinks 10% is "generous" and sometimes only rounds up to the nearest dollar so I have to be sure to pick up the tab or tip way more whenever I'm with her.
to be honest, in some European countries, it's not that different. France, for instance, pays waiters also minimum wage, which is frankly below the poverty line for those living in the bigger cities (and with 1 sixth of the population in the Paris metropolis alone, that means more than half live in bigger cities). They rely on tips to pay their flats. 15-20% might not be expected, but 10% is very common, especially in Paris. There are other countries with a tipping culture, like the Czech Republic, but nowhere near as egregious as in the US.
@@zoebenefer6149 true, and I do agree the US has taken this to a ridiculous level, as I said in my last sentence, but minimum wage is often just not cutting it, especially in urban areas. Net wage in France is just €1200/month for a full-time, living expenses aren't that much lower as they are in the US. This is just meant as a reminder that also that minimum wage should be set high enough.
@@barvdw oh yeah for sure, minimum wage is often not enough to make a living, which is a problem in itself, and then in many countries there is a different minimum wage for teenagers than for adults as well despite them doing the same work which is also a problem, but generally it's different than the US system
Well, last time I visited London it turned out I was terribly rude since I had been under the impression that the tipping culture was an American thing and our precious Europe was free of it, hence I did not tip. I was wrong.
In any other country it's called 'bribery and corruption'. In the USA they call it 'lobbying'. Great way to make a despicable practice, usually only seen in banana republics, sound official and legitimate rather than sleezy and underhanded.
@@musicandbooklover-p2o This actually confused me before I learned the money involved cause lobbying exist here, but its just hired talker to try convince the politicians. Which goes about as well as one might expect when politician has to ponder between re-election and a talking head
@@MrAapasuo that "hired talker" makes sure to convince the politician to vote their way by giving them enough money to be reelected and then a nice lobbyist job or an advisor position after retirement...so yeah it is bribery. Sometimes those lobbyists even "help" the politician draft up the bill or law that best suits their corporate overlords interests.
@Ann Barwick I have AP Environmental Science offered by College Board in the states, they have online lesson videos and you can find the whole syllabus and course lectures if you look on google and TH-cam. It’s offered to high school students for college credit if you score high enough on your exam at the end of the year!
@Ann Barwick also, it’s just because my teacher isn’t very clear... ever... on what is going on in the class and I have to resort to finding everything for myself. Overall the subject is my favorite because it gives you so much knowledge on the environmental issues going on, and what you can do to do you part in helping.
I actually really love this video. The camera quality, the beautifully pissed off vibe, nice background music, cool sketches, sources cited.... its clear he's put so much effort in it.
I'm English, have never worked in the US, and this honestly made me angry. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised by any of it. For years, as an outsider looking in, it's seemed that American companies try as hard as they can to screw over their workers and expect those workers to be grateful.
@@TheRichardHonor I think that's down to the card machine systems and how they are manufactured not the actual businesses. I have been a waitress for over 10 years and honestly couldn't care if you tip or not.
@@andreabradley5837 So true. I started working in 1978 at the age of 15, working conditions in the US have really declined for everyone. In Sweden now as a teacher it is so much better than teaching in the US.
You can just tell how much work he put into this, the transitions, lighting, sound quality, information, the angles, and video quality is just stunning.
@@youneverseeanoldmaneatinga7416 in theory what he says is true, but the real world is shitty with crappy people. There are cheap, harsh, and cruel people all around us and tipping is what is least on their mind or they might just justify it with “Oh I don’t employ them so I don’t need to pay extra.” @Jason Witt I think you need to rethink your rhetoric/reasoning there. I don’t think you’re necessarily taking into consideration just how many Karen and Kens there are in the world, hell they might be next to you next time you eat.
Renouncing a US citizenship costs $3,500, one has to forfit any social security benefits earned, and can never enter the US again. I have considered it.
You can reenter. You are only permanently deemed inadmissible if you relinquished citizenship to avoid paying US taxes (not actually enforceable due to practical reasons) or to avoid the draft (waived for Vietnam draft dodgers). So not many former American are actually out right banned, most people can apply for visas. However, your visa is likely be more restricted on how long you can stay each visit than if you're just a normal foreigner.
your phrase "it wasn't always like that" i came to that realizations a few years ago watching a scene from the movie "petrified forest" in which Bette Davis portrayed a diner waitress and uttered the mere line "THIS IS AMERICA, THERE IS NO TIPPING HERE"
Tipping is a wild concept to me. Thank you for this Evan. In Australia tipping is optional and largely used as a way to offload pocket change at your local coffee shop
My cousin works in a restaurant in the US part time. She's in high school. She gets sexually harassed regularly because she's young. It's mostly older men, who see a young, pretty girl and think she should have to give them something more than their food. On average, she gets $7.50 an hour to work. That's $15600 a year, based on a full time job. I get paid the minimum wage in the uk. I earn a bit over £18000 a year. In comparison, my cousin would earn just £11500 a year if she worked full time. £6500 less than the uk minimum wage, which is not an amount I could afford to lose.
Out of Interest do you know how much she actually makes in tips? I'm English and think the system is bizarre. Yes, the food is cheaper but not really when you need to add 20% tip lol. Also, totally cool if you don't want to say but what is your job that pays minimum wage?
I was a shift manager/host at a restaurant the servers with tips made way more than I made and I got more than minimum wage. Some days I bussed tables and made more than I did as a host due to tips. Tips if given in cash are rarely ever completely logged.
@@quigon6349 depends where you are. My cousin is in rural Oklahoma, bible belt territory. Lot of her customers give "tips" in the form of prayer cards.
I work in UK hospitality and if I had to rely on tips I'd be dead in a ditch. It's just not expected from either side of the transaction because in the civilised world people get paid a reasonable wage and get decent health care.
Mate! When I heard about the tip pooling nonsense - that HAS to be an American import I was disgusted. I tip my servers in the UK and always check if they get the money directly. I heard in some places the restaurant takes a cut too. I always remove the tip from the overall bill and give cash direct to the server - it's not much but it's what I have.
@@DeborahWalkerXOXO I was in a restaurant in Liverpool recently. A "service charge" was automatically added to the bill. Of course, we were told it was optional and, frankly, it was less than I would have dropped as a tip anyway, but what chiseling way to do business. There was also an "optional" donation to a charity added to the bill which felt like embezzlement. If the restaurant wants to give to charity then all is well and good. Just increase the prices by a couple of quid instead of jumping the punters when cash changes hands. It was the Mowgli chain, by the way. Excellent grub, shitty business model.
@@jonathanfinan722 I really hate the inclusion of a service charge in the bill. I once had a blatantly racist server and accidentally tipped him for this reason. It happened at least a year ago and I keep telling myself not to go full Karen and demand that tip back! But the idea that an individual gave me what I consider good service and EVERYONE, who will also be paid at least our minimum wage, gets a cut of my appreciation for THEIR interaction with me is maddening to me.
@@DeborahWalkerXOXO only wanting your tips to go to the server is really just a big "fuck you" to all other employees who work way shittier hours and get paid just as much as the wait staff. Don't be surprised if you find spit in your food.
@@bastiaan4129 why would they spit in my food before I pay? That means they shouldn't be in that profession at all because they have an issue. I live in a country where tipping isn't the norm. And in my country the tip IS about the relationship between the server and the customer. If the rest of the people within the business aren't paid adequately would it be better that I withdraw my custom entirely on the off chance that they harbour the kind of ill will that would cause them to spit into MY food? Do I pay them? Do I decide their wages? I personally vote for a party that believes in a Living Wage. Maybe these people who want to spit in people's food should vote for that? Now I don't know the Law on this but I imagine adulterating someone's food is unlawful. So now we have people serving food who do what? Put all sorts in innocent people's food? If you want to be angry and express, that do so, but maybe direct it at the people who have done something to you, not innocent consumers.
WAIT you get taxed on your tips? Like I knew the tipping/minimum wage was a problem in the US, but like WOW. as a waitress in the UK it beaks me to think of how badly some people must have it. Tips should be a bonus, not the source of your wage! Thanks for this very informative (if saddening) video. Great quality also!
Of course you get taxed on your tips. Like you said, in the US, tips are basically most of your income. I don't get why people are so outraged over being socially encouraged to pay extra for their food.
