DISGRUNTLED

What does that word mean to you?

It seems this word gets put on the ex-employee often.

When really, you likely wouldn't be an ex employee

if you were PLEASED with their treatment of you.

It's shocking how a word ... 11 little letters ... can change

the reader's perception.

The term "disgruntled employee" changes everything.

Sadly I've had a lot of jobs. I've been the disgruntled

employee many times and I had a right to feel that way

every friggin' time.

I look back on past jobs-- jobs I had before I even knew

there were employment standards-- and I kick myself for

all that I allowed to happen.

I know I go on and on about it to the point of annoyance,

but employment standards are what separate us from

North Korea and other countries where employees have

no rights.

It's funny how an industry norm can become so

accepted even if it's against the law. Take the tip kitty.

It's simply understood by many that you pay into it no

questions asked. In my day, they used to lie about it and

tell us it was for an end-of-season staff party!

Just a spoonful o' sugar makes the bullshit go down!

The bullshit go down 

Bullshit go down!

Now they don't have to lie at all. Capitalism and this

solid acceptance of it brings us another four-letter word

that seems to give them every right to take your tips.

COST

That word gets thrown around so often that it's like it 

has claws or a mind of its own.

"It's the norm," they'll say.

It's the norm because I and the millions of other food and

beverage workers allowed it to happen so long ago.

It's the norm because there's no oversight for it, no education in

high schools about it, and no substantial action taken when

it's discovered.

How an employee is treated and the law surrounding that

isn't important ....

it's EVERYTHING!

What can you do?

Ask your server, every server you have, if they 

have to pay into a kitty or a tip-out.

Ask them what happens if their table leaves 

without paying.  Do they pay the bill?

Ask them if they get regularly scheduled breaks
when their shift exceeds 5 hours.

What you do with the answers they give is up 

to you and your wallet.

It takes a community to demand what's right, and
maybe when their actions start COSTing these 
business owners, they'll change.

For interest sake, check out THIS ARTICLE from 2012
where CBC's GoPublic goes undercover to learn about 
the infamous TIP KITTY.