One Austin mother has a bone to pick with the U.S. service industry.
She's worked as a server and bartender at a local sports bar for a little over a year — but there's not much to show for it.
This was made evident in a viral TikTok video where she showed how she made a measly $9 for 70+ hours of work!
It's perfectly legal for establishments to pay their workers a minimum wage of $2.13, so long as that amount combined with tips received equals the federal minimum wage.
Typically, the government views a "tipped employee" as someone who regularly earns more than $30 in tips per month.
For one, restaurants could raise their meal prices.
Secondly, they could get rid of tips entirely and increase the hourly wage (but that likely won't happen).
It is most defintiely a stressful way of life, as shown in a viral TikTok video.
The video was made by Aaliyah Cortez.
She decided to make the video on TikTok as a "PSA" that highlights the importance of tipping.
While her final pay was supposed to be $150.81, a large chunk of that was deducted from social security, medicare, and federal income tax.
This left her with a measly $9.28 for 70 hours of work (!!!).
A lot of people in the comments were astonished.
"No mam, your bar/restaurant is getting free labor and that's not ok," one user commented.
"Businesses should pay your wages. Tips should be a thing," added another.
Some, however, had little sympathy. "Get a different job," one wrote.
Another told her to quit. "Nobody is keeping you there. You know FULL WELL that the tips you pull in .... IN CASH more than make up for that tiny check."
When someone wrote, "Don't be mad at the customers. Be mad at the establishment," she replied, "I'm actually mad at the state laws that expect the customer to pay my wage."
"If youve never been a server you literally dont get to speak on this, im sorry," one wrote.
Which, I have to agree! No one knows how hard someone else's job is unless you work in the same field.
She said that her paychecks don't factor in income since they're so low.
Her reported tips also play a factor in how much she's taxed.
Like some of the negative comments pointed out, Aaliyah does feel lucky that she makes money from tips.
"As you can see — by my check — I cannot afford to live off of $2.13 an hour, so I solely rely on the generosity of my customers."
What do you think about Aaliyah's check? Do you tip when you go out to restaurants?
Let us know down below in the comment section. We would love to hear from you!