Tips are taxed. People who stream on Twitch are tipped... it's taxed. Any income is taxed. One could argue that if they wanted to, the government could go after kids mowing yards in the summer for having income. But then there's the whole child labor thing they'd have to work around themselves.
Something I think would be super interesting for you to learn about is the British alternative known as zero hour contracts (despite many renames they’re still heavily used by most of the fast food/cafe industry) . As well as “volunteering” for experience aka where certain employers hire typically under 24s to work for literally nothing, many promise jobs or experience at the end but often times the entire workplace is ran by unpaid “volunteers” & you’ll never actually see a paid job at the end. At best the role gets you short term job seekers allowance.
I wish US restaurants wouldn't do this. The lobbyists have done such a good job. They've convinced everyone that if I don't tip my server I'm a bad person. Errr no it is not up to me to help pay your employees wage that is your job. My tip should be a bonus on top of the wage. Good on you Evan for highlighting this.
Kris I don’t think they meant that they would choose not to tip. I believe they’re mostly just commenting on the fact that it is wrong that the burden of servers getting paid a living wage has been put on the customer rather than the employer. This sort of thing happens a lot, where those in power convince the everyday folk that it is on them to make the world better when the ones with power are the ones who actively make the world worse. Another example of a similar thing would be the way that people are told to focus on minimizing their personal carbon footprint when the lion’s share of environmental destruction is caused by corporations who make little to no effort to help the environment. Basically, it’s definitely true that it’s good, or even necessary, to do your individual part to make the situation better, but it’s morally wrong that we were ever put in such a situation
Oh lol that’s just what managed to squeak through the insane amount of editing I did to the audio, the original audio had such a loud echo it was horrid
I worked retail for a electronics store called Fry’s Electronics and we got paid on commission. We had to follow around customers and tell them to buy this and that and up sell them on everything along with pushing extended warranties. It was a horrible working environment and terrible experience for the customers.
As an American who supported myself through undergraduate and graduate education by waiting tables in both New England and the upper Midwest, I can say that all of the things said about this are spot on. In particular, the corporate chain restaurants backing you into a corner with that "a good server should have no problem earning at least minimum wage, regardless of circumstances". Did any of my managers at the chain restaurants ever help when we were crazy busy? Nope. Not once. In fact, I left jobs at two different chains because the management (collectively at one place!) had either cocaine or heroin habits. If I ever had to work as a server again, it would be at a local family owned restaurant. They tend to value both their staff and customers in ways the corporate chains can't come anywhere close to. If you are in the US and thinking about dining out, make the choice to patronize a locally owned restaurant. That money stays in your community, the food is usually superior, and they treat employees as the valuable individuals they are. Remember, in a market economy, you vote with your wallet far more often than you may realize!
Thank you so much for raising awareness of this practice that blatantly exploits so many workers in the US. It is shocking and disgusting how paying vulnerable people not enough to survive continues to persist after so many years in “the land of the free.” Also, the lighting, camera and sound quality, research, attention to detail, but above all the passion that you put into this is amazing. You’ve really come into your own lately, and I’m really loving this style of video. Thank you.
In my county (San Mateo, CA), the minimum wage is $15.38 per hour. One might look at that and say it's a high amount, but it's not even enough to cover basic living costs most of the time and that's so frustrating. Like yes, maybe we have one of the highest minimum wages in the country, but we also have the highest living costs ("Nearly two thirds of American families of four live on less than San Francisco's "low-income" threshold of $117,400."). Edit: Fortunately, the tipped wage seems to be the same as the standard minimum wage.
That's higher than UK minimum wage. Here it's £8.72 at current exchange rate yours is over £11.00. We also pay 20% income tax, 8% pension fund, 12% national insurance and 20% vat, plus any other taxes like sugar tax, alcohol tax, cigarette tax
low income in SF is under $117,400?! sweet Jesus, I used to hate living in the midwest but as I've grown older its seemed to be a blessing lol. I bought my first house when I was making $12.50/hour so roughly $26,00/year. Was working as a cook so I saw all of the things Evan talked about here, luckily it was a nicer restaurant with higher prices so the wait staff typically made more money per week than the back of house staff and on many fewer hours. That wasn't the only restaurant I worked in so I saw all the shady shit talked about as well and always felt a responsibility to stand up for my coworkers and started learning labor laws in Michigan and would confront managers and owners when they were trying to fuck someone over.
@@kmacdizzle yeah I mean I would say a lot of that would have to do with the price of real estate, I once tried to help a person apartment hunt in the area and basically nothing I could find was remotely affordable. I think this is the case in a lot of city's where you just flat out cannot afford to pay rent on minimum wage
@@kmacdizzle like, imagine if you were making 26k a year but 20k of that was going to pay for your rent and utilities, you wouldn't have much left over for anything else
@@mermaidismyname Yeah. Rent for a studio apartment in the city where I live is around $3000/month. The average house is worth around $2 million. Atherton, a nearby city, is the most expensive zip code in the country, with a median house price of around $7 million. San Francisco also has one of the largest wage gap in the country.
I work in the US and even though I make above the federal minimum wage, I'm barely above the federal poverty line when working full time. I can't imagine how much harder it would be if I was making tip wages.
Usually in the.comments section of such Videos there are dozens of muricans explaining how their tipping culture is the best in the world and anybody in the service industry basically is rich AF due to the extremely high tips and wouldn‘t support any change... Here almost everybody is just praising Evans editing skills
In Japan, if you tip it basically gives the impression that you are pitying the person. For example it would be like saying: You look so poor, here take some money.
@@andreabradley5837 I mean, you wouldn't in Japan, as that would be losing face (assuming it's a similar dignity culture as in China. I'm not Chinese, but I've been learning the language and about the culture).
@@owlblocksdavid4955 back in 2007 I worked for the only two Chinese companies in town. Great people but do not eat while you are at work! Even on lunch break. I have had a few friends that are Japanese descendants, yes there are some difficult cultural things there. In the good old USA restaurant workers can still legally be paid possibly $2.13 per hour. I believe I made $4.00 per hour the last time I waited tables. There were good nights, there were horrible nights. Not worth it for me. Be kind to people that work in high stress service industries.
When my mom was working at a hotel as a cleaner, the manager used to take all the tips left in the rooms. She always only brought in the base minimum for that job.
As an Aussie the minimum wage and tipping culture is so odd. Can't believe people make so little & have to rely on tipping. I feel for them. In Australia if we give a tip it's because someone did a really amazing job or we want to get rid of some change we have.
Even though tipping in Europe is much less common now, in France (and some others) tipping is still very present at fancier restaurants. Usually this is to provide the server a sort of score on how good he and the restaurant did. A high tip might mean the service and food was good and a low tip at the bottom of your wine glass would mean the opposite.
Europe is not one country. And in particular France, waiters are mostly paid minimum wage, which honestly, just doesn't cut it in the bigger urban areas. In France, tipping 10% is therefore quite common, even in cheaper restaurants. Minimum gross wage is only €10/hour, or some €1500/month. Net would be a little over €1200. You can get by on that in the countryside, but not in Paris, Lyon, or any of the other big cities.
@@barvdw USA is a country and everywhere over there is different. So it doesn’t matter if Europe is a country or not. Doesn’t change anything about the European cultures
@@evan gotta treat that once a month, try the products mentioned or Cif or Cillit Bang. Tesco also do a range that looks like it came from the States which works quite well. Stick one of those tablets things in the cistern cos that's a bit grim.
Thank you Evan for bringing awareness to this, it's so messed up! If more Americans know about it, it will hopefully create change. Also I can tell you put a lot of effort into this video, the shots, the different outfits, the research. Well done, I really enjoyed it. :)
Evan lad, genuinely, the quality recently: locations, fancy equipment, your own confidence increase, it really has transformed the channel. Good work mate.
I really appreciate the fact that your using your reach for such a good cause. Just hope it will succeed in guaranteeing servers have their rights respected
well, politicians aren't doing much in any country, but you should still push their buttons every now and then, if only to remind them there are other concerns than just those from wealthy business owners.
the ideal for minimum wage is that you can live off of the income by being paid the minimum wage on full time hours. but companies get around that by scheduling employees 20 hours a week so it’s not a living wage anymore because companies are always trying to avoid hiring full time. i’ve had many interviews where i’ve been applying for a full time position and then at the interview they say the hours are usually set at 25-30 hours per week.
