In today’s economy, making ends meet financially is challenging enough, but a shady employer can make life even more difficult. The employees of a small florist business in Virginia receive tips from customers via both cash and credit. However, none of the workers receive these tips. When asked why the tips are taken away, the boss said that the tips “go back into the company” and will eventually be distributed to the employees in the form of a Christmas bonus. However, after receiving a bonus incomparable to what they earned via tips, one of the workers questioned if this was even legal.
“We have no written policy, no transparency, and we’re not part of a tip pool or service charge system,” the Virginia employee explains in a post on r/legaladvice. “We also have no way of knowing how much is being collected from customers on our behalf.” For context, the amount of the Christmas bonus was $100 per worker. However, it was clear to everyone that “$100 was nowhere near what any of us should have received if all the tips from the year were actually being pooled and redistributed,” the employee complained. “Is it legal for the business to withhold 100% of our tips and reroute them into company funds or bonuses?“
Fortunately, one Reddit user had the perfect source that would answer the florist worker’s question: “This is illegal under federal law.” The comment was hyperlinked to a government website that states what the boss is doing is anything but lawful. “That setup sounds super sketchy and totally unfair,” another commenter interjects. “Tips are meant for the employees earning them, not to pay the company’s pockets.” “Stealing from employees is illegal,” agrees a third. “So damned illegal. You are being robbed,” remarks a fourth. Plenty of commenters also encourage OP to file a complaint with the state labor department.
With overwhelming agreement that what the Virginia employer is doing is illegal, as well as evidence via a government website, it’s clear that all employees should be filing complaints about the situation. Money can be hard to come by these days, so every bit counts.
