Opinion has been divided after a TikTok user claimed she made just one cent for six weeks for her work as a waitress.
The way in which many hospitality workers are paid in the US has long been a topic of debate, as many are left to rely heavily on tips – something they obviously can’t always guarantee.
But social media users were horrified when one woman in Nashville revealed a particularly stark picture for her role as a waitress, saying she was paid just one cent for six weeks’ worth of work.
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“Life as a server... This is 6 weeks of ‘pay’,” TikToker Liny (@lvndsmac) wrote.
“TIP YOUR SERVERS!!!
In the caption, she added: “THE F**K IMA DO WITH ONE PENNY STEVEN!!!!!!!”
In the video, which was originally posted in 2021, she zoomed in on a recent payslip, which said she had been paid a total of $0.01.
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Liny did not name her employer in the video, nor did she reveal how much she may have made in tips during that period.
The post attracted 1.9 million views and more than 112,000 likes – along with thousands of comments from fellow TikTok users – some of whom didn’t seem all that sympathetic.
“It’s not my job to pay your bills I got my own to pay,” one wrote bluntly, with another agreeing: “I always tip, but restaurants need to pay you guys.”
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Someone else agreed: “Take it up with your employer. It’s not the customers responsibility to pay your wage.”
While a fourth said: “Blame the business you’re working for, not the consumers. In other countries, they don’t need to tip because they pay a living wage. I’m already paying overpriced prices for mediocre food. I shouldn’t also have to pay out of my pocket for your salary.”
When someone suggested a ‘career change’ was in order, Liny replied: “Lmaoooo chill y’all. I just finished school give me a break.”
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But others felt for Liny’s predicament, with one writing: “Half the people in this comment section are the ones who get mad when restaurants are understaffed. Who’s gonna serve your food and take care of you when they all quit bc they don’t get paid what they should and some people feel too entitled to tip. Get your own job in the industry and see how it is.”
Someone else commented: “Do not eat out if you aren’t willing to tip. That simple.”
A third added: “Eating out is an experience. You’re not tipping your server for bringing out a plate, you’re tipping your server for top notch service.”
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Many also argued that her tiny pay actually had something to do with the tips she was receiving and that the video didn’t paint the full picture - with someone explaining how she ‘didn’t make $0.01’.
One claimed they had ‘easily made $4,400 a month being a server’, adding: “Don’t let these empty checks fool you if you’re serving and making so much that you don’t get an hourly [wage].”
Another agreed: “She got 0 because she made more money in tips than what they pay her that’s how it goes, so her showing her checks saying to tip is misleading.”
A third said: “Correct me if I’m wrong but if your check looks like this it’s bc you’re getting more than enough tips.”
Liny then replied: “Absolutely and that’s not what people are understanding.”
Jess Hardiman