The conversation around wages is always contentious, especially amid rising living costs. A bartender hailing from Austin, Texas, ignited this very debate online after sharing her earnings from a grueling 70 hours of work. The bartender used TikTok to communicate to her audience the critical role tips play in her livelihood. She emphasized her desire for ‘adequate and consistent’ pay.
Aaliyah Cortez had been employed at a sports bar for a year before she posted a video revealing her pay stub on TikTok in January 2020. In a brief video, Aaliyah shared with her followers that her hourly wage is only $2.13, not including tips.
@f.aa.ded PSA #psa #fyp #foryou #bartender #server #work #tips #chooseone #CleanFreshHype #photography101 #hardwork #viral
This compensation structure means that she heavily depends on tips from customers to make a living. If you calculate her base salary for 70 hours at slightly over $2 per hour, it totals around $140. However, the actual take-home pay Aaliyah disclosed will certainly raise eyebrows.
Aaliyah Cortez spoke out about the importance of tipping on TikTok.
Aaliyah explained that after working 70.8 hours, her paycheck amounted to a mere $9.28, once federal taxes, social security, and Medicare were deducted. She stated, “So this is why you should always tip your bartenders and servers, anyone who waits on you or provides a service for you.”
“Of course, I got tips, but this is what I got for my hourly,” she continued. “This is why you tip.”
Expressing her frustration with the service industry, Aaliyah voiced her need for ‘adequate and consistent’ compensation. She told BuzzFeed, “There are laws set up that allow tipped employees to be paid under the federal minimum wage, which makes us rely on the customer to pay our wages.”
The bartender revealed how little she got paid after taxes and Medicare.
“It’s not right that we have to do this, but I wanted to shed some light on the issue and inform the public about the importance of tipping,” she added. “If I had a good two weeks from tips, my check will be on the lower side. At my last restaurant, my checks would come out to be $0.”
“I just wish we were all being paid adequately and consistently. As you can see – by my check – I cannot afford to live off of $2.13 an hour, so I solely rely on the generosity of my customers.”
Viewer reactions to her video were mixed. One viewer commented, “This is why the US should be like EVERY other developed nation and not have a tip culture. Businesses should pay your wages. Tips shouldn’t be a thing.”
“This is why you tip.”
Another argued, “Tips are optional always have been always will be. The whole if you can’t tip don’t eat out thing is pointless we pay our bill that’s it.”
“Blame the business not the customers keeping the business open,” another viewer suggested.
However, some people showed more understanding, with one writing, “No ma’am, your bar/restaurant is getting free labor and that’s not ok.”
Another noted, “The people mad at this are the people who don’t tip lmao.”
“I don’t get why people go to restaurants and can’t leave a decent tip; just go to a fast food place instead,” another exasperated viewer expressed.