On America and tax, I'm British author and currently listing my book through various US-based retailers, and you wouldn't believe the amount of hoops I have to jump through just to prove I'm not in any way American, related to an American, or working with an American just so I don't have to pay income tax twice. You guys' tax forms are incredibly complicated and filled with ridiculous jargon; it's like they're designed not to be understood, to catch people out, to convince people to hire expensive accountants. Here in the UK, our tax portal has information at every step to ensure you know what you're doing.
You’re exactly right. In America the tax system is designed precisely to get us to hire pricy accountants or at least go online and pay for a website like turbotax to do all of it. It isn’t a mistake in the slightest, just another way for corporations to exploit us :)
Loved this video! the way Evan explains something that he is clearly so passionate about always makes his videos so interesting! and I always end up wanting to research the topic further. Well done Evan! As someone from the UK, I find the whole issue regarding tipping so disgusting and I really wish more could be done to change it.
How is it that in every US topic I've been researching lately, there's always a point where something could be significantly improved for people who are having a hard time, but then some people realize that that's going to benefit black people too, and then they're like "Nah, we can't have that!" and scratch the whole idea? (Retorical question, I've been reading enough about the US to know the answer.... It just pops up in so many topics and situations, it boggles my mind)
WHY SHOULD THERE EVEN NEED TO BE A DEFINITION OF "TIPPING WAGE" IT SHOULDN'T BE A THING. Sorry for shouting, but as a human being who lives in England, being able to only earn £1.30 an hour and having to be lucky to earn a lovable amount of money is really just smooth brain in my opinion. As minimum wage here is £4 for UNDER 18S, it's weird to think that I, as a late teen am most likely being payed more than a job that is supposed to keep someone living.
Ok I totally agree with you but you got the bit about us under 18s very wrong!! The minimum wage for 16-17 is £4.55/hr The minimum wage for 18-20 is £6.45 The minimum wage for 21-25 is £8.20 And then the regular minimum wage of £8.72 I would like to add that I don't think it should matter if you are a late teen or not as what if you are estranged from your parents or something- should be enough to live on regardless of age
@@Lampie2244 the reason it exists is to incentivise employing young people and because we have more rights as we are young (meant to have more breaks and stuff) which I get but it should only be a little less if they are gonna do that not half
@@janani1826 i was only vaguely aware of diferences in rights so i just did a quick google, thanks for pointing this out it seems its mostly a limit of hours (and not by much for 16-18) and an enfoced 1 hour lunch rather than 20 mins. (something i think should apply to all but anyway) i still dont think it should be less as 1. it devalues the same work being done by everyone else. its harder to argue for more than the minimum when an employer has the option of going even lower than your minimum. 2. many of people i know who worked allot before they were 18 did so to help support their families or pay for expences related to education. if you both limit the hours they can work AND reduce their minimum pay this becomes difficult. (Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales still have EMA to help with this but ofcorse the torys scrapped that for england) 3. and the 18-25 minimum does not come with a difference in employment rights
If you cross state lines to work. You have to file tax returns for THAT STATE TOO. Plus these stupid people put that tip on a card. The waiter has to pay the card company too! Always tip with cash.
@@znachkiznachki5352 Good for you! People just don't know what is going on. AND Trump's labor department ruled tips are property of the restaurant! So they can pay less! Such outrageous actions. Like President Republican Reagan years ago taxing waiters for a tax cut for the super rich.
intercityrailpal Another area where the US lags behind the civilised world- I can't remember the last time I paid for anything in cash. I always have twenty pounds in my wallet just in case, but everything else is card or Apple Pay. There are businesses in London that no longer accept cash as even pre pandemic it was a hassle handling it.
@@spencerwilton5831 The banks have influence on those businesses. US money is paper and the virus is killed by the print and lasts only a day on it. Your money is plastic like the cards and can last up to 6 days on it. But touch anything you want, just wear a mask so you don't touch your nose with dirty hands. The cards result in higher prices. I have saved thousands of dollars on big ticket items. Like a new house furnace. with cash offers. Plus tipping a very poorly paid service worker with a card. It awful. They have to pay the bank swipe fees that start here at 30 cents US . I won't do it.
You kind of touched on this with tip pooling, but when I was a server ~15 years ago we had to “tip out” other employees. My tips weren’t going into a communal pool to be divvied up by management-instead, I had to pay a percentage of my sales to employees in certain area. That’s right, it was based on sales and not tips so if you got crappy tips on large orders it costs you more of the little tips you earned! At Ruby Tuesday, I had to tip out the host, bartender, and salad bar attendant (this restaurant didn’t have bussers or we’d have to pay them too). So for every alcohol drink I sold, I owed the bartender a percentage. For every salad bar upgrade I sold, owed the person who kept it stocked. And I owed the host a percentage of total sales. The host got paid a bit more than us $3.13/hour, but still under minimum wage even though they weren’t receiving tips from customers. The argument was that these people aided in our ability as servers to provide excellent service and make good tips - by giving us tables, making our drinks, and stocking the salad bar (and clearing tables in restaurants that had bussers). But those should be basic experiences provided by a restaurant if you want guests to come back, ya know?
Well, the way you describe it, I would say that would be fair. The only unfair part is if they all get paid much bigger wage than you and share the tips regardless. It's basic restaurant service to clean the tables? It's basic restaurant service to prepare drinks? Well, in my oppinion it's basic restoraunt service to take order and bring food. Like the most basic of them all.
God this is bringing up so many bad memories from when I worked as a server. Always, always having to fight for tips from customers, from management, from other employees.
It's truly disgusting. I made $2.13 an hour at my first job - in 1996. Now, you can't even get a combo meal at a fast food restaurant for that. And yet CEOS will whine that they will have to pass the cost of a higher wage onto the customers. UMMMMM, they already do and it's called TIPPING.
They don't want to raise tipped/minimum wages cause corporate companies are greedy. We should get rid of tipping wages and just have one flat minimum wage. And not 7.25....$15 is suggested (at least) for minimum.
Spanish here, tipping here is either an acknowledgement of an exceptional service, or an acknowledgement of you being, being about to be , or having been a major pain in the ass.
I’m a native South Korean, and I was baffled at this culture. Our restaurants don’t have as much staff. We pay decent wages, and the staff always look happy. I was surprised that US restaurants had so many wait staff in tourist destinations. I read about how they taxed the tips, so I always paid them. But it did not feel right to me. Just pay your staff, America. It’s such a rip off for the workers and the customers.
The production value of this video is just amazing, Evan. I really feely quite proud of you and honoured that you'd put so much effort into your content for us. I'd say it's worthy of mainstream television, but I wouldn't want to lose you to there, so let's just stick to calling you the best TH-cam has to offer ✨
this is such a good video, you clearly put a lot of work into it! i had no idea this problem was so common and so widespread, as someone who works in hospitality in the uk, i don't think i'd even survive in america lol
In the uk tipping is a special occasion. if someone tips you its because they wanted to out of their own generosity. in America tipping is an invisible added charge to your meal put in place so establishments can dodge paying their staff minimum wage.
This was so well done, and so interesting! I genuinely learned so much from this!! In the UK, as far as I know, servers are paid minimum wage, but tips are generally expected and if you don't pay in cash, it goes to the company and is split.
I once heard that if you can’t afford to pay your employees a fair and livable wage you shouldn’t own a business to begin with which is something they need to take into consideration look at now everyone’s hiring but people aren’t accepting 10$ an hour when prices of everything is going up including rent on places
@@hopeatopia If I am going to tip someone it is always in cash sod the 12.5 percent on the bill. How do I know that it is going to the staff and not into the owner's/managers back pocket?
Fuck that. I'm not helping a server or anyone else commit tax fraud. But then again, I'm also not a fucking moron who pays extra money beyond what is legally required so I just don't tip. Honestly anyone who does tip is just an idiot.
You didn't adequately emphasize the impact of appearance and bias on tipping: how "hot blondes" make way more in tips than average people and minorities
I have a friend who, as a waitress, used to wear her hair in twin braids to appear younger-that way she was less likely to get hit on / have male customers act sleazy. Yeah...I've never been a waitress, just counter staff at a burger / ice cream place where customers order at the counter. Where I live, I think everyone gets minimum wage, so tips are just extra. And well deserved; I've always thought waiting tables looked overwhelming, even without the likelihood of harassment.
