'I just rage quit my waitressing job': Server finds out her boss was stealing her tips, quits on the spot and seeks legal action

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jun 11, 2023 6:00 PM EDT

Most people start a career as a waiter or waitress because of the money. It's no secret that servers make bank, but it's definitely not because of their minimum wage hourly rate, it's because the tipping culture in America says it's acceptable (if not encouraged) to tip 25%+ to the server on top of a restaurant receipt. So for servers who aren't making tips, why would you suffer the long hours, picky customers, and weekend enslavement? Exactly. You wouldn't. 

One woman just recently quit her job in a furious rage because of a debacle with her tips. Not only was she not earning tips (after being told they'd go straight to her paycheck), but her boss was straight up stealing her tips for themselves. She basically caught him with a hand in the tip jar! After that incident, the Internet is up in arms. Keep scrolling for the full first account of this tantalizing tale of thievery, managerial fall out, and just bad business. 

For more dizzying stories of drama in the workplace, check out this piece about an overnight employee that gets revenge on her coworker for being an hour late to relieve her shift. 

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  • 01
    Face - Ma I just rage quit my waitressing job.
    via maiadobbs
  • 02
    Hair - They were going to switch my pay from tips to minimum wage and not tell me. And the only way I found out is because somebody else told me. And then they offered my male coworker, who started working the same time as me, $18.50 an hour.
    via maiadobbs
  • 03
    Smile - And then I just kind of ignored them for like a week because I was like, what? They said they were going to pay me $17.50 an hour. *I didn't go to work so this was their counter offer
    via maiadobbs
  • 04
    Hair - I was like, okay, that's about what I was making with tips. Then I actually looked back at my pay stubs, and I was making exactly $17 almost every month, except like two random months. And there's no hours listed on my pay stubs either.
    via maiadobbs
  • 05
    Smile - Se Nothing's listed. It just says salary. $17 an hour. That's not right. I make tips. I don't make salary.
    via maiadobbs
  • 06
    Nose - So I go into work. The cook tries to talk me out of being angry. And I was like, Why are you talking me out of being angry?
    via maiadobbs
  • 07
    Smile - And I'm like, Wait a minute. Do you make tips? She's like, yeah. And I was like, first of all, that's illegal. 200 *It's illegal for servers to have to share tips with cooks in the state of Connecticut (servers make $6.38 plus tips while cooks make salary)
    via maiadobbs
  • 08
    Hair - Second of all, why are you trying to talk me out of being angry? Oh, I understand now because you're benefiting from this. Cool.
    via maiadobbs
  • 09
    Smile - And then I was like, you know what? I bet the owner is going to come in today. I just had a feeling. And you know who walked in? The owner.
    via maiadobbs
  • 10
    Hair - She walked right in. She started working, and she tried talking to me. And I was like, I don't want to talk to you unless it's in writing.
    via maiadobbs
  • 11
    Forehead - *cue malicious compliance I didn't have the tip drawer out because I don't make tips. So why would I put the tip drawer out, right?
    via maiadobbs
  • 12
    Hair - The owner kept putting the tip drawer out. I kept taking it back. Because at this point, if we take tips and you're paying your employees a set wage, that's stealing from your customers. *We have to give all our cash tips to the manager at the end of the night to "distribute" in our paychecks
    via maiadobbs
  • 13
    Hair - *We have to give all our cash tips to the manager at the end of the night to "distribute" in our paychecks
    via maiadobbs
  • 14
    Motor vehicle - I was like, you can't put the tip jar out if you're paying a set wage. And she's like, well, that's part of how we make money, is tips.
    via maiadobbs
  • 15
    Nose - You're supposed to make money from the product, not the tips. And she was like, really? Who said?
    via maiadobbs
  • 16
    Nose - And I said, if you put the tip jar out, I'm leaving.
    via maiadobbs
  • 17
    Hair - And she took the tip jar and she put it back out. And she smiled at me. So then I went around to all the tables and told them they're stealing our tips.
    via maiadobbs
  • 18
    Chin - Because they are. They're stealing them. And then I left.
    via maiadobbs
  • 19
    Hair - Also, they're currently being sued by their former employees for stealing tips, and they're being investigated by the IRS.
    via maiadobbs
  • 20
    Smile - So I hope they have fun with their last few weeks of freedom waitressing, because I won't be.
    via maiadobbs
  • 21

    Elle Woods, is that you?

    via maiadobbs

    After her original tell-all video about her stolen tips, Maia sought out legal counsel and found that there are a lot of shady things going on at her old employer that ought to be dredged up. Here's the latest update on her findings in the sketchy restaurant world of Connecticut.

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salary boss tips employee drama manager stealing job server quit wages restaurant employer stealing-tips rage quit paycheck waitress tales from your server tiktok
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