When it comes to shoes, as in many professions, servers spend many many hours on their feet. One big difference however, is that at a busy restaurant, a server may not get a break. Not one chance to sit and take a load off. Waiters, waitresses and bartenders often have to keep running to meet the needs and expectations of their tables.

In addition to the shear length of time on their feet, the surfaces of the flooring can range greatly and be often tough to navigate, surfaces such as wet tile, hard wood, wharfs, and carpet. It is imperative that a server has a good quality, pair of slip resistant work shoes.

Prolonged use of the wrong shoes can lead to foot and back problems such as, stress fractures, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and acute and chronic osteoarthritis. This can be debilitating, and lead to time away from work and worse, permanent and recurring damage to the body.

While shopping for good quality shoes, keep in mind the following tips:

• Look for a light weight pair of shoes. You may be walking literally thousands of steps on any given shift. Each step you take can add up. The lighter the shoe, the less lifting you will be doing.

• Be sure to get slip resistant shoes, aside from wet areas, kitchen floors can have grease and oil on them. You may not always fall to the ground, but even something as simple as a twisted ankle can cause forced time away from work.

• A great fit, the right size and propped arch support. Shoes that are to big can slip, rub and chafe causing painfully sores and abrasions. Shoes that are to small can cause toe pain and overall achy feet.

When you have made the proper selection of shoe, the comfort and proper arch support should be built in, so you won’t feel compelled to purchase insoles or other slip in foot support.

Most online shoe retailers such as Shoes for Crews or zappos.com have very good return policies so that you don’t have to be stuck with a pair of work shoes that just aren’t right. There have been great strides (no pun intended) in the service shoe industry as well. Slip resistant shoes no longer need to look like something for a retirement home. Service and hospitality shoes now have great current styles available for men and women from conservative fine dining dress shoes to ultra-casual tennis shoe styles.

If you are on your feet for long tireless shifts, do yourself a favor and get a pair of good, high quality comfortable slip resistant work shoes. Your body will thank you and with that smile on your face longer, you’re destined to improve your tips!

Special Deal from Shoes for Crews:

112th Congress: 2011-2012, Sponsored March 16th, 2011

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that tips shall not be subject to income or employment taxes.

Dr. Ron Paul has been a proponent of tax free tips for a long time.

Paul introduced the Tax Free Tips Act of 2011 in March. The measure would end all income tax, Social Security withholding and other federal levees on any tips earned by salaried workers.

Paul said in 2009, when he introduced a similar bill (H.R. 3664) “Unlike regular wages, a service-sector employee usually has no guarantee of, or legal right to, a tip”.

“Instead, the amount of a tip usually depends on how well an employee satisfies a client. Since the amount of taxes one pays increases along with the size of tip, taxing tips punishes workers for doing a superior job.”

From CampaignForLiberty.org:
“America’s hardworking waiters and waitresses deserve this most basic protection of their wages. Often times they are paid low hourly wages and expected to earn the rest of their income from tips. The problem is that tips aren’t always a guaranteed, steady income and depending on various factors can fluctuate wildly. The IRS makes an estimate of how much service-sector workers will make in tips, and taxes them on it even if the taxpayer did not actually earn as much as the IRS’ estimate!

Many waiters are simply young people trying to put themselves through school or single parents working multiple jobs to try and pay their bills while raising a family. Taxing their hard-earned tips is a disservice to service-sector workers across the country.”

A gratuity should be just that. A gift for a job well done. There is no reason that the government needs to be a part of that thankful exchange. Tip20! Supports Ron Paul.

Related to: http://www.tip20.com/tax-free-tips-act/18

Full text of the bill:

H.R.1139 — Tax Free Tips Act of 2011 (Introduced in House – IH)

HR 1139 IH

112th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1139

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that tips shall not be subject to income or employment taxes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 16, 2011

Mr. PAUL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

———————————————————

A BILL

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that tips shall not be subject to income or employment taxes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the `Tax Free Tips Act of 2011′.