Secondly, you talk about a fair wage? What is considered a “fair wage”??? $15 per hour? $20? how about $100 per hour? Who gets to determine who gets a “fair wage”? I get very pissed off at people who seem to think that they’re entitled to some earning just because they work there? If you never own a business you cannot make a determination who gets what per hour? You of New Jersey being to make a couple of diners in the world. But you don’t know what it takes to open up the diner. There are a lot of Greek immigrants a lot of Spanish immigrants who came to this country basically nothing but the shirt on their backs. Work 10, 12, 18 hours a day in the kitchen scrimp and save to buy a diner, cafe, or luncheonette of their own. Some even bought the diners that they got their start from. You’re a complaint could be justified by saying that tipping is not a valid way to pay a salary. And I would agree with you. But I think there’s an Ulterior motive here, you’re stating is that you’re promoting a living wage In altercation to a fair wage. And that’s something I will never agree with. You talk a lot about businesses should pay all the stuff. But you never asked the question of where this money comes from it comes from the consumer who has to pay for the food being served by the server. Should we start paying $15 for a hamburger? Should we start charging $100 for a prime rib dinner? Already know restaurants are charging gas station prices whether you pay in cash or in credit. Or a service charge of 3.7% if you use a debit card just to compensate paying a “fair wage”. And that’s pretty pathetic considering I eat out twice a week and I stop going to places that charge a service rate or a service charge in order to pay their employees especially when the New Jersey governor shut down because of Covid. Business is had to readjust and bringing those employees back because they had to pay unemployment for all the time they were laid off. They offset the unemployment upon patrons of service industries. Maybe eateries now have skeleton crews and replace the service with Kiosk right on the table. Why? thank you technology. Don’t think I’m exactly for tipping, because those who serve others and live on tips often get screwed by their patrons by leaving them nothing intentionally. I should add my Aunt was a 40 year career waitress from the 1930s , through the Great Depression to the Great Recession of the 1970s. She made a great living in NYC, and her job was a profession than a just a job.
I already knew about the the state of tipping in America, but you still highlighted so much i wasn't aware of (particularly the sexual harassment aspects) in a video that's still entertaining, humorous and very well made. This deserves to be seen by the masses and not just the IRS. Keep up the good work.
The production, The information, The quality, The Beauty, The professionalism, The intricacy. *Chef’s kiss*
Oh my chimichangas.... my texan bussy is blessed by the recognition Evan you have made my day.
Edit: also Thanks to everyone who liked this y’all too made my day. 🫂🫂
Man I really wanna visit Texas and here someone say Y'all 😂. Not sure if its a tourist friendly place or not tho.
Absolutely. 100%
Agreed! A pro at work here.
“First off, if your business can’t afford to pay every employees a fair wage, and remain in business, well then your business is run pretty badly, and shouldn’t be in business anyway.” Instant subscribe.
Idk I saw a comment on this video saying I’m just “anti-small business propaganda” hahhaa
There's no such thing as "a fair wage". If the job requires little more than a pulse and an ability to take commands, it shouldn't pay much.
This is quite possibly the stupidest line of reasoning I've ever heard.
And yes, it bespeaks the ethos of a posh bird like Evan who has never gotten his fingernails dirty, doesn't understand that small businesses owners must incur risk (their employees--not so much), and that paying "fair wage" only forces the service provider to charge higher to maintain profitability, thereby driving costs up for everyone...including the employee benefiting from the "fair" wage.
But if you're both a petulant child and economically illiterate, then sure, Evan's reasoning is right-on.
Like youtube and twitch. Remember please tip Evan on Patreon.
@@americandirt7834you are berating others about their knowledge of economics yet every other first world country sets their minimum wage much higher then America.
Is it blind patriotism or are you ignorant about economics yourself? The way America functions is a joke, tipping is a scam.
If you can’t pay your workers without scamming customers you should close shop.
@@allistairkumaran3582 Most other countries consistently have 10% unemployment rates and pay for their others to stay on the dole. They don't have the array of small business growth. Besides, having hordes of illegal invaders coming in to take low-wage jobs creates a surplus of labor, further disincentivizing employers to pay more. If we controlled immigration more, we'd be doing a huge service to low wage workers by creating an employment landscape where they could much more easily negotiate for higher wages.
You're an imbecile if you think most small businesses (many of which are already paying their staff more than the owners making, especially if revenues are down) can get away with astronomically high wages, especially for labor that's so easy a six year old could do it.
Shoveling fries at McDonald's isn't worth more than $7 an hour. Sorry. If you don't like it, develop skills so you can find jobs that pay more.
“I was a boxer before it was cool” hahahHAH
yoooo Evan this was so good
@@doddleoddle that was you in the background? and Evan in your kitchen?
isn't the first few seconds shot in the same place as "all of my daughters"?
@@izawalendowicz8105 yes!
Pioneer of the box indeed
The "cost will be passed on to customers" argument is hilarious. *ahem* Remind me, who pays tips, exactly?
Indeed. Like literally other things they buy. Imagine the outrage that something normal in all other areas of business becomes normal in here too.
But maybe I am wrong and USA citizens love some maths to go with their meals.
Also, why do they seem to manage paying minimum wage to restaurant workers in Europe, whilst having similair pricing (especially if you take into account the amount consumers 'have' to tip? It is done in multiple countries in the world, so learn. The exuse is bullshit
They pay their workers 2.13 an hour and expect the customer to pay the difference up to minimum wage or tax payers pick up the tab if they don't make at least the minimum. These places who pay tip wages gets the double benefit of not paying the server as well as the customer paying for their services
But they don't HAVE to tip, and a lot of people don't. My mom still thinks 10% is "generous" and sometimes only rounds up to the nearest dollar so I have to be sure to pick up the tab or tip way more whenever I'm with her.
There are people who don't tip, when I was waiting tables church and Amway were the worst.
As someone from Europe, this is such a wild concept to me and so absolutely disgusting
to be honest, in some European countries, it's not that different. France, for instance, pays waiters also minimum wage, which is frankly below the poverty line for those living in the bigger cities (and with 1 sixth of the population in the Paris metropolis alone, that means more than half live in bigger cities). They rely on tips to pay their flats. 15-20% might not be expected, but 10% is very common, especially in Paris. There are other countries with a tipping culture, like the Czech Republic, but nowhere near as egregious as in the US.
@@barvdw there is a big difference being paid minimum wage and basically not being paid af all.
@@zoebenefer6149 true, and I do agree the US has taken this to a ridiculous level, as I said in my last sentence, but minimum wage is often just not cutting it, especially in urban areas. Net wage in France is just €1200/month for a full-time, living expenses aren't that much lower as they are in the US. This is just meant as a reminder that also that minimum wage should be set high enough.
@@barvdw oh yeah for sure, minimum wage is often not enough to make a living, which is a problem in itself, and then in many countries there is a different minimum wage for teenagers than for adults as well despite them doing the same work which is also a problem, but generally it's different than the US system
Well, last time I visited London it turned out I was terribly rude since I had been under the impression that the tipping culture was an American thing and our precious Europe was free of it, hence I did not tip. I was wrong.
"And due to effective lobbying" Ah yes americas favorite tradition
Legal bribery
@@indraservo5764 Pretty much, or to put it another way, ''you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.''
In any other country it's called 'bribery and corruption'. In the USA they call it 'lobbying'. Great way to make a despicable practice, usually only seen in banana republics, sound official and legitimate rather than sleezy and underhanded.
@@musicandbooklover-p2o
This actually confused me before I learned the money involved cause lobbying exist here, but its just hired talker to try convince the politicians. Which goes about as well as one might expect when politician has to ponder between re-election and a talking head
@@MrAapasuo that "hired talker" makes sure to convince the politician to vote their way by giving them enough money to be reelected and then a nice lobbyist job or an advisor position after retirement...so yeah it is bribery.
Sometimes those lobbyists even "help" the politician draft up the bill or law that best suits their corporate overlords interests.
