Tipping in Australia and New Zealand

[ceejay3377]

Did you know that the waiter bringing your meal to your restaurant table on Saturday night is earning between $30-$70/hour? This is assuming that the employer is paying 'on the books' and is dependant on age (adult wages start at 21), slight differences in EBA's V state/federal award conditions, and if the wait staff are also required to serve alcohol (an additional loading, prior to any time based loadings). The base wage will be anywhere between $15-$25/hr (or more if above award wages are being paid), then doubled (Saturday night is double time). If they are casual, then an additional 25% loading is added. On top of that the employer is also paying an additional 9% of gross wages in superannuation to anyone 18+ who earns $450 (gross) or more in a calendar month. No wonder meal prices are so expensive!

 

The same wait staff in the US are earning $4-$10 an hour, no super, and probably no medicare/medicaid.

 

I am not being critical of those of your who choose to tip, but as a teacher, this is a much higher hourly rate than I get. If only my students (or their parents) offered me a tip!! I have a few teacher friends who earn really good money by supplementing their income in hospitality positions - and any tips received are pooled and added to the end of year/Christmas bender! Feel free to tip at your discretion, but don't be fooled as to where your tips are really going ;).

 

Cheers,

 

Oh, and employers are legally required to keep a record of all tips collected and paid out for tax purposes, although there is no PAYG withholding required. I hope you are declaring this on your business tax return, JannandJohn!

[musicorn]

I doubt it! Although from Perth I lived and worked in Sydney and the haircuts were nice and cheap compared to Perth but I never once see the fists flying when I paid with a tip included unless of course they tried to Knock me out with their smile and appreciation at the till:confused:

 

Then again I dont usually have my hair cut on "Cheap Tuesdays" or other Concession days? perhaps thats when the fists fly most:D:D:D

 

Oh I really do hope you live in a different universe to Sutho because I really like you!

 

Sutho I hope I am still alive when you are a bit older, perhaps balding so I can see what you get up to. Perhaps I might even use my walking frame to push you off the edge of a cruise ship. Even yuppies like you get old with time.

 

You are really showing how young and dumb you really are by your comments.

[Sutho]

Get real - you do not tip and if you read my post I said that you choose not to and that is your right. What you do not have the right though is to assume that your way is the only way and make comments about others choices. I am sad to say but not just in this thread.

To call what I choose to do as snobbery is offensive. At uni I worked as a waitress, I have friends who are cleaners. I know how important tips can be.

But then I wonder why I bother replying to you.

 

I don't care at all about what wages other Australians are on. I am not a snob, I am not an elitist and I will never tip in my own country. I find it disgusting that people are so far up themselves they think it should be introduced in this county.

 

I am happy to go to the finest hotels, restaurants and bars in this country, pay for my meals and drinks, hold my head up high and not tip a cent.

[Sutho]

Given you were going to a bloke's hairdresser you should have just gone to one which had more than one staff member.

 

No way would I wait 1.5 hours for a 15 minute cut.

 

Unfortunately that is how it is in Newcastle. All the barber shops I know of are owner operated and all solo operated. I would be hard pressed to find a barber shop that has any staff employed. Many are work from their own home and have a private room in their own residence and work for themselves. I would imagine they make a fortune doing it that way. Some are more organised than others. Typically the women will make you book an appointment, the men expect you to line up.

 

I am not kidding when I said that the mens operated shops close to where I live could have you waiting 1.5 hours to get a hair cut. Even for the balding men the barber gets out the shaving cream, how water and does a razor trim to the back of their neck and sideburns. It is just time consuming and I am so over it. Back in 2010 I was working more hours back then and literally got so sick of waiting I bought my own clippers cut my own hair.

[sun-set]

In most instances in the US, Tipping is usually about percentages of the bill that is given...but, it can be hard to know exactly how much to give others without over or under tipping.

Eg..if we get a hotel shuttle to pick us from LAX and take us to our hotel, if the guy gets our bags and loads them in the rack we give him $5, but we have seen on many occasions that most people give him nothing..even Americans.

We always leave 3 bucks on our bed for the maid everyday...

how much do you leave Sutho?

We know that gratuities are actually part of the wage , did you know that many cruise ship workers earn only 17cents a day from the cruise-line?

They depend on their tips for their wage, but the trouble is that most Aussies think its just extra money.

