Manager informs employees that they won't receive their pooled tips and she's donating them to a struggling coworker instead: ‘I don't know how to react’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
May 15, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

Tipped employees know that their take-home income is mostly made up of tips. Tipped workers earn an hourly wage that dips below minimum wage because it is expected that the tips will make up for the deficit, therefore allowing them to earn at or above minimum wage. When I was a waitress, it felt like Friday at 12 PM couldn't come quickly enough; my credit card tips and hourly wage would be in a pretty little envelope that I'd tear open as fast as possible. Without tips, I probably wouldn't have been able to pay my rent.

The employee who posted this story is in that predicament right now. Their manager texted them explaining that their pooled tips for the last pay period would not be distributed to them or to any other coworkers because one of the team members' mothers just passed away, and she "needs" the money more. This is illegal wage theft, and commenters are urging the employee to take legal action. Who's to say that they're giving the struggling coworker any of the money at all? Scroll to read. 

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