OPINION & MISC

Auto-grats in the service industry

Hannah Adams Asst News Editor

In many US states, it is common practice for those in the service industry to be criminally underpaid, some employees earning as low as two dollars per hour. Because of this, servers tend to rely primarily on the gratuities of customers for most of their paycheck. Given that the hourly wage of servers is generally low, it is considered acceptable to auto gratuity tables higher than six persons to ensure the server is properly paid for their time and efforts. While most of those with experience in the service industry are understanding of this custom, there are some critics that consider it wrong for a waiter to be able to auto gratuity in any circumstance. These people tend to think that a server needs to earn their tip. For those that have not ever worked in the industry, I can understand where this perspective is coming from. It truly takes actually being an employee in the industry to grasp why an auto-gratuity holds so much insurance for servers. As a server myself, I do not feel guilty for applying an auto gratuity to my larger tables, especially those that require copious amounts of my time and attention. Serving can be an extremely taxing job, and there is nothing more frustrating to a server then to be poorly tipped by a large and needy table. It is even worse to dedicate time to a table for hours at a time, only for them not to tip at all. All the while also juggling being a decent server to the other tables under that server’s care at the same time. Because of the poor hourly wages servers receive, a table not tipping or tipping poorly is almost equivalent to doing that work for free. In my experience, it is typically only those that have never worked in the service industry that claim that auto gratuities are unfair. In a fivecentnickle.com excerpt called “Thoughts on Tipping _ Pardon the Rant,” written by author Nickle, a consumer shares their thoughts on auto gratuities. “The funny thing is that, in many cases, I would have left a larger tip than what was automatically added to the bill,” Nickle said. “And if the waiter does me the courtesy of telling me that they’ve added an auto-gratuity, I sometimes still will – if it’s deserved. But if they don’t bother telling me, then they’re not getting another penny. And if the service was abysmal, I’m not above adjusting the tip down.” It is comments like this one that I find eternally frustrating as a server. On my side of the argument, it seems like this is a person that has never worked in the service industry and does not understand why a server would add gratuity to a larger table. It is to provide insurance to the server that they are going to be paid well for the work they do. In general, when a server applies an auto-gratting it does not exceed twenty percent, which is the proper tip amount anyways. But, playing devil’s advocate, I can see why a customer would be frustrated with being forced to tip a certain amount especially in the case that the server did a poor job. There are very few instances where I can really stand by the argument that a server performed poor enough to warrant purposefully tipping low. While I understand that its upsetting for customers, the majority of the time servers are running around like mad trying to keep up with multiple requests from various tables. All of this while also being capable of answering phone calls and in some cases working behind the bar if there is not a bar shift. So yes, in some cases a server genuinely just forgets, and this does not condone being paid cheaply for their efforts. There are times when I can sympathize with the reasoning behind a low tip. For example, if a server is openly rude for no real reason or the server neglects a table during the slow hours because they are distracted socializing or being on their phones. At the end of the day, I think that the conflict over tipping servers could be eliminated by putting servers on a fair hourly wage. According to Spoon University’s article, “Servers should not have to rely on tips to earn a living,” written by Muriel Robotta, it would be much more beneficial for both parties in this conflict if those in the service industry could be paid higher hourly. “If tips weren’t what servers relied on for income, tolerating crude and demeaning behavior wouldn’t be necessary and the restaurant workplace would become a less hostile environment,” Robotta said. “However, the seven states that have an equal minimum wage for all workers fare better than those that don’t. More restaurant growth, higher gross sales, and often a higher tipping percentage are seen, meaning that when servers aren’t dependent on tips, they and the restaurants they work in actually perform better.” Many other servers feel similarly about the issue, as an anonymous reddit user vented their frustrations towards poor pay in the industry. They also express the frustrations of having to come in prior to opening time to set up the restaurant. “When we open at 11am but I come in at 9am to set-up... how come I make $2 an hour from 9-11? How is this legal? Shouldn’t I be paid at least minimum wage from 9-11, then switch to server wage during business hours? Am I missing something? It seems crazy to me that you can pay someone $2 an hour plus tips when they won’t even have a possibility of getting a tip.” While I can understand why someone that has not experience in the service industry may feel it is unjust to be auto-gratted by servers, it takes looking into the realities of our pay to understand why it is done. It is simply a means of insurance that we are fairly paid because it is our way of making a living.

Courtesy of Art Director | Claire O’Neill

Let’s talk: seasonal depression

Abigayle Allen Opinion Editor

TRIGGER WARNING: THIS ARTICLE SPEAKS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ACCORDING TO SEASON CHANGE. PLEASE CONTACT https:// www.gcsu.edu/counseling IF YOU RESONATE WITH ANYTHING IN THIS ARTICLE. The winter months, while being the birthplace of holiday joy, can also prove to be the birthplace of the winter blues. As the seasons are changing, I can count on my mood, motivation, and overall outlook on my life switching as well. It is no secret songs like “Back to December” and “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift become so popular this time of year. Seasonal affective disorder, commonly referred to as SAD, is a type of depression related to the changes in seasons. This mental illness is often linked to states experiencing colder seasons, but does affect up to 10% of people in the United states, according to The New York Times. Sunlight triggers your brain to produce the serotonin hormone. According to the Cleveland Clinic, serotonin is known as the “feel good” hormone -- directly related to your focus or lack thereof, emotional stability, and overall feelings of joy. Whereas as the months grow colder and drearer your brain produces higher levels of melatonin that can lead to sleepiness. A common misconception of SAD comes from the stigma of having “winter blues” as summer turns to fall and fall to winter. It is not out of the ordinary for many people, especially college students, to become unfocussed or have temporary feelings of stress or exhaustion. However, SAD, a form of clinical depression, can have symptoms lasting much longer than the seasons themselves last. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “you may have seasonal affective disorder if you experience certain symptoms starting and stopping during specific months, and that occur for at least two consecutive years”. This can include but is not limited to; drowsiness and low energy; changes to your appetite or weight; trouble sleeping or falling asleep; changes in your appetite; and, at worst, thoughts of death or suicide. Although SAD is most common during the winter, with symptoms beginning in the late fall and early winter and ending in the spring and summer months, SAD can also occur during the spring and summer. This is called summer-pattern SAD or summer depression.

SAD affects people of all ranges but is most commonly occurring in women than in men. It is more common with people living in northern regions of the US than those living in southern regions, and it can also be linked to generational patterns. As for me, I am not immune to stress-induced feelings of exhaustion and sadness. However, this illness often gets looked over for many students around the country. Luckily, Dr. Paul Desan, a psychiatrist at the Yale School of Medicine says that there are several evidence-backed ways to find relief. “Bright light treatment first thing in the morning dramatically improves the vast majority of people with seasonal affective disorder”. Any person can do this by stationing themselves in front of a light therapy box, which mimics outdoor light, for about 30 minutes every morning. This helps to stimulate your body and increase energy and focus for the day to come. In order to complete this effectively you would need to purchase a lamp or light therapy box that advertises 10,000 lux brightness. There are many things that can affect a person’s mental health throughout any time of year, however it is important that we stay informed and begin to understand our bodies

and our minds--learn-

ing how they change during seasons change. If you are experiencing any form of mental illness stated in this arti-

cle there are resources.

Contact https:// www.gcsu.edu/counseling if you are feeling anything stated above!