Man hits out at Australian servers expecting tips and says he refuses

People are flocking to social media in heated debate after a man revealed he thinks it's 'un-Australian' to leave a tip.

While waiting staff in the US raise awareness of why tips are crucial in order for servers to actually take home any money, can the same be said for over in Australia?

Well, according to one man, you should rarely bother leaving a tip in restaurants and if you frequently do, it's not very Australian of you.

In an op-ed piece for News.com.au, Caleb Bond says he 'will not leave a tip for a restaurant' and questions 'when and why' it became such a 'commonplace' event in the country.

Bond explains he now feels 'almost pressured' by servers to add a tip to the bill when they bring over an EFTPPOS machine which 'first asks how much of a tip you want to leave'.

"Worse is when you are delivered the bill and a pen for you to write the total you want to pay before sending your card back to the counter," he adds, questioning whether staff are 'judging' him for not 'rounding [his bill] up'.

But why does Bond hate the idea of adding a few extra bills to his check?

Pexels/ Cottonbro studio

Well, the journalist argues he has 'no idea where this extra money will go' and perhaps none of it actually makes it's way to the staff.

He continues: "If you pay it through a machine, is the restaurant liable to pay corporate tax and staff income tax on that extra money which I intended to be a gift?"

Bond also reasons while in the US and other parts of the globe, it's customary to tip because you are essentially 'paying the staff directly' because of there being 'low or no minimum wage,' that servers are paid 'fairly' in Australia.

He also warns if the practice does become 'commonplace' then businesses may avoid giving staff pay rises because they'll argue tips are 'already extra income' - Bond arguing they're 'gifts' not a pay 'top-up'.

Pexels/ Pixabay

Despite noting he doesn't 'mind' tipping, Bond resolves there's 'no need' to tip and there certainly shouldn't be any 'pressure' or 'expectation to,' and so Australia should refrain from encouraging such a culture.

And his view has caused quite the debate on social media, with people flocking to his re-sharing of the article on X - formerly known as Twitter - to weigh in on the matter.

One X user wrote: "Tight ar..e!"

"Tried living on those minimum wages lately ?" another chimed.

However, others agreed with the journalist.

One said: "How am I agreeing with Caleb bond, what is wrong with me!"

And a second added: "I have nothing but respect for waitstaff, especially the good ones. Good face to face service and they’ll get a tip.

"My issue is that restaurants are making it harder for their staff to get tips. I’m not tipping when you force me to order off a QR code and pay a service fee."