Tips question

[Larry6905]

Wow, Larry, obviously HR is not your specialty ;) Unemployment taxes are not withheld from employees, it is insurance that the employer is required to pay by law. The withholding from employees is for federal and state income taxes, Medicare, and Social Security. The employers are required by law to withhold those taxes and send them to the appropriate agencies. They are required to withhold them on all wages and tips. Any company that chooses to pay "under the table" is in violation of the law and does so at their own risk.

 

Yes, you can tip in cash. That is a very acceptable way to to do it. The employees who receive those cash tips are required to report them to their employers for tax purposes. For those in the service industry in the US (in most states ... see legal discussion above), there is also a requirement that employers must guarantee that their employees make at least the minimum hourly wage for that state in a combination of wages and tips. If the employee does not report enough tips to make up the difference between the minimum tipped wage and the minimum hourly wage, the employer may be required to pay the difference to the employee.

 

As far as the cruise lines are concerned, they are subject to the laws of country under which they are registered. Carnival ships are registered in Panama and the Bahamas; however, Carnival Corporation is a US company. I'm not certainly where their legal jurisdiction may fall regarding minimum wage laws. I do understand; however, that those who serve me so well on the ship very much earn the gratitude that I show when I pay my gratuities (however they are paid, although I choose to use the auto-gratuity process and tip over and above that).

 

 

Sorry I have a family member who went to unemployment to find it had never been paid into by employer, even though they took funds from him for 4 yrs. He registered a complaint and finally won. But it was a nightmare.

[Larry6905]

You are entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts. As you stated in the first sentence, you also don't know what people are doing when they remove the gratuity so you have no idea if they are being cheap or not.

 

I've heard enough excuses to make the general statement that they are being cheap. The fact that someone would do so much extra work to pay people in cash and then argue (on other threads) that some of the people in the tip pool aren't actually doing anything for them takes me to that conclusion. You can come to whatever conclusion you wish but for me, when I see 100 people at Guest Services all removing their tips and for some of the absolutely weakest excuses ever, I will continue to believe that anyone who removes their tips is nothing but cheap.

 

But you are correct. Until the gratuities become mandatory (which I wish they would), it is anyone's choice to leave them on or not. Luckily, NCL has made it much more difficult to remove and hopefully other lines will follow suit.

There should be quite a few laws to help the crew members, but I highly doubt it will happen.

Here's why

https://story.californiasunday.com/below-deck

[nhsails]

I feel easiest way to be fair to all workers is to include tips in price of cruise. Cash for "above & beyond".

[bingomamma19]

As I said, it's just something we've always done with Disney - we prefer to give our tips in cash. Not trying to start a war here, just trying to clarify the procedure.

 

 

I do the same... the tips for the entire cruise will appear on your sign and sail on the end of the 2nd night some time. You can then go to guest services and remove them--they have envelopes, or you can bring your own. Its your gratuities to hand out as you wish. Enjoy your cruise.

[bingomamma19]

I don't think ANYONE who removes tips and pays in cash pays as much as the auto gratuities. Cheap. I'll always and forever consider anyone who removes tips as cheap and selfish.

 

 

Well, that certainly is a big "woopdedoo"

 

And I will forever think that people who think they know what and why anyone does anything are judgemental and know nothing. Again, big deal. So we are 2 people with opinions--the world is full of them :)

[Warlegan]

Sorry all. First cruise to the Fjords is in September for my 80th birthday. Looking forward to it immensely. Then I'll post a review, ok.

Warlegan.

[tatt2ed]

Another cheapskate looking for justification to pull bs. Whenever they get put on ask to take them off. Just make sure before you enter your cabin you tell the steward what you plan to do. And before you order your dinners you tell the waitstaff what you plan to do. Then wait to see how great the service is from the beginning.

 

You disgust me ! Shame on you. Just stay home and clean up after yourself.

[Schoifmom]

Sorry I have a family member who went to unemployment to find it had never been paid into by employer, even though they took funds from him for 4 yrs. He registered a complaint and finally won. But it was a nightmare.

 

 

Again, they do not withhold from the employees for unemployment insurance. It is the obligation of the company to pay for this insurance, not the employee.

 

Here is a good tutorial from the DOL website. https://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/uitaxtopic.asp

 

If your family member had funds withheld from his employer to pay unemployment insurance, they he has a legal case against his former employer.