(b) Amendment of 1986 Code- Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

SEC. 2. TIPS NOT SUBJECT TO INCOME OR EMPLOYMENT TAXES.

(a) In General- Section 102 (relating to gifts and inheritances) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`(d) Tips- For purposes of subsection (a), tips shall be treated as property transferred by gift.’.

(b) Exclusion From Social Security Taxes-

(1) SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES-

(A) Paragraph (12) of section 3121(a) is amended to read as follows:

`(12) tips;’.

(B) Section 3121 is amended by striking subsection (q) (relating to tips included for both employee and employer taxes).

(C) Subsection (a) of section 3102 is amended by striking `; and an employer who is furnished by an employee a written statement of tips (received in a calendar month) pursuant to section 6053(a) to which paragraph (12)(B) of section 3121(a) is applicable may deduct an amount equivalent to such tax with respect to such tips from any wages of the employee (exclusive of tips) under his control, even though at the time such statement is furnished the total amount of the tips included in statements furnished to the employer as having been received by the employee in such calendar month in the course of his employment by such employer is less than $20′.

(D) Section 3102 is amended by striking subsection (c) (relating to special rule for tips).

(E) Subsection (a) of section 3202 is amended by striking the second sentence.

(2) TIER 1 RAILROAD RETIREMENT-

(A) Section 3202 is amended by striking subsection (c).

(B) Paragraph (3) of section 3231(e) is amended to read as follows:

`(3) Solely for purposes of the taxes imposed by section 3201 and other provisions of this chapter insofar as they relate to such taxes, the term `compensation’ shall not include tips.’.

(C) Section 3231 is amended by striking subsection (h).

(c) Exclusion From Unemployment Compensation Taxes- Subsection (s) of section 3306 is amended to read as follows:

`(s) Tips Not Treated as Wages- For purposes of this chapter, the term `wages’ shall not include tips.’.

(d) Exclusion From Wage Withholding-

(1) Paragraph (16) of section 3401(a) is amended to read as follows:

`(16) tips;’.

(2) Section 3401 is amended by striking subsection (f).

(3) Section 3402 is amended by striking subsection (k).

(e) Tips Defined- Subsection (a) of section 7701 (relating to definitions) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(51) TIPS- The term `tips’ includes any gratuity provided to a salaried employee by a customer or client of the employer’s business.’.

(f) Conforming Amendments-

(1) Clause (i) of section 32(c)(2)(A) (defining earned income) is amended by striking `tips,’.

(2)(A) Section 45B (relating to credit for portion of employer social security taxes paid with respect to employee cash tips) is hereby repealed.

(B) The table of sections for subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 is amended by striking the item relating to section 45B.

(C) Subsection (b) of section 38 is amended by striking paragraph (11) and by redesignating the succeeding paragraphs accordingly.

(D) Subsection (c) of section 196 is amended by striking paragraph (8) and by redesignating the succeeding paragraphs accordingly.

(E) Subsection (m) of section 6501 is amended by striking `45B,’.

(3) Section 220(b)(4)(A) is amended by striking `tips,’.

(4) Section 451 is amended by striking subsection (c).

(5) Section 6001 is amended by striking the last sentence.

(6) Section 6041 is amended by striking subsection (e).

(7) Subsection (c) of section 6041A is amended by striking `, 6052, or 6053′ and inserting `or 6052′.

(8) Subsection (a) of section 6051 is amended by striking `In the case of tips received by an employee in the course of his employment, the amounts required to be shown by paragraphs (3) and (5) shall include only such tips as are included in statements furnished to the employer pursuant to section 6053(a).’.

(9) Section 6053 (relating to tip reporting) is hereby repealed.

(10) The table of sections for subpart C of part III of subchapter A of chapter 61 is amended by striking the item relating to section 6053.

(11) Section 6652 is amended by striking subsection (b) (relating to failure to report tips).

(12) Section 6674 (relating to fraudulent statement or failure to furnish statement to employee) is amended by striking `or 6053(b)’ each place it appears.

(13) Subparagraph (B) of section 6724(d)(1) is amended by striking clause (xvi) and redesignating the succeeding clauses accordingly.