Evan is the only person I’ve found that can make literally ANYTHING soooo interesting... can you teach my environmental science class please? 😂
@Ann Barwick I have AP Environmental Science offered by College Board in the states, they have online lesson videos and you can find the whole syllabus and course lectures if you look on google and TH-cam. It’s offered to high school students for college credit if you score high enough on your exam at the end of the year!
@Ann Barwick also, it’s just because my teacher isn’t very clear... ever... on what is going on in the class and I have to resort to finding everything for myself. Overall the subject is my favorite because it gives you so much knowledge on the environmental issues going on, and what you can do to do you part in helping.
I also need some help in AP math, my mind deteriorates every time I think about numbers.
@@shrubby8967 ugh I’m taking AP calc bc next year since I’m doing dual pre cal this year and I’m dreading that class
@@annaf2828 Oh no I dropped that class it was too much for headache for what it was worth
I can’t be the only one who loves when Evan talks about the topics he’s really passionate about
I actually really love this video. The camera quality, the beautifully pissed off vibe, nice background music, cool sketches, sources cited.... its clear he's put so much effort in it.
that is so ! true!! There was so much effort put in this video and it shows!
I'm English, have never worked in the US, and this honestly made me angry. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised by any of it. For years, as an outsider looking in, it's seemed that American companies try as hard as they can to screw over their workers and expect those workers to be grateful.
Happened in the 80's when Reagan busted up the unions. Trickle down economics is absolute bullshit.
It's creeping into the UK. Many restaurants now pop up asking for gratuity on the card terminal, so you feel guilty pressing no.
@@TheRichardHonor I think that's down to the card machine systems and how they are manufactured not the actual businesses. I have been a waitress for over 10 years and honestly couldn't care if you tip or not.
@@andreabradley5837 So true. I started working in 1978 at the age of 15, working conditions in the US have really declined for everyone. In Sweden now as a teacher it is so much better than teaching in the US.
@@laurie7689 ubi and the new digital currency is right around the corner
You can just tell how much work he put into this, the transitions, lighting, sound quality, information, the angles, and video quality is just stunning.
Yesssss! He is so passionate and gifted at his craft, makes for such an entertaining and high quality video
You should tip him... 😂
I just quit serving 3 months ago after 8 years in the industry and my lord this shit triggered me. 8 years I’ll never get back lmao
If you were a server and you didn't do well it's because you weren't a good server.
@@jasonwitt3423 Lol as if you know anything about this person's ability to do his job. Jesus christ.
@@youneverseeanoldmaneatinga7416 in theory what he says is true, but the real world is shitty with crappy people. There are cheap, harsh, and cruel people all around us and tipping is what is least on their mind or they might just justify it with “Oh I don’t employ them so I don’t need to pay extra.”
@Jason Witt I think you need to rethink your rhetoric/reasoning there. I don’t think you’re necessarily taking into consideration just how many Karen and Kens there are in the world, hell they might be next to you next time you eat.
@@jasonwitt3423 it's a reference to a joke in the video. Actually watch the video before commenting
@@youneverseeanoldmaneatinga7416 read above comment
Evans intro is like an apple event, top quality innit
THAT IS THE KINDEST COMMENT EVER
Innit 👍
evan's intros deffo are not over hyped and under deliver????
Im pretty sure that soon Evan wont have to renounce his citizenship
Renouncing a US citizenship costs $3,500, one has to forfit any social security benefits earned, and can never enter the US again. I have considered it.
You can reenter. You are only permanently deemed inadmissible if you relinquished citizenship to avoid paying US taxes (not actually enforceable due to practical reasons) or to avoid the draft (waived for Vietnam draft dodgers).
So not many former American are actually out right banned, most people can apply for visas. However, your visa is likely be more restricted on how long you can stay each visit than if you're just a normal foreigner.
"Hi, and welcome to a man falling backwards to show he is finished with the conversation." 😁
your phrase "it wasn't always like that" i came to that realizations a few years ago watching a scene from the movie "petrified forest" in which Bette Davis portrayed a diner waitress and uttered the mere line "THIS IS AMERICA, THERE IS NO TIPPING HERE"
Tipping is a wild concept to me. Thank you for this Evan. In Australia tipping is optional and largely used as a way to offload pocket change at your local coffee shop
omg the lighting in the kitchen
Surprisingly the money shot right 🤯
My cousin works in a restaurant in the US part time. She's in high school. She gets sexually harassed regularly because she's young. It's mostly older men, who see a young, pretty girl and think she should have to give them something more than their food.
On average, she gets $7.50 an hour to work. That's $15600 a year, based on a full time job. I get paid the minimum wage in the uk. I earn a bit over £18000 a year. In comparison, my cousin would earn just £11500 a year if she worked full time. £6500 less than the uk minimum wage, which is not an amount I could afford to lose.
Yes, the harassment is another side effect. Ugh.
Out of Interest do you know how much she actually makes in tips? I'm English and think the system is bizarre. Yes, the food is cheaper but not really when you need to add 20% tip lol.
Also, totally cool if you don't want to say but what is your job that pays minimum wage?
@@Sean-tn5nv I work in care. I'm not entirely certain how much she makes in tips, but on average it works out at $7.50 an hour or so.
I was a shift manager/host at a restaurant the servers with tips made way more than I made and I got more than minimum wage. Some days I bussed tables and made more than I did as a host due to tips. Tips if given in cash are rarely ever completely logged.
@@quigon6349 depends where you are. My cousin is in rural Oklahoma, bible belt territory. Lot of her customers give "tips" in the form of prayer cards.
I want this to be on trending
Welcome back to a channel that is unnecessarily high production sometimes
*but in a good way
Are you seriously complaining about this? PATHETIC 🥱😒
I work in UK hospitality and if I had to rely on tips I'd be dead in a ditch. It's just not expected from either side of the transaction because in the civilised world people get paid a reasonable wage and get decent health care.
Mate! When I heard about the tip pooling nonsense - that HAS to be an American import I was disgusted. I tip my servers in the UK and always check if they get the money directly. I heard in some places the restaurant takes a cut too. I always remove the tip from the overall bill and give cash direct to the server - it's not much but it's what I have.
@@DeborahWalkerXOXO I was in a restaurant in Liverpool recently. A "service charge" was automatically added to the bill. Of course, we were told it was optional and, frankly, it was less than I would have dropped as a tip anyway, but what chiseling way to do business. There was also an "optional" donation to a charity added to the bill which felt like embezzlement. If the restaurant wants to give to charity then all is well and good. Just increase the prices by a couple of quid instead of jumping the punters when cash changes hands. It was the Mowgli chain, by the way. Excellent grub, shitty business model.
@@jonathanfinan722 I really hate the inclusion of a service charge in the bill. I once had a blatantly racist server and accidentally tipped him for this reason. It happened at least a year ago and I keep telling myself not to go full Karen and demand that tip back! But the idea that an individual gave me what I consider good service and EVERYONE, who will also be paid at least our minimum wage, gets a cut of my appreciation for THEIR interaction with me is maddening to me.
@@DeborahWalkerXOXO only wanting your tips to go to the server is really just a big "fuck you" to all other employees who work way shittier hours and get paid just as much as the wait staff. Don't be surprised if you find spit in your food.
@@bastiaan4129 why would they spit in my food before I pay? That means they shouldn't be in that profession at all because they have an issue. I live in a country where tipping isn't the norm. And in my country the tip IS about the relationship between the server and the customer. If the rest of the people within the business aren't paid adequately would it be better that I withdraw my custom entirely on the off chance that they harbour the kind of ill will that would cause them to spit into MY food? Do I pay them? Do I decide their wages? I personally vote for a party that believes in a Living Wage. Maybe these people who want to spit in people's food should vote for that? Now I don't know the Law on this but I imagine adulterating someone's food is unlawful. So now we have people serving food who do what? Put all sorts in innocent people's food? If you want to be angry and express, that do so, but maybe direct it at the people who have done something to you, not innocent consumers.
As a barman of 20+ years in the UK, this episode made my blood boil.
Episode. lol, this production is so good it really makes it seem like a tv show.
The US is not a just culture. It's pretty ugly, as everyone can now see.
*a wild cask theology appears* :)
And being a barman isn't considered a profession. Nor does it get the respect it should, just barely above fast food worker.
In the US an employee with tips effectively doubles their salary. Is that why your blood is boiling? You want the same elsewhere?
