News Tipping Coming to United Parks Properties
- Thread starter bgw enthusiasts
- Start date
I always feel as if I am facing a moral and ethical dilemma, when presented with these new requests for tips. On the one hand, I don't want to contribute to the success of a system that I disagree with. On the other, it is the already poorly paid workers who suffer if I refuse to add the gratuity.
Regardless of what the employer says if you're going to tip an employee, tip them in physical cash. They do not have to report it on their taxes at end of year.
I'm always conflicted as well, but I have to look at it as I'm not their employer, and it's simply not my job to directly pay their salary.
They most certainly do have to report it on their taxes. If they wish to break the law, that's on them.
Yeah uh…. They do have to be reported. The perks are cashless so accepting cash tips would 100% be grounds for termination. Not only that, these card based tips are actually easier for a lot of places, since they’re just added into your paychecks (taxed separately though), whereas cash tips are way harder to tax, since you get that money then and there.
And this is why I have such an issue with tipping culture. It’s tough enough to debate contributing to something I disagree with, but also I don’t know how much that person is relying on tips.
I agree with many on what’s the level of service I’m getting, in that if I’m basically serving myself I don’t feel like I should tip, where if you are fully waiting on me I’m more likely to tip.
I’ve started to take more and more issues where we’re getting further from the definition of what a “service” is in regards to a tip.
Additionally like has been brought up in regards to United Parks - we don’t know much about how they are getting split, who gets what, ect. Am I tipping for someone sitting at a register scanning stuff? Am I tipping the person cleaning the tables after I’m done eating? Or is my tip going to some random employee in there who’s not really doing much?
And another issue I take with it with some time to think about it - this tip question disproportionately ‘attacks’ people without meal passes. If I prepaid for my meals for the day or for the year via one of those programs, I’ll never tip because I never need to take my card out to pay.
I can confirm that the POS system that the park uses has a configuration that allows for tipping it should be a fairly simple matter for their IT guys to turn it on at the register IF they are going down that route.
Something I continue to think about is that the tips are (presumably) only going to employees that work in departments that use the tip-enabled POS systems. So mostly F&B and Merchandise employees. Ride ops, area hosts, and any other front-line employees presumably won’t be receiving these tips anyway. So, while I completely relate to @Nicole’s point about feeling guilty for not tipping, I feel no more obliged to the F&B employees than I do any other park employee. Unless BGW starts encouraging us to hand cash to the ride ops as they check our restraints, why am I expected to help the situation of the F&B team and not the Operations team?
And, for what it’s worth, having worked in both operations and F&B positions back in my theme park days, I can tell you that no department is any more “deserving” of tips than the other.
And, for what it’s worth, having worked in both operations and F&B positions back in my theme park days, I can tell you that no department is any more “deserving” of tips than the other.
You are right. I always feel badly if I don’t tip like I am being selfish. But it isn’t my responsibility to pay employees. It’s the employers responsibility. You have given me a new perspective on this.
Tipping has gotten completely out of hand. It used to be for someone who actually provided an extra service like a server at a restaurant or a hairstylist, etc. Now all these semi-fast food places are asking for tips like Subway, chipotle etc. Because they don’t want to pay their employees themselves.
The original tip system was set up to encourage better service. These group tips that are spread among the employees do not do that. Because the slackers get the same amount as the hard workers.
I do know this. I will never tip at an overpriced amusement park.
I thought about this, as well. It seems especially bad to provide one set of frontline employees access to additional pay and not all of the others. Unless F&B will receive a lower base salary (which introduces additional ethical issues, in my opinion), they are creating a system that will inevitably lead to resentment and probably lower morale.
I find this entire initiative fraught and genuinely hope the rumor is untrue or the details have been garbled or misconstrued.
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And creates an imbalance in applications. And disincentivizes working towards a promotion (then again that goes down this whole culture of people refusing to work harder to avoid promotions because the pay isn’t worth the stress).
I’m with the wish that they would just pay people what they should. Actually more so I wish they would invest in staffing overall of a good strong full time core who are well trained and equipped to train the part time employees who are earning more. Empower those full time people to be well trained to help the others.
Entertainment should totally do tips, it can be like a Drag Show where everyone holds up singles.
Damn, maybe they should pay their employees more instead of making guests pay for it :/
Bgw tips will be going into a pool where said employees will recit evenly. And also rumor has it those same employees will be making less than minimum wage with guaranteed wage rate!
This is fucking pathetic from SEAS. Take a job they can’t fill and pay them less. Just brilliant.
We still have no proof re: lower wages. @Coasternerd claims the opposite of @bgw enthusiasts. I'd hold your fire for now on that bit.