Thoughts on Paying Extra for Employee's Health Ins.

[sam_gordon]

Here's what I think is strange... people on this thread said they have no problem paying the extra money. They're upset because they know what it goes to. So apparently knowledge is bad.

 

[longboard55]

I will gladly pay more for fast food if I know the is going to workers. Locally McDonalds vanilla cones which were 99 cents a few years back are now $1.58. I can handle it. The minimum wage goes up every year. Its a crappy job, they earn it

 

[North of Mouse]

Gotta love the political posts going on in here. Sad state of affairs when people would rather save $3 so they can walk over dead children and adults on their way to Disney World. The restaurant owner is obviously aiming this at those people. And that's the reason Government taxes in the first place, people who "choose" how to spend their money never spend it to improve their community, only themselves.

Oh, so you know me, or others personally, that you know we are just selfishly choosing to spend money only on ourselves? Love your post with all its assumptions!

 

[longboard55]

Exactly. It is a political maneuver, plain and simple, designed to push their customers into sympathizing with their particular POV.

As far as the rest, I'll just say this much - if you thought the individual health insurance marketplace was affordable before the ACA, you either never shopped for a policy in it or have a very, very different definition of affordable than you'd be likely to hear from servers or other lower-wage workers.

Before ACA, if you were under 45 it was ok. If you were older, you choose a policy, fill out 12 pages of background on your family back to the civil war, send a check, wait 4 weeks and get rejected. Or the other option is sign up for a real cheap policy that would not cover more than 5% of your costs if you were ever hospitalized.

 

[NYDisGuy]

Oh, so you know me, or others personally, that you know we are just selfishly choosing to spend money only on ourselves? Love your post with all its assumptions!

I didn’t call anyone out because I don’t care to converse with people who cover their ears and spit out political buzzwords.

And looking at your post, you said that there are bad jobs and you shouldn’t have to make up for their low salary, which means that you don’t believe in “free handouts”. So I’m supposed to conclude that you’re a philanthropist?

 

[North of Mouse]

I didn’t call anyone out because I don’t care to converse with people who cover their ears and spit out political buzzwords.

And looking at your post, you said that there are bad jobs and you shouldn’t have to make up for their low salary, which means that you don’t believe in “free handouts”. So I’m supposed to conclude that you’re a philanthropist?

Not sure whose post you read, but it sure wasn't me! I never said a thing about bad jobs, low salaries, or 'free hand outs'!!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Here's what I think is strange... people on this thread said they have no problem paying the extra money. They're upset because they know what it goes to. So apparently knowledge is bad.

I don't mind paying more.

I don't even care it's for health insurance though. I just don't like surcharges.

I think the thing is though when you sparse out a surcharge is you leave yourself open. Raising prices, which can actually get your more money from the employer standpoint, can be done without any sort of explanation. Obviously there's the break point where you may have raised your food too much but you get the idea. If the employer raised the pricing because product pricing increased on their end or because they need additional money for health insurance costs or because they need to hire more staff, or they need assistance in refurbing up the restaurant, etc it all can be done without needing to call attention to exactly why you're increasing the pricing.

 

[DisneyHardin]

You're not donating to the charities. The restaurant, that you choose to patronize, is donating to a charity. You are paying for a meal, and the restaurant is taking what they could be making as profit from your meal and donating to a charity. If you don't like the charities they donate to, or they aren't up front about where the money they make is going, you don't have to eat there. A good example might be how some people opt to not patronize Chik-Fil-A, while others happily continue to. It's up to you to decide if their donations affect you enough to eat there or not, not them.

I am making the donation when it’s a line item surcharge on my bill.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If you don't like the charities they donate to, or they aren't up front about where the money they make is going, you don't have to eat there.

If the restaurant is upfront about it all. Place signs, as well as on the menu and have their wait staff alert you all prior to ordering I can agree with your statement. But imagine they don't do that and it's your first time there and you didn't have a clue. You get your bill and you're like . Now of course you can make the decision to not go again and patronize the restaurant but that intial time you may be clueless until your check comes.

 

[skyblue17]

I am making the donation when it’s a line item surcharge on my bill.

In that case, you are well within your rights to ask what the charities are and let them know if you don't want them to donate your money to that charity. Like I mentioned with Chik-Fil-A, I know that I don't like where they donate, so I don't eat there. If the restaurant can't tell you where the money is going so that you can make an informed decision, then there's no reason to pay the surcharge at all, I'd just worry the service staff would get docked.

 

[sam_gordon]

I don't mind paying more.

I don't even care it's for health insurance though. I just don't like surcharges.

I think the thing is though when you sparse out a surcharge is you leave yourself open. Raising prices, which can actually get your more money from the employer standpoint, can be done without any sort of explanation. Obviously there's the break point where you may have raised your food too much but you get the idea. If the employer raised the pricing because product pricing increased on their end or because they need additional money for health insurance costs or because they need to hire more staff, or they need assistance in refurbing up the restaurant, etc it all can be done without needing to call attention to exactly why you're increasing the pricing.

