Originally Posted By: Archeon
The other thing I find very strange in this discussion is, as in the part I've quoted, how people in wait staff jobs can be employed below minimum wage. I mean, isn't minimum wage not like the eh... absolute minimum an employer is allowed to pay his or her staff? Isn't it against the law to employ somebody below minimum wage? (it should be!). Having the staff living of tips is like having them live of money that's off the books. Which is illegal here also. (or course, the catering business is probably THE business where most money of the books is made of any job... well, that and the construction business anyway).

There are different minimum wages. There is the federal minimum wage, then state minimum wage (can be more or even less than the federal), some states have a 'tipped employee' minimum wage (which wait staff fall under), and there is a student wage (high school students - can't find any reference to see if it is still around) which is below the federal limit.