Bartender posts video of $9.28 paycheck for 70 hours work

By Charlie Herbert

‘This is why you tip’, says bartender

A bartender in the US has highlighted how essential tipping is by sharing that she took home less than $10 (€9.30) for 70 hours work. Aaliyah Cortez uploaded a video of her paycheck on TikTok, explaining how she ended up being paid such a pitiful amount for so many hours. “This is why you should always tip your bartenders and servers, anyone who waits on you or provides a service for you” she said. Cortez explained that she gets paid just $2.13 (€1.98) an hour. After taxes, social security and health insurance are deducted, it means she took home less than $10 (€9.30) for 70 hours work. “Of course, I got tips, but this is what I got for my hourly,” Cortez said. “This is why you tip.” Since she uploaded the video to TikTok, it has received more than 110,000 likes and almost 1m views.

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Speaking to BuzzFeed, Cortez said she shared her payslip to let people know what the reality is for people who work in the service industry. “It’s not right that we have to do this, but I wanted to shed some light on the issue and inform the public about the importance of tipping,” Cortez said. Although the minimum wage in the US is $7.25 (€6.74) some state laws in the US mean that employees can be paid as little as $2.13 (€1.98) an hour, as long as tips take their average income up to the minimum wage. This helps to explain why tipping is a much bigger thing in the US than it is here in Britain, so bear this in mind next time you’re across the pond.