In Spain there is a debate on the table. In the country he had always looked at the “optional tip” of 10% as an exotic custom of the United States, but lately something seems to be changing in the hospitality industry. On the contrary, in the United States someone has opened the melon of one of the great traditions of the sector. And anyone has said it. McDonald’s has questioned the American tips and system.
Context. We told it a few weeks ago. In the United States, tips are not mandatory by law, but it is customary, we would almost say that “obligation”, leaving a tip between 15 and 20%. The logic behind the behavior has to do with the US minimum federal minimum wage for workers with tips is $ 2.13 per hour, an amount that has not changed since 1991.
Somehow, that very small amount that the waiter receives on duty has turned the “American” tip into a kind of help to the worker who has no other way to increase his income. In practice, more forced than the theory, when eating in the United States in groups of between a minimum of four and six people, most establishments impose a 18% tip (free) without giving option not to pay it. By the way, although the practice is so settled there, it has European origin. It is estimated that in England in the 16th century.
McDonald’s opens the melon. And this is where the almighty company appears. The CEO of McDonald’s, Chris Kempczinski, has criticized in a television interview the restaurant model that rely on tips to cover the salary of its workers, qualifying it as a system that “transfers responsibility for the payment of the workforce to the client”.
As explained, while McDonald’s does not allow tips and directly pays the salaries of its employees, other premises can pay only $ 2.13 an hour under federal law provided that the final income, adding tips, reaches the federal minimum wage of $ 7.25. With the recent approval of the “Big Beautiful Bill” promoted by Trump, which exempts tips from taxes, that scheme is reinforced and generated (in the opinion of Kempczinski) a “inequality of conditions” against fast food chains that do not benefit from such practices.
The background of the phenomenon. The “Tipped Wages” system has been extending beyond the traditional restoration towards multiple sectors of precarious work and the platform economy. They remembered in Insider that appos of apps such as Uber Eats or Dordash depend on the tips to complement income, and the pressure on customers has intensified with notifications that suggest that the speed of the service can depend on the initial generosity of the order.
Practices such as the “Tip Baiting”, in which a consumer promises a high tip to encourage rapid delivery and then withdraws, have generated conflicts and distrust. At the same time, recent surveys reveal a growing social fatigue towards the proliferation of tip applications in all types of establishments, which reopens the debate on whether this form of compensation remains sustainable and fair.
The giant proposal. Kempczinski, on behalf of the multinational, suggested that the solution is to force all restaurants to pay the same minimum base salary, regardless of the tips received. States such as California, Alaska or Minnesota already demand it, eliminating the figure of the “subminate by tips” and guaranteeing more stable direct salaries.
According to the manager, extending this federal model would reduce poverty and labor rotation without implying loss of jobs, while leveling competition between fast food chains and traditional restaurants. In his vision, the current disparity favors those who rely on an outsourced compensation system in customers, while companies such as McDonald’s directly assume personnel costs.
The vision of a “double cheeking.” There is much more, since Kempczinski described the current American situation as a “two -level economy”, marked by the gap between high -income consumers, who continue to spend on premium products and home deliveries, and those of average and low income, which reduce their visits to restaurants, jump meals and choose to cook at home.
From the inflationary wave of 2022, the chain has faced an increasing discomfort by the increase in its menus, which led to the combos exceeding ten dollars since whole strips of customers see fast food as an occasional luxury more than a daily option.
Price readjustment as a strategy. To stop the traffic drop between these segments, McDonald’s relaunched a five -dollar meal package and reinforced promotions in its main markets, relying on advertising campaigns focused on value. The strategy aims to maintain the brand as a reference for accessibility in an environment in which the smallest competition lacks the scale to absorb the costs of the reduction.
However, franchisees (responsible for most premises in the United States) show concern about the impact on margins in a context of wages, rentals and supplies on the rise, although Kempczinski said that the consensus in favor of these measures was “almost unanimous.”
A conflict between models. If you want also, the debate also contains a deep cultural shock: in the United States, tips have historically worked as a salary complement, but the rise of digital platforms and inflationary pressure have intensified the wear of this model.
While the restoration industry defends its flexibility and ability to attract customers with lower apparent prices, critics point out that it is an undercover subsidy form in which consumers, and not employers, finance a good part of wages.
The intervention of McDonald’s reflects how great global corporations see in this imbalance not only an ethical and social problem, but also a competitive disadvantage, reviving a debate that touches the essence of US labor policy and its relationship with salary justice.
Image | Crusier, Tomwsulcer, Ramon Fvelasquez
In WorldOfSoftware | Spain had always looked at the “optional tip” of 10% as an exotic custom of the US. Until now
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