27 ms·

> what can the worker do? I used to work for tips. I quit that job when I found a better one. It feels like I had a say in that, and lots of choices.

munk-a 7y ago
Would it be reasonable to say that most or all servers could quit their jobs and find new ones in better fields - or that a significant enough proportion could do this to pressure real change in terms of compensation?
- whiddershins 7y ago
  Well, in some situations ... not all situations, but some situations ... your statement actually ends up explaining how good a service job is. If it is hard to find work in a “better field” that could be because there are few options. Or it could be because the service job is much better than could be expected based on skill set, education level, etc. In NYC most (not all) people who work as a waiter could get a job as a plumber’s apprentice. This statement isn’t random. I know at least one plumber who regularly asks me if I know anyone who wants work, I’ve discussed their needs in an entry level employee, and as far as I can tell the only problem versus a food service job is being asked to wake up early and work a consistent 40 hour work week. So if someone chooses to be a bartender instead, is it because their options “suck” or is it because bar tending is a pretty good gig?
- hirundo 7y ago
  Why in better fields? When I was 15 I quit a burger joint to work at a burrito joint for like a $.50/hour raise. I flipped jobs often at that age and my coworkers and friends did the same. More than once -- including my highest paid job as a teen -- I quit because the boss was an asshole. Everything paid over the minimum wage is the result of the negotiating power of employees. In a service business, where tips are found, the quality of those employees is critical to the bottom line. That translates into leverage for friendly, productive employees, who can often walk out and get a new job before you can calculate their final paycheck.

munk-a 7y ago

Would it be reasonable to say that most or all servers could quit their jobs and find new ones in better fields - or that a significant enough proportion could do this to pressure real change in terms of compensation?

whiddershins 7y ago
Well, in some situations ... not all situations, but some situations ... your statement actually ends up explaining how good a service job is. If it is hard to find work in a “better field” that could be because there are few options. Or it could be because the service job is much better than could be expected based on skill set, education level, etc. In NYC most (not all) people who work as a waiter could get a job as a plumber’s apprentice. This statement isn’t random. I know at least one plumber who regularly asks me if I know anyone who wants work, I’ve discussed their needs in an entry level employee, and as far as I can tell the only problem versus a food service job is being asked to wake up early and work a consistent 40 hour work week. So if someone chooses to be a bartender instead, is it because their options “suck” or is it because bar tending is a pretty good gig?
hirundo 7y ago
Why in better fields? When I was 15 I quit a burger joint to work at a burrito joint for like a $.50/hour raise. I flipped jobs often at that age and my coworkers and friends did the same. More than once -- including my highest paid job as a teen -- I quit because the boss was an asshole. Everything paid over the minimum wage is the result of the negotiating power of employees. In a service business, where tips are found, the quality of those employees is critical to the bottom line. That translates into leverage for friendly, productive employees, who can often walk out and get a new job before you can calculate their final paycheck.