WAIT you get taxed on your tips? Like I knew the tipping/minimum wage was a problem in the US, but like WOW. as a waitress in the UK it beaks me to think of how badly some people must have it. Tips should be a bonus, not the source of your wage! Thanks for this very informative (if saddening) video. Great quality also!
Of course you get taxed on your tips. Like you said, in the US, tips are basically most of your income. I don't get why people are so outraged over being socially encouraged to pay extra for their food.
Tips are taxed. People who stream on Twitch are tipped... it's taxed. Any income is taxed. One could argue that if they wanted to, the government could go after kids mowing yards in the summer for having income. But then there's the whole child labor thing they'd have to work around themselves.
Also, tips are a bonus. Just, taxed if you're in a tipped job. If it's a one off, it's not really counted.
In the UK, if you get tipped on a card, it has to go through the books, so is taxed too!
@@owlblocksdavid4955 becuase they have to live off it i a 15 year old could get paid 25 dollars an hour
0:15: Good to see that the ‘the Midlands doesn’t exist’ joke has crossed the Atlantic.
Midlands?
Mahogany!
Lies
Lol
Ahh, just like Rutland.
Something I think would be super interesting for you to learn about is the British alternative known as zero hour contracts (despite many renames they’re still heavily used by most of the fast food/cafe industry) .
As well as “volunteering” for experience aka where certain employers hire typically under 24s to work for literally nothing, many promise jobs or experience at the end but often times the entire workplace is ran by unpaid “volunteers” & you’ll never actually see a paid job at the end. At best the role gets you short term job seekers allowance.
as someone from Duluth Minnesota, it was a lovely pun
I just love how passionately Evan talks about this topic, that's exactly how chance comes!
The quality of Evan’s videos are getting so good. Loved that intro!
I love how passionate you got in this video, it is a truly disgusting practice
The lighting is just *chefs kiss*
I wish US restaurants wouldn't do this. The lobbyists have done such a good job. They've convinced everyone that if I don't tip my server I'm a bad person. Errr no it is not up to me to help pay your employees wage that is your job. My tip should be a bonus on top of the wage. Good on you Evan for highlighting this.
I agree with part of what you said but knowing how servers make a living wage if you choose not to tip you are a bad person
Kris
I don’t think they meant that they would choose not to tip. I believe they’re mostly just commenting on the fact that it is wrong that the burden of servers getting paid a living wage has been put on the customer rather than the employer. This sort of thing happens a lot, where those in power convince the everyday folk that it is on them to make the world better when the ones with power are the ones who actively make the world worse.
Another example of a similar thing would be the way that people are told to focus on minimizing their personal carbon footprint when the lion’s share of environmental destruction is caused by corporations who make little to no effort to help the environment.
Basically, it’s definitely true that it’s good, or even necessary, to do your individual part to make the situation better, but it’s morally wrong that we were ever put in such a situation
Oh wow, love to even hear the echo in the first few seconds, what a lovely detail there.
Oh lol that’s just what managed to squeak through the insane amount of editing I did to the audio, the original audio had such a loud echo it was horrid
@@evan Yeah, that tells that you probably would benefit from buying a special mic. $$$$
@@evan well it definitely works with the background :D
I just went back to listen and it actually works so well for the backdrop
I worked retail for a electronics store called Fry’s Electronics and we got paid on commission. We had to follow around customers and tell them to buy this and that and up sell them on everything along with pushing extended warranties. It was a horrible working environment and terrible experience for the customers.
As an American who supported myself through undergraduate and graduate education by waiting tables in both New England and the upper Midwest, I can say that all of the things said about this are spot on. In particular, the corporate chain restaurants backing you into a corner with that "a good server should have no problem earning at least minimum wage, regardless of circumstances". Did any of my managers at the chain restaurants ever help when we were crazy busy? Nope. Not once. In fact, I left jobs at two different chains because the management (collectively at one place!) had either cocaine or heroin habits. If I ever had to work as a server again, it would be at a local family owned restaurant. They tend to value both their staff and customers in ways the corporate chains can't come anywhere close to. If you are in the US and thinking about dining out, make the choice to patronize a locally owned restaurant. That money stays in your community, the food is usually superior, and they treat employees as the valuable individuals they are. Remember, in a market economy, you vote with your wallet far more often than you may realize!
Thank you so much for raising awareness of this practice that blatantly exploits so many workers in the US. It is shocking and disgusting how paying vulnerable people not enough to survive continues to persist after so many years in “the land of the free.” Also, the lighting, camera and sound quality, research, attention to detail, but above all the passion that you put into this is amazing. You’ve really come into your own lately, and I’m really loving this style of video. Thank you.
In my county (San Mateo, CA), the minimum wage is $15.38 per hour. One might look at that and say it's a high amount, but it's not even enough to cover basic living costs most of the time and that's so frustrating. Like yes, maybe we have one of the highest minimum wages in the country, but we also have the highest living costs ("Nearly two thirds of American families of four live on less than San Francisco's "low-income" threshold of $117,400.").
Edit: Fortunately, the tipped wage seems to be the same as the standard minimum wage.
That's higher than UK minimum wage. Here it's £8.72 at current exchange rate yours is over £11.00. We also pay 20% income tax, 8% pension fund, 12% national insurance and 20% vat, plus any other taxes like sugar tax, alcohol tax, cigarette tax
low income in SF is under $117,400?! sweet Jesus, I used to hate living in the midwest but as I've grown older its seemed to be a blessing lol. I bought my first house when I was making $12.50/hour so roughly $26,00/year. Was working as a cook so I saw all of the things Evan talked about here, luckily it was a nicer restaurant with higher prices so the wait staff typically made more money per week than the back of house staff and on many fewer hours. That wasn't the only restaurant I worked in so I saw all the shady shit talked about as well and always felt a responsibility to stand up for my coworkers and started learning labor laws in Michigan and would confront managers and owners when they were trying to fuck someone over.
@@kmacdizzle yeah I mean I would say a lot of that would have to do with the price of real estate, I once tried to help a person apartment hunt in the area and basically nothing I could find was remotely affordable. I think this is the case in a lot of city's where you just flat out cannot afford to pay rent on minimum wage
@@kmacdizzle like, imagine if you were making 26k a year but 20k of that was going to pay for your rent and utilities, you wouldn't have much left over for anything else
@@mermaidismyname Yeah. Rent for a studio apartment in the city where I live is around $3000/month. The average house is worth around $2 million. Atherton, a nearby city, is the most expensive zip code in the country, with a median house price of around $7 million. San Francisco also has one of the largest wage gap in the country.
I work in the US and even though I make above the federal minimum wage, I'm barely above the federal poverty line when working full time. I can't imagine how much harder it would be if I was making tip wages.
If you know what you're doing, understand social ques and work at an expensive place then you should be making at least 20 an hr.
Considering you're making at least the federal minimum, if not much more, it wouldn't be much harder.
I hope to all that is holy that you staged that bathroom: gross!
Why did I have to scroll so much to finally find someone mentioning this? :-O
I came searching for this comment. If not staged at least it's getting a good clean now. .... please be staged.
Usually in the.comments section of such Videos there are dozens of muricans explaining how their tipping culture is the best in the world and anybody in the service industry basically is rich AF due to the extremely high tips and wouldn‘t support any change...
Here almost everybody is just praising Evans editing skills
36 views and 43 likes. You know what, I think that's pretty fair, this video really does deserve a 116.6% like to view ratio.
In Japan, if you tip it basically gives the impression that you are pitying the person. For example it would be like saying: You look so poor, here take some money.
That's when you say "yes, I am. Thanks. Thank you for noticing".
@@andreabradley5837 I mean, you wouldn't in Japan, as that would be losing face (assuming it's a similar dignity culture as in China. I'm not Chinese, but I've been learning the language and about the culture).
@@owlblocksdavid4955 back in 2007 I worked for the only two Chinese companies in town. Great people but do not eat while you are at work! Even on lunch break. I have had a few friends that are Japanese descendants, yes there are some difficult cultural things there. In the good old USA restaurant workers can still legally be paid possibly $2.13 per hour. I believe I made $4.00 per hour the last time I waited tables. There were good nights, there were horrible nights. Not worth it for me. Be kind to people that work in high stress service industries.
That explains why Asians tip me less
When my mom was working at a hotel as a cleaner, the manager used to take all the tips left in the rooms. She always only brought in the base minimum for that job.
