According to a national online survey conducted for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), Canadian youth are ready to take the tip out of the service industry. As more young people voice their frustrations, a growing number of individuals express their readiness to abandon traditional tipping practices. The survey, performed on Feb. 12-13 with 1,790 survey takers, shows a clear generational divide when it comes to paying gratuities.
One of the people sharing their outrage is Ren Alva, 24, who says he’s tired of being guilted into tipping. Alva left wondering, “I still don’t know who the money’s going to.” Unfortunately, many more do not, and most Americans still don’t know how widely tipped workers are exploited across the service sector. This attitude is shared by many, especially when it comes to situations where tipping becomes mandatory rather than voluntary.
Aditi Roy, a student at Toronto Metropolitan University with upbringings in both China and Hong Kong, expressed similar feelings. She deemed tipping at least 15-20 percent as “ridiculous.” Her article argues for a shift in Canadian tipping culture to resemble European countries’ practices, where tipping is not so closely tied to service quality. Roy’s advocacy extends to all service workers, who they say should be paid enough that tipping isn’t required. “Pay these people what they deserve, so they don’t have to scour for tips,” she asserted.
Jacob Burris, a 22-year-old from Saint John, N.B., has a more tempered view on the issue of tipping. He’ll only tip at sit-down restaurants in his own neighborhood. He raises or lowers the amount depending on how good of service he gets. His perspective reflects a belief that “tips should not be given for someone simply doing their job.” This perspective paints a clear picture of the double standards young Canadians have on what constitutes an appropriate time to tip and how much to share.
Milly Squires, who worked for six years as a waitress, offers firsthand knowledge of the seedy underbelly of the service industry. She goes on to note that servers often tip out a percentage of their gross sales to coworkers in non-tipped roles in the restaurant. This practice cast a bright light on the thin connections service staff are operating under. That’s because they rely on customer tips to raise their usually paltry salaries.
Ren Alva’s experience with tipping goes well outside of sit-down restaurants. Read her impactful story about an unexpected experience at a U-pick berry patch. At checkout, they were confronted with a surprise request to leave a tip. This encounter illustrated the growing pressure to tip in non-traditional settings. It should be commended for raising those important questions about the appropriateness of these invasive practices.
The changing culture around the practice of tipping shows that Canadian youth, as a whole, are becoming used to an experience-oriented culture. Many are beginning to question the fairness and necessity of tipping in an industry where service workers often face wage disparities. As tipping expectations increase everywhere from the corner store to online purchases, young Canadians are left to navigate the effects of these new responsibilities.