(14) Paragraph (2) of section 6724(d) is amended by striking subparagraph (X) and redesignating the succeeding subparagraphs accordingly.

(g) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to tips received in calendar months beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.

———————————————

Sources: thomas.gov, CampaignForLiberty, New York Post

It’s always nice to get in the good graces of the apple of the one-with-the-money’s eye. In other words: the children. Although some restaurants are designed for adults to get away from the children, many restaurants offer a menu and a setting that is appropriate for children. If this describes your restaurant, it is important that you do not take this for granted. If you have a place that is welcoming to children, use that to your advantage.

Parents are always looking for a good place to take the entire family, but there are constantly disagreements. If you think back to your childhood, you remember the constant “I want to go here” and “but I don’t like that I like this” type of chatter in the car. Kids have a hard time agreeing with other kids, but there are ways to help ease the situation. If you make some changes that will help bring your restaurant to the front of a child’s mind, everyone will be happy (except for maybe your servers). Consider a few of the ways you can make your restaurant more child friendly:

5 Ways to Make Your Restaurant Appealing to Children

1. Offer Traditional “Kid” Food – No child is going to want to go to a restaurant that only servers fancy blue cheese burgers and lightly breaded tilapia. Make sure that you have plain, traditional choices for the kids. This would typically include dishes like mac and cheese, cheeseburger, personal pizza, and chicken fingers. Kids are usually picky eaters, so there is no need to impress them with anything “unique.” In fact, most probably won’t even notice the food when going out to eat unless there is nothing for them to choose from. Then, you’d better believe they will notice.

2. Kids Menu – A kids menu should be about more than just listing some food items that might interest children. Give them something to do on the menu such as a crossword puzzle, picture to color, or some tic tac toe squares. This will keep kids occupied which will be pleasing to the parents who are also sitting down to a meal at your restaurant. If you’re nervous about children writing over your things, consider providing placemats or a paper tablecloth.

3. Offer Desserts – Just about every child loves some kind of dessert. If you can offer a scoop of ice cream with every kid’s meal you will surly capture the hearts of every child that walks through your restaurant. If you’re concerned about health, make sure you offer alternative desserts and side items such as a fruit. This way, it’s in the parent’s control and not your restaurant’s hands.

4. Have a Kids Night – Consider having a kid’s night once a week where you really go all out with the kid friendly activities. Try giving out raffle ticks for prizes or purchasing a wheel kids can spin on their way out to win prizes. I have also seen restaurants hire a balloon maker or a magician for one night per week. After all, what kid does not like prizes and magic?

5. Establish Connections – Every adult likes a manager who really gets to know them and check up on their experience at the restaurant. What many owners do not realize is that kids feel the same way. Go around and talk with the kids and ask them about their meals. If they keep coming back and you keep chatting with them, you’re sure to have a friend for a long time to come.

What it comes down to is this: You want to be the restaurant that all the kids can agree upon. Sometimes all a parent wants is for the kids to agree, so when it happens that’s usually where the car is headed. In the end, it can actually be a lot of fun to offer options for kids.

Photo Credit: insidenorthpoint.org

Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to postage meters. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including telemarketing to small businesses and entrepreneurs for Resource Nation.

Dean Serneel has created an excellent 4 Volume DVD set which is all you need to become an expert in the bar tending industry. Each disc is packed with step by step techniques and vital training information. Special Features include: trailers, short videos, and bonus footage. The Menus are broken down into specific categories, so your not wasting time looking for the content you need to see.

Volume 4, Practical Bar Magic, includes tried and tested magic tricks from years of working as a professional restaurant magician. Over one hour of epic, memorable, Bar Magic. Learn how to do tricks with props found behind your bar. Slow motion step by step instructions of over 25 different tricks. Learn the Floating Shaker Tin, make a Lit Cigarette disappear, and how to Steal Watches right of the arms of your guests. This disk is perfect for anyone working the wood.

This is not only a super way to improve your tips and customer loyalty, it’s loads of fun at parties too!