That manager needs to be punched.
@@andreabradley5837 actually, taken to court. Because that's illegal.
As an Aussie the minimum wage and tipping culture is so odd. Can't believe people make so little & have to rely on tipping. I feel for them.
In Australia if we give a tip it's because someone did a really amazing job or we want to get rid of some change we have.
Even though tipping in Europe is much less common now, in France (and some others) tipping is still very present at fancier restaurants. Usually this is to provide the server a sort of score on how good he and the restaurant did. A high tip might mean the service and food was good and a low tip at the bottom of your wine glass would mean the opposite.
Europe is not one country. And in particular France, waiters are mostly paid minimum wage, which honestly, just doesn't cut it in the bigger urban areas. In France, tipping 10% is therefore quite common, even in cheaper restaurants. Minimum gross wage is only €10/hour, or some €1500/month. Net would be a little over €1200. You can get by on that in the countryside, but not in Paris, Lyon, or any of the other big cities.
@@barvdw USA is a country and everywhere over there is different. So it doesn’t matter if Europe is a country or not. Doesn’t change anything about the European cultures
@@fabiansaerve europe is not a country.
@@durian111 what would change if it was? Nothing. All our cultures would still exist. That’s my point. It doesn’t matter if it’s a country or not.
@@fabiansaerve why don't we make the whole world a country than
I was vaguely aware tipped wages were bad, but this exceeded my expectations. Once again I'm happy to live in europe
And I'm happy to live in the US.
Don't mind me, just commenting for the algorithm
That was very insightful.
Replying for it too
@@lu_shulmu thanks, it's my philosophy on life
Looking forward to seeing Evan react to how much we appreciate his efforts in the community video
What is going on in that bathroom? Im concerned about that yellowing in the sink.
Welcome to london lime scale
@@evan Welcome to Harpic & Viakal
@@evan gotta treat that once a month, try the products mentioned or Cif or Cillit Bang. Tesco also do a range that looks like it came from the States which works quite well. Stick one of those tablets things in the cistern cos that's a bit grim.
Try rubbing it with a 2 p coin. Comes off .
Guys I’m sure he’s already tried cleaning products 🤦🏻♀️ does it really matter?!
Thank you Evan for bringing awareness to this, it's so messed up!
If more Americans know about it, it will hopefully create change.
Also I can tell you put a lot of effort into this video, the shots, the different outfits, the research. Well done, I really enjoyed it. :)
Evan lad, genuinely, the quality recently: locations, fancy equipment, your own confidence increase, it really has transformed the channel. Good work mate.
I really appreciate the fact that your using your reach for such a good cause. Just hope it will succeed in guaranteeing servers have their rights respected
Evan: *rolls intro*
Me: *hits like*
My politician won't do anything about this, they're completely useless... They're also Australian so I guess it doesn't matter.
well, politicians aren't doing much in any country, but you should still push their buttons every now and then, if only to remind them there are other concerns than just those from wealthy business owners.
Probably too busy trying to get Western Australia to open her borders
america: land of -basically- free labor
Slavery is still deeply imbedded in their culture.
@@bastiaan4129 Most structural problems in the US come down to slavery and racism.
🙄 You sound extremely entitled.
@@bastiaan4129 Whatever, you do realize that slavery is still legal in India, China, Uzbekistan, Libya, North Korea and parts of Africa right?
@@Theendlessriver77 What a nice list for the US to be part of.
i can’t even imagine how time consuming these videos are. thanks Evan!
I really appreciate the sheer quantity of information in this video x
the ideal for minimum wage is that you can live off of the income by being paid the minimum wage on full time hours. but companies get around that by scheduling employees 20 hours a week so it’s not a living wage anymore because companies are always trying to avoid hiring full time. i’ve had many interviews where i’ve been applying for a full time position and then at the interview they say the hours are usually set at 25-30 hours per week.
Ngl Evan looked like every single educational documentary at the start
Crazy how a message like this only has 100k views. The priorities of people astound me...
Controversial opinion: being a small business doesn't give you the right to exploit the poor for your own gain. Sorry, not sorry, commenters.
On America and tax, I'm British author and currently listing my book through various US-based retailers, and you wouldn't believe the amount of hoops I have to jump through just to prove I'm not in any way American, related to an American, or working with an American just so I don't have to pay income tax twice. You guys' tax forms are incredibly complicated and filled with ridiculous jargon; it's like they're designed not to be understood, to catch people out, to convince people to hire expensive accountants. Here in the UK, our tax portal has information at every step to ensure you know what you're doing.
You’re exactly right. In America the tax system is designed precisely to get us to hire pricy accountants or at least go online and pay for a website like turbotax to do all of it. It isn’t a mistake in the slightest, just another way for corporations to exploit us :)
10:38 mate your *sink*
I really like this kind of documentary style video, Evan. This is such an important topic.
Loved this video! the way Evan explains something that he is clearly so passionate about always makes his videos so interesting! and I always end up wanting to research the topic further. Well done Evan!
As someone from the UK, I find the whole issue regarding tipping so disgusting and I really wish more could be done to change it.
How is it that in every US topic I've been researching lately, there's always a point where something could be significantly improved for people who are having a hard time, but then some people realize that that's going to benefit black people too, and then they're like "Nah, we can't have that!" and scratch the whole idea? (Retorical question, I've been reading enough about the US to know the answer.... It just pops up in so many topics and situations, it boggles my mind)
WHY SHOULD THERE EVEN NEED TO BE A DEFINITION OF "TIPPING WAGE" IT SHOULDN'T BE A THING. Sorry for shouting, but as a human being who lives in England, being able to only earn £1.30 an hour and having to be lucky to earn a lovable amount of money is really just smooth brain in my opinion. As minimum wage here is £4 for UNDER 18S, it's weird to think that I, as a late teen am most likely being payed more than a job that is supposed to keep someone living.
Ok I totally agree with you but you got the bit about us under 18s very wrong!!
The minimum wage for 16-17 is £4.55/hr
The minimum wage for 18-20 is £6.45
The minimum wage for 21-25 is
£8.20
And then the regular minimum wage of £8.72
I would like to add that I don't think it should matter if you are a late teen or not as what if you are estranged from your parents or something- should be enough to live on regardless of age
tbh i dont much like the under 18 minimum. your doing the same job to the same level as someone who is over 18 so you desurve the same compensation.
@@janani1826 heh sorry I was just going off of what the work was like in my area, ima edit it to be correct thanks
@@Lampie2244 the reason it exists is to incentivise employing young people and because we have more rights as we are young (meant to have more breaks and stuff) which I get but it should only be a little less if they are gonna do that not half
@@janani1826 i was only vaguely aware of diferences in rights so i just did a quick google, thanks for pointing this out
it seems its mostly a limit of hours (and not by much for 16-18) and an enfoced 1 hour lunch rather than 20 mins. (something i think should apply to all but anyway)
i still dont think it should be less as
1. it devalues the same work being done by everyone else. its harder to argue for more than the minimum when an employer has the option of going even lower than your minimum.
2. many of people i know who worked allot before they were 18 did so to help support their families or pay for expences related to education. if you both limit the hours they can work AND reduce their minimum pay this becomes difficult.
(Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales still have EMA to help with this but ofcorse the torys scrapped that for england)
3. and the 18-25 minimum does not come with a difference in employment rights
This video is so polished in every way, wow. The intro clip especially is beautiful, great lighting!
If you cross state lines to work. You have to file tax returns for THAT STATE TOO. Plus these stupid people put that tip on a card. The waiter has to pay the card company too! Always tip with cash.
This. I always try to tip in cash. And, Like most of us who have worked in the industry, I never tip less than 20%. Usually more.
@@znachkiznachki5352 Good for you! People just don't know what is going on. AND Trump's labor department ruled tips are property of the restaurant! So they can pay less! Such outrageous actions. Like President Republican Reagan years ago taxing waiters for a tax cut for the super rich.
intercityrailpal Another area where the US lags behind the civilised world- I can't remember the last time I paid for anything in cash. I always have twenty pounds in my wallet just in case, but everything else is card or Apple Pay. There are businesses in London that no longer accept cash as even pre pandemic it was a hassle handling it.
