REGINA — Changes to Saskatchewan employment standards are helping to protect those in the hospitality industry.
Effective Jan. 1, new rules prevent employers from withholding and deducting gratuities from employees’ wages. Gratuities are usually tips that servers/waiters receive at restaurants.
Ashley Fayant of Indulge Kitchen + Bar, who has served for 17 years, said tips are a person’s financial stability.
“[Tips] often would pay for my bills, or it would pay for some of my rent. I felt like my paychecks really didn’t cover much for what I needed to pay for.”
Servers often work for minimum wage and have short work hours, which Fayant said makes tips even more crucial.
“If I’m working three to four hours for $15.35 and receive $50 in tips, that will go a long way.”
Fellow server Kyle Davis of Dad’s Diner, who has worked in the industry for 15 years, called making tips a huge difference.
“That becomes part of your daily life, and you learn to rely on it when you’re making them.”
“We have to take that into account, and there are servers and people in this industry that do rely on those tips,” he added.
From others in the industry, Davis said he’s heard “horror stories” of owners taking tips as a wage.
“So this really helps us in the industry.”
The provincial government says workers who have had tips held can file complaints to the director of employment standards, who can force an employer to pay what’s owed.