To get more information, see video clips or purchase Practical Bar Magic click here!

Question to Tip20! from a server…

Hey There… Im looking for advice. I’ve been at the same Steakhouse in Atlanta for 14 years. We have a new GM who is forcing us all to use Cross Pens as the “uniform” pen, standard of service, at $17 per pen, out of our pocket. Is this even legal?
Thanks,  - Crossed Out in GA

Dear Crossed Out in GA,

Just when I thought I’d heard everything… Well, it is probably not illegal for the manager to require these pens as part of the required “uniform” but it is at the least ridicules. I have never heard of a special pen requirement. I could see a requirement for a somewhat conservative pen, as opposed to a bright pink one with feathers and lights, but a specific brand of expensive pen seems ludicrous. Is he selling you the pens?

Thanks and good luck. I’d put that pen on  a chain!

Tip20!

What do you think?

A great little clip from Oprah’s OWN network, where Dr. Phil, Suze Orman, Dr. Oz and the ever present Gayle King take on a guy who doesn’t believe in tipping. See it HERE.

From the Northwest Herald

CRYSTAL LAKE – Tea party members, conservative bloggers and radio hosts are rallying in support of a Woodstock waitress who says she was fired from the Crystal Lake Outback Steakhouse for wearing a political bracelet and admitting tea party sentiments.

Twenty-three-year-old Megan Geller of Woodstock said that a couple dining at the restaurant in early October took offense to a bright yellow bracelet with the words “Don’t Tread On Me” imprinted on it.

Outback’s Chief Legal Officer Jospeh Kadow said Geller was fired for her inattention to customers that evening.

“Megan Gellar was not let go because of her tea party bracelet,” Kadow said in a statement to the Northwest Herald. “On the night in question two separate tables complained about her lack of attention.”

When the manager spoke to Geller about these complaints, she responded by yelling at him with a hostile attitude and that led to her termination, Kadow said.

Geller says she told the diners her mother, Tonya Franklin, gave her the bracelet after Franklin received it at a tea party event. Those last three words incensed the couple, who then asked for the manager, Geller said.

Holding signs, and waving American flags and yellow “Don’t Tread On Me” banners, a weekend protest outside the restaurant was held against what demonstrators called a violation of Geller’s free speech rights.

Conservative bloggers and radio hosts also have spread Geller’s story.

“They stirred up the wrong hornet’s nest and messed with the wrong mama,” Franklin said at the protest Saturday. “When mama’s get mad, mama’s get to work.”

Megan said she feigned ignorance when the customers questioned the bracelet’s meaning.

“I didn’t want to talk politics at work,” she said.

Geller claims she wore the bracelet “for months” with no prior warning from restaurant management and was never asked to remove the bracelet.

“She was not fired because a customer complained about her bracelet,” Kadow said. “That would have simply been handled by asking her to take off the bracelet.”

Documents from the Illinois Department of Employment Security provided by Geller state that she was fired for misconduct, but she should not have been denied unemployment benefits.

“The evidence shows the claimant was discharged from [Outback Steakhouse] because they received a couple complaints from customers since she was wearing a bracelet with a political point of view,” according to documents from the state agency. “Since the claimant’s action, which resulted in her discharge was not deliberate or willful, the claimant is not ineligible for benefits.”

Outback did not challenge Geller’s unemployment claim, or submit any information regarding her claim, Kadow said.

Happy Drink Beer Day!

Who doesn’t love this type of holiday – another reason to enjoy a brew!  To celebrate this wonderful holiday, Tip20 wanted to remind everyone about a few “rules of thumb” for tipping at the bar.