@@spencerwilton5831 The banks have influence on those businesses. US money is paper and the virus is killed by the print and lasts only a day on it. Your money is plastic like the cards and can last up to 6 days on it. But touch anything you want, just wear a mask so you don't touch your nose with dirty hands. The cards result in higher prices. I have saved thousands of dollars on big ticket items. Like a new house furnace. with cash offers. Plus tipping a very poorly paid service worker with a card. It awful. They have to pay the bank swipe fees that start here at 30 cents US . I won't do it.
Alaska’s restaurant industry is absolutely booming (or, at least was...) and we’ve been paying a full wage for as long as I remember.
The more money circulating within the economy the better it is for everyone.
GO OFF EVAN
Genuinely though, thanks for making this.
You kind of touched on this with tip pooling, but when I was a server ~15 years ago we had to “tip out” other employees. My tips weren’t going into a communal pool to be divvied up by management-instead, I had to pay a percentage of my sales to employees in certain area. That’s right, it was based on sales and not tips so if you got crappy tips on large orders it costs you more of the little tips you earned! At Ruby Tuesday, I had to tip out the host, bartender, and salad bar attendant (this restaurant didn’t have bussers or we’d have to pay them too). So for every alcohol drink I sold, I owed the bartender a percentage. For every salad bar upgrade I sold, owed the person who kept it stocked. And I owed the host a percentage of total sales. The host got paid a bit more than us $3.13/hour, but still under minimum wage even though they weren’t receiving tips from customers. The argument was that these people aided in our ability as servers to provide excellent service and make good tips - by giving us tables, making our drinks, and stocking the salad bar (and clearing tables in restaurants that had bussers). But those should be basic experiences provided by a restaurant if you want guests to come back, ya know?
What the actual f... - Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.
Well, the way you describe it, I would say that would be fair. The only unfair part is if they all get paid much bigger wage than you and share the tips regardless. It's basic restaurant service to clean the tables? It's basic restaurant service to prepare drinks? Well, in my oppinion it's basic restoraunt service to take order and bring food. Like the most basic of them all.
God this is bringing up so many bad memories from when I worked as a server. Always, always having to fight for tips from customers, from management, from other employees.
Hello and welcome back to a man who can fold boxes perfectly without looking
The us really needs to work on its labour laws, they're about 200 years out of date 😂
I think a large amount of US laws are 200 years out of date
It's truly disgusting. I made $2.13 an hour at my first job - in 1996. Now, you can't even get a combo meal at a fast food restaurant for that. And yet CEOS will whine that they will have to pass the cost of a higher wage onto the customers. UMMMMM, they already do and it's called TIPPING.
Man you're such a good storyteller! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
They don't want to raise tipped/minimum wages cause corporate companies are greedy.
We should get rid of tipping wages and just have one flat minimum wage. And not 7.25....$15 is suggested (at least) for minimum.
Spanish here, tipping here is either an acknowledgement of an exceptional service, or an acknowledgement of you being, being about to be , or having been a major pain in the ass.
Ordering at a pizza restaurant for take out they want a tip.
That's how stupid it's getting. Maybe I'm wrong ....go ahead and pay them!
This exposé was one of your best pieces. Powerfully presented, and so very needed.
I’m a native South Korean, and I was baffled at this culture. Our restaurants don’t have as much staff. We pay decent wages, and the staff always look happy. I was surprised that US restaurants had so many wait staff in tourist destinations. I read about how they taxed the tips, so I always paid them. But it did not feel right to me. Just pay your staff, America. It’s such a rip off for the workers and the customers.
The production value of this video is just amazing, Evan. I really feely quite proud of you and honoured that you'd put so much effort into your content for us. I'd say it's worthy of mainstream television, but I wouldn't want to lose you to there, so let's just stick to calling you the best TH-cam has to offer ✨
this is such a good video, you clearly put a lot of work into it! i had no idea this problem was so common and so widespread, as someone who works in hospitality in the uk, i don't think i'd even survive in america lol
In the uk tipping is a special occasion. if someone tips you its because they wanted to out of their own generosity. in America tipping is an invisible added charge to your meal put in place so establishments can dodge paying their staff minimum wage.
This was so well done, and so interesting! I genuinely learned so much from this!! In the UK, as far as I know, servers are paid minimum wage, but tips are generally expected and if you don't pay in cash, it goes to the company and is split.
I once heard that if you can’t afford to pay your employees a fair and livable wage you shouldn’t own a business to begin with which is something they need to take into consideration look at now everyone’s hiring but people aren’t accepting 10$ an hour when prices of everything is going up including rent on places
As an American former restaurant employee of over a decade, always tip in cash. Makes it easier for the server to not have to claim it
Seconding this. Was a server for five years, cash tips are the best.
@@hopeatopia If I am going to tip someone it is always in cash sod the 12.5 percent on the bill. How do I know that it is going to the staff and not into the owner's/managers back pocket?
Fuck that. I'm not helping a server or anyone else commit tax fraud. But then again, I'm also not a fucking moron who pays extra money beyond what is legally required so I just don't tip. Honestly anyone who does tip is just an idiot.
You didn't adequately emphasize the impact of appearance and bias on tipping: how "hot blondes" make way more in tips than average people and minorities
I love the use of different locations without actually going outside! kept things interesting
This is such a fantastic video. I am very thankful to you for sharing this information despite how much of my blood may have boiled because of it.
I have been waiting forever for this video and I am so excited to finally see it! All the extra effort really showed
Thank you!!
Stop tipping! That's the only way of stepping this madness. It needs a revolution
I have a friend who, as a waitress, used to wear her hair in twin braids to appear younger-that way she was less likely to get hit on / have male customers act sleazy.
Yeah...I've never been a waitress, just counter staff at a burger / ice cream place where customers order at the counter. Where I live, I think everyone gets minimum wage, so tips are just extra. And well deserved; I've always thought waiting tables looked overwhelming, even without the likelihood of harassment.
Secondly, you talk about a fair wage? What is considered a “fair wage”??? $15 per hour? $20? how about $100 per hour? Who gets to determine who gets a “fair wage”? I get very pissed off at people who seem to think that they’re entitled to some earning just because they work there? If you never own a business you cannot make a determination who gets what per hour? You of New Jersey being to make a couple of diners in the world. But you don’t know what it takes to open up the diner. There are a lot of Greek immigrants a lot of Spanish immigrants who came to this country basically nothing but the shirt on their backs. Work 10, 12, 18 hours a day in the kitchen scrimp and save to buy a diner, cafe, or luncheonette of their own. Some even bought the diners that they got their start from. You’re a complaint could be justified by saying that tipping is not a valid way to pay a salary. And I would agree with you. But I think there’s an Ulterior motive here, you’re stating is that you’re promoting a living wage In altercation to a fair wage. And that’s something I will never agree with. You talk a lot about businesses should pay all the stuff. But you never asked the question of where this money comes from it comes from the consumer who has to pay for the food being served by the server. Should we start paying $15 for a hamburger? Should we start charging $100 for a prime rib dinner? Already know restaurants are charging gas station prices whether you pay in cash or in credit. Or a service charge of 3.7% if you use a debit card just to compensate paying a “fair wage”. And that’s pretty pathetic considering I eat out twice a week and I stop going to places that charge a service rate or a service charge in order to pay their employees especially when the New Jersey governor shut down because of Covid. Business is had to readjust and bringing those employees back because they had to pay unemployment for all the time they were laid off. They offset the unemployment upon patrons of service industries. Maybe eateries now have skeleton crews and replace the service with Kiosk right on the table. Why? thank you technology. Don’t think I’m exactly for tipping, because those who serve others and live on tips often get screwed by their patrons by leaving them nothing intentionally. I should add my Aunt was a 40 year career waitress from the 1930s , through the Great Depression to the Great Recession of the 1970s. She made a great living in NYC, and her job was a profession than a just a job.
Sounds like you really needed to get whatever that was off your chest
im just happy he mentioned washington state
I already knew about the the state of tipping in America, but you still highlighted so much i wasn't aware of (particularly the sexual harassment aspects) in a video that's still entertaining, humorous and very well made. This deserves to be seen by the masses and not just the IRS. Keep up the good work.
So much for the land of the free ! it sounds like there's more slaves over the pond than ever before !
OMG what a great video so informative and filmed in such a novel way. Keep up the good work Evan!