A woman has taken to TikTok to share her paycheck after working 70 hours at a bar... and it's staggeringly low.
I dare say that most of us want more money than we currently earn, but that's just human nature, isn't it?
Once you've got one yacht, you're going to want two - maybe, I've never owned a yacht.
Either way, money makes the world go around, and as much as it causes a lot of stress at times, it's also important to have so you can live a comfortable life. But it would appear that some places rely on the generosity of others to pay their staff.
Austin-based bartender Aaliyah Cortez bared her payslip to TikTok, unveiling the grim reality of her earnings after a grueling 70-hour workweek.
Cortez, employed at a local sports bar for over a year, disclosed that her base pay stood at a meager $2.13 per hour, emphasizing the critical role tips play in her ability to make ends meet.
The video, posted in January 2020, breaks down her compensation, revealing a shocking sum of $9.28 after factoring in federal taxes, social security, and Medicare.
"So this is why you should always tip your bartenders and servers, anyone who waits on you or provides a service for you," Cortez conveyed in the video.
Speaking to BuzzFeed, Cortez criticized the current state of the service industry, expressing her desire for fair and consistent compensation.
"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," she said.
Cortez's plea for adequate pay and consistency struck a chord with viewers, who flocked to the comments to offer their thoughts.
One person said: "No mam, your bar/restaurant is getting free labor and that's not ok," to which Cortez responded: "It’s bc we get tips, our tips are supposed to amount to minimum wage or more, if not then they must pay us minimum wage."
Another user said: "This is why the US should be like EVERY other developed nation and not have a tip culture. Businesses should pay your wages. Tips shouldn't be a thing."
Another comment really captured the culture of tipping, as they said: "I always tip 20%. If I can’t afford 20% I don’t go to a restaurant."
It's worth noting that the paycheck also reveals that Cortez made $700 in cash tips, but it opens up the ongoing debate about whether customers should have to tip to supplement a server's wages.
What do you think?