That said, I'm somewhat sympathetic to the owners here. You're getting essays because the alternative is having long conversations with diners, over and over, or -- worse -- forcing wait staff to explain their compensation structure to diners, over and over. Maybe this is a transitional period and in five years more folks will understand what they're getting without the fuss.
I can tell you that when I worked briefly for tips in my mid-30s, they were functionally tax exempt.
By which I mean: I took my cash and went home.
Oh yeah, when I waited tables it was considered exceptionally scrupulous to report any tips at all
You're clearly a better person than I am.
eh, little of that, little of being an 18-year-old libertarian scared of going to jail for tax fraud :P
That said, I'm somewhat sympathetic to the owners here. You're getting essays because the alternative is having long conversations with diners, over and over, or -- worse -- forcing wait staff to explain their compensation structure to diners, over and over. Maybe this is a transitional period and in five years more folks will understand what they're getting without the fuss.