NWR - restaurant DEADBEAT vent

I know in the private places I worked after each table left I had to take their check up to the front or bar or wherever we paid, so i was never carrying money on me (except for tips). So it really is a PITA thing, and can be horrible, but i also can see it from both sides being a server and helping out management (in corporations and private restaurants).

I hear what you're saying, but what they're doing is taking the money from the least powerful, and the worst paid. It is the restaurant owner's risk, not the servers. I used to work in a bookstore. Things would get shoplifted--would it be right to take the cost of the shoplifted items out of my paycheck? After all, someone has to pay for it! Loss and shrinkage is part of doing business. Everyone understands that. Prices go up because of it. It's just ethically lousy to take it out of the poor server's salary. As I said, the server is not security. And, most of them are worked off their feet anyway, and that's management's fault for not having enough staff.

According to my fiance, the restaurant can get a BIG fine for doing that to the server, and there are a lot of restaurants on Long Island. If I were that girl, I'd get another job and then make a complaint.

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Posted by Pencils

According to my fiance, who has some experience, it's actually against the law for the restaurant to do that--to take an upaid bill out of the server's pay.

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That is very interesting, thanks for that info. Not sure if she is willing to bring it up, as she likes the job and the restaurant overall, but it might be worth casually mentioning to one of the managers....

You would think the restaurant would have some sort of loss insurance...

Here's the info. I just HATE hearing about this sort of thing. It makes me very angry to hear that people take advantage of those who are low down on the totem pole and don't have any power. According to my fiance, this restaurant/manager could get in a lot of trouble for this. Yes, it sounds as if it's common practice, but that doesn't make it right.

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/labor/employer.html


It is a violation of the labor law for an employer to make any other deduction from an employee's wages. For example, if an employee takes or damages property belonging to the employer, the employer may not recoup the value of that property by withholding all or a portion of that employee's wages. The employer, like any other party aggrieved by the negligent or criminal behavior of another, must pursue whatever remedies are available at law. He may not simply confiscate wages due to his employee without a court order permitting him to do so.



Additionally


An employer may not demand or accept any portion of an employee's tips, nor may an employer require that tips be pooled or that tips received by service employees be shared with non-service personnel.

Hi Pencils, you must be an attorney!

Just thinking....Another pet peeve shared by many brides I'm sure, is that some of our catering halls extract a huge service fee (18%), which is never seen by the service personnel!

Yet according to that law, '.... a restaurant owner may share a PORTION of the percentage service charge added to the bill for a banquet or other special function with non-service personnel and may reserve a SMALL handling charge therefrom to the restaurant...'

It seems MOST of that service fee should go to the wait staff, no?

I have so much to say that I can't even make words come out of my head.

I've waitressed, either full-time or part-time, for 13 years. I've had to pay out of pocket for walk-outs. I feel better when I catch them driving away and I get their license plate. The cops get them, bring them back and make them pay. But I seriously want to b!tch slap people.

is it possible that he paid and someone passing by the table swipped the $ out of the folder. I am always affraid this is going to happen when we leav it on the table and go, since we lways pay in cash

in any event.. it is horrible and the buisness should pay not the hard working waiter/waitress

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Posted by jgl

is it possible that he paid and someone passing by the table swipped the $ out of the folder. I am always affraid this is going to happen when we leav it on the table and go, since we lways pay in cash

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Yes and that actually does happen more often than we realize... I will never leave cash on the table anymore, even the tip... I'll hand it to the server!

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Posted by LImama

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Posted by jgl

is it possible that he paid and someone passing by the table swipped the $ out of the folder. I am always affraid this is going to happen when we leav it on the table and go, since we lways pay in cash

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Yes and that actually does happen more often than we realize... I will never leave cash on the table anymore, even the tip... I'll hand it to the server!

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That's what I do. I make sure I don't leave until the waiter/waitress takes it.

I'm so sorry this happened to your daughter. I was in retail management for four years and I remember how bad I felt when someone shoplifted and I didn't catch it. I can imagine that feeling times 10 when it's taken out of your pay.

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Hi Pencils, you must be an attorney!

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No, I'm an editor. And my fiance works for Brookhaven Labs! I just have a brain that retains things. Good in an editor too.

Don't get me started on the service fee from RHs. Most, I'm sure, do it so that their servers get a reasonable amount of tips. I've heard right here on these boards how it's abused. We checked and it seems that Timber Point, where we're having our wedding, is honest. But I've heard of RHs demanding the service fee and then asking for tips for the servers on top of that. Then what's the 'service fee' for then?

Hopefully the person that did that got a massive case of diahreah.

oh that just blows goats butt...what is wrong with people???