Working for minimum wage unquestionably sucks, many of us have experienced it firsthand. But why do we not sympathize with anyone working for minimum wage? Why doesn't anyone ever suggest that we should help out the dishwasher with his cost of living?  Why do people have no problem stiffing the fast food employee? It is because those types of employees are still seen as receiving a "full wage" and therefore do not require any outside help and are in a sense “on their own”. 

Premise #1: There exists no social obligation to tip someone perceived as working for at least minimum wage. These people are in a sense “on their own”.

There exists some jobs that are paid below the minimum wage. These are called tipped jobs and receive a lower “tipped minimum wage” people working theses jobs are perceived as “working for tips”. It is perceived that their lower wage is insufficient to live on and therefore must receive subsidies in the form of tips in order to earn a living.

Premise #2: There exists a social obligation to tip people that are perceived as working for less than minimum wage.

  Conclusion: There exists a social obligation to tip people up to the point they begin receiving a minimum wage but not after.

Corollary: There is no social obligation to tip more than the difference between the state’s “tipped minimum wage” and the state’s “full minimum wage” times the number of hours spent under the service of the tipped employee. Assuming you are the only customer they are servicing and it is perceived that the employee is receiving only the tipped minimum wage.

Example: Michigan’s tipped minimum wage is $3.10 per hour while the full minimum wage is $8.15 per hour.

Therefore, in Michigan, there exists no social obligation to tip more than $5.05 per hour, which is shared jointly among all of the customers.

The Red Pill:

Employers pay employees less than minimum wage BECAUSE they receive tips, not the other way around. If an employee does not receive enough in tips to make at least minimum wage then the employer is forced to make up the difference. ALL employees, including tipped employees, will receive at least a "full minimum wage” no matter what. That is why ALL employees should be perceived as making at least minimum wage. Premise #2 above should never apply in any circumstance. The restaurant server has no more of a social obligation to receive tips than the dishwasher, the fast food employee, or any other low wage worker.