Of course they don't need to explain. I just think it's funny that BECAUSE they are explaining, they're catching flak.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Because their employers aren’t trying to help them - they’re trying to get their customers to help them. Big difference. And they’re doing so by basically outing themselves as being either unable or unwilling to provide decently for their staff. Just raise the prices and do what’s right or fix your crazy system or something.

They probably wouldn't be able to stay in business if they tried to cover employees' health insurance. This is not a chain restaurant we're talking about- it's locally owned, so I doubt they have that kind of money. The insurance premiums alone would cost more than those servers' wages. And they're not "outing" themselves, as it's no secret that restaurants here never pay for health insurance for their servers.

As for option 2 that you listed, "fix your crazy system", well, let me ask you, do you ever watch the news about American politics? Do you not recall how difficult passage of even the ACA was, which brought only moderate change, and how even it's now on the brink of being overturned? If America's political leaders can't fix the crazy system, how is a mom & pop restaurant supposed to?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Of course they don't need to explain. I just think it's funny that BECAUSE they are explaining, they're catching flak.

Maybe for some perhaps. For me like I said I don't want a surcharge..period.

 

[Colleen27]

Before ACA, if you were under 45 it was ok. If you were older, you choose a policy, fill out 12 pages of background on your family back to the civil war, send a check, wait 4 weeks and get rejected. Or the other option is sign up for a real cheap policy that would not cover more than 5% of your costs if you were ever hospitalized.

That was not our experience at all. I'm still not 45 but our rates were insane on the individual market and our coverage terrible before the ACA. Our insurance would basically cover a heart attack or serious injury, and would probably have covered treatment for a serious illness at least up until renewal time when the policy would likely have been cancelled/not renewed. Not that the ACA was a silver bullet - far from it - but so many of the problems people blame on it now existed in spades before it passed.

 

[SRQ57]

Health Insurance rates are KILLING small business. We no longer hire anyone who requires health insurance, we can't afford it. $2,200 a month for a family policy. (with a 7,000) deductible and co pay's). I don't think those who get their health insurance through large companies have any idea of the strain providing health insurance has on small businesses. I'm assuming this is the case with the restaurant the OP patronizes.

 

[RedAngie]

Optional?!? Fine then. Hell would freeze over before I'd pay it. Full disclosure, this is a situation I'm quite sure I'll never encounter unless I'm unexpectedly visiting Texas. I'm Canadian and where I live all workers (servers, bus-people, kitchen help, baristas, fast-food workers - whatever) make minimum wage which is currently $15.00/hour. They still expect tips at the same scale as Americans; 20% is now the "norm". I'm just so over it...so completely over it. Not to mention that public health care is funded through taxes and provided for all.

So do you tip 20% at restaurants in your area?

I'd probably lower my tip if I knew servers were earning $15 per hour, maybe to 15%

 

[ronandannette]

They probably wouldn't be able to stay in business if they tried to cover employees' health insurance. This is not a chain restaurant we're talking about- it's locally owned, so I doubt they have that kind of money. The insurance premiums alone would cost more than those servers' wages. And they're not "outing" themselves, as it's no secret that restaurants here never pay for health insurance for their servers.

As for option 2 that you listed, "fix your crazy system", well, let me ask you, do you ever watch the news about American politics? Do you not recall how difficult passage of even the ACA was, which brought only moderate change, and how even it's now on the brink of being overturned? If America's political leaders can't fix the crazy system, how is a mom & pop restaurant supposed to?

No, I don't know (or really care) much of anything in detail about the bolded. Do we hear your news? Sure. Do we "follow" it as if it mattered to us? No.

So do you tip 20% at restaurants in your area?

I'd probably lower my tip if I knew servers were earning $15 per hour, maybe to 15%

Nope - practically never, although it does happen sometimes on smaller bills. I generally round my bill up to some even amount that equals 12 - 15%. If the bill is say, $16, I'm rounding up to $20 which is a smidge over 20%. If it's $40, I'm not rounding up to $50, which would actually be 25%. And (wait for it)...I'm not ashamed to say I definitely will leave less if the service has been poor.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You get your bill and you're like . Now of course you can make the decision to not go again and patronize the restaurant but that intial time you may be clueless until your check comes.

You could instead make the decision to question, and possibly decline to pay, the surcharge.

Like I mentioned with Chik-Fil-A, I know that I don't like where they donate, so I don't eat there.

I hate this! I wouod love to at least try Chik-Fil-A, but I can't. On principle.

We no longer hire anyone who requires health insurance, we can't afford it.

Hire me! Hire me! I come with health insurance!

 

[RedAngie]

Here's what I think is strange... people on this thread said they have no problem paying the extra money. They're upset because they know what it goes to. So apparently knowledge is bad.

Yes, sometimes it is. Sausages and laws.

And surcharges and resort fees.

 

[skyblue17]

So do you tip 20% at restaurants in your area?

I'd probably lower my tip if I knew servers were earning $15 per hour, maybe to 15%

I really can't imagine deciding that a server now deserves less money in tips because they are also getting a "fair" wage. Especially when you consider that tips are often split amongst waitstaff, bus staff, sometimes even kitchen or house staff.

That said, I think this is a generational thing. No one I know nickles and dimes tips and generally everyone has friends who works in the restaurant industry, so tipping less than 20% is incredibly rare.