• Tip $1 per drink as a baseline, lacking anything better to go on, even if the only visible drink preparation involved is opening a bottle of beer.  It is customary to tip between $1–2 per drink, or in the same 15% to 20% range as at a restaurant.
•  If a bartender is taking special care to take and fill your drink orders quickly at a busy bar where others may be waiting for service, a tip in the higher range is appropriate.  It may also be customary to tip higher with your first drink in order to signal the bartender to take special care of you. Typical amount for this action is $5.oo, but note that it may not always work!
• Repeatedly asking for water deserves a tip too. A drink is a drink, the effort is still being put forth and you are taking the bartenders valuable time.
• If you are sitting at a table, if the  liquor amount is substantial, your tip may be split between the server and the bartender.  Specific “liquor service tips” can be included in the total tip amount and can go directly to your bartender, as long as you make it clear what amount and who it’s for.  At very fancy restaurants, you should tip the sommelier or bartender separately, at your discretion.
• To get the most bang from your tipping buck, always leave tips in cash, handing them directly to the person you are tipping, whenever feasible.  This makes sure that the right person is rewarded, and keeps the cash out of the hands of ne’er-do-wells.
•  And finally, when you are at an “open” bar”, always tip as much as you would if you were purchasing a well drink.

Our Tip20! suggestion for this holiday, go out and try a new beer at your local pub that you have never tasted before, and remember to tip your bartender properly!

Great Beer Resources:

CraftBeerClub.com-The Finest Craft Beers Delivered Each Month Direct-To-You or Your Gift Recipient! Click here!

Mr. Beer Beer of the Month Club Receive everything you need to keep you brewing great tasting beer all year long.

New Products Available at WearYourBeer.com!

Today is “National Food Service Employees Day” and we are excited to look back and reflect on the history of Tip20, and the positive impact that we have had on consumers and helping fellow waiters, waitresses, bartenders and managers all make the service industry a little bit better.

Our article about “Why you should tip” as been viewed thousands of times and has been frequently reposted across the world wide web.

We’ve covered important server topics such as handling campers, How to tip on free and discounted meals, how to handle difficult management situations, your legal server rights, service industry wages and so much more.

We’ve had a lot of fun too! We enjoyed visits from reality show celebrities, interviews from magazines and newspapers and we’ve been talked about on radio stations across the country. We have even been included for reference in a few educational text books! We have developed a great relationship with many other industry bloggers over the years too. It is great to see our industry getting the attention it so deserves and letting the world know that serving is a “real job” for many of us!

Working in the service industry can be very grueling. Typically working the hours when everyone else is playing and playing while everyone else is working. We do long shifts often with no breaks, but it can also be very rewarding and profitable. We’ve had great stories about restaurant guests going way over the top both in good and bad ways. We have also seen how the economy forces restaurants to raise prices and that raised and prices often gets taken out on the servers tips.

When Tip20 was started back in 2002, the mission was to educate consumers on how, why, where, when and who to tip and also to educate servers and bartenders on how to earn their tips and be better at their jobs. We have always felt that tips should be earned and not be just automatically given. Although tips are a critical part of every server’s income and in fact one of the biggest reasons to show up for work, tips in reality are a gift from the consumer who has been satisfied with the services they received from their server or bartender.

Our article on “tipping and taxes” has helped thousands of servers to get a better grip on their taxable income, what needs to be reported and what doesn’t. We have answered hundreds of questions e-mailed to us or post our discussion forum and throughout the blog. We listened to your feedback we try to make changes to Tip20.com to improve the speed and security and informational value and are offerings.

As we approach our 10 year anniversary next year in 2012. We are looking to further growth, development, change and more robust, interactive, useful information for our readers. Over the month of October you can expect to see some changes around Tip20, a little bit of a facelift, some simple overhaul and most importantly more regular content for you to learn from and enjoy.

A as we grow, we would very much like to have your input as to what is important to you. What would you like to see, what are you are not finding other places on the internet and basic overall feedback. Do you have an article to contribute or opinion to share? Send it in! We’ll ensure you get proper credit!

We will be integrating Facebook and Google+ more prominently in our site so it will be easier to share articles and information you like with your friends and coworkers. You will see improved product offerings for things like shoes, insurance options, job searching, etc. So if you haven’t subscribed to our feed you may want to now as we will be offering special offers for our subscribers. Also while your at it, please follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook!

So the team here at Tip20! would like to thank you Service Industry for helping us make it to where we are and keep us going long into the future!