We always give our Steward $100 and our Butler $250 on top of the gratuities we get charged by the cruise-line for the "compulsory" tips.

How much do you tip, Sutho.?

 

I wonder where you got the 17 cents a day from, I know the pay is low, but that low!!

They should charge the correct amount up front.

Tipping is demeaning to receive and can make those giving feel far to grand.

It is part of the old class system and not Australian.

[jannandjohn]

I wonder where you got the 17 cents a day from, I know the pay is low, but that low!!

They should charge the correct amount up front.

Tipping is demeaning to receive and can make those giving feel far to grand.

It is part of the old class system and not Australian.

 

Our last steward told us..

This is about P&O UK paying 75p an hr.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137233/P-O-cruise-ship-staff-paid-just-75p-hour-face-having-tips-cuts.html

[jannandjohn]

Oh, and employers are legally required to keep a record of all tips collected and paid out for tax purposes, although there is no PAYG withholding required. I hope you are declaring this on your business tax return, JannandJohn!

 

I am not getting the tips, my 8 staff are, that money doesnt go in my till,the client gives it to them, and it goes in their tip jars, so thats their accounting biz to deal with, but it is one of the first questions that my accountant asks us...and yes, my husband declares his tips, even though....drum roll...sometimes he earns just 4- 6 bucks an hr..( works weekend days only) and as he says, it costs him more for the "runners" that he loses, than the tips he makes.

Cabbies only get get paid when they have passengers...they also have to pay 6 dollars a day insurance money to the owner, .they get no workers comp, no sick pay...

yesterday John sat for 3 hrs before he got a fare, and that was a little old girl just wanting to go up the hill at Noosa..a 6 dollar fare, he gets half..so he waited 3 hrs to earn 3 dollars..

he started at 5 am, worked TEN HRS for 60 bucks, and then he has to pay 6 bucks gst out of that....and paid the 6 insurance, so in total he earned 54 dollars for ten hrs work..BEFORE personal tax.

he is 77 yrs old and still working...but it gives him a sense of doing something towards the bills...he has never been on a pension.

So yes, of course tips are accepted.

And Sutho complains about having to wait for a hair cut!!

[Aussieflyer]

Oh I forgot - this is a tipping thread! Pass the popcorn :)

[jannandjohn]

Oh I forgot - this is a tipping thread! Pass the popcorn :)

 

Misers always come out of the woodwork when the word money is mentioned:rolleyes:;):D

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Our last steward told us..

This is about P&O UK paying 75p an hr.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137233/P-O-cruise-ship-staff-paid-just-75p-hour-face-having-tips-cuts.html

 

Thats what they want you to believe. ......

and some people fall for it.

 

Is that for a 5 day 40 hour week ,with 4 weeks annual holiday thrown in?

 

I don't think so, and do you really believe that if that were the case the Australian Unions would just stand by and watch it all happen ?

 

I don't think so.

 

The crew do pretty well on board. Just watch them as they go ashore at some of the ports of call...designer jeans, latest shoes, and they return loaded with all the new and fancy electronic gear.

How do they do that on the pittance you suggest?

 

[jannandjohn]

Thats what they want you to believe. ......

and some people fall for it.

 

Is that for a 5 day 40 hour week ,with 4 weeks annual holiday thrown in?

 

I don't think so, and do you really believe that if that were the case the Australian Unions would just stand by and watch it all happen ?

 

I don't think so.

 

The crew do pretty well on board. Just watch them as they go ashore at some of the ports of call...designer jeans, latest shoes, and they return loaded with all the new and fancy electronic gear.

How do they do that on the pittance you suggest?

 

 

Nothing to do with Aus cruises, its the US operated ones that let them rely on their tips for wages.( and so it seems The UK..read post 106)and heres another example..http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/9579284/Cruise-ship-staff-paid-1.30-an-hour.html

Maids in the US that make the beds get $2 bucks a day..they do rely on whats left on the bed.

Why do you think the bulk of the stewards on cruise ships are Phillipino?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090906174403AAZhOtY

Because they will accept the conditions, and we wouldnt...they work usually for four months straight, so I guess after they send the bulk of their money home, they should be entitled to a pair of jeans...most of the crews I have seen in port are queued up at the areas they have, to phone home, I have never seen them shopping.

.................................................................

These are the words of a cruise ship employee

 

Not what it's made out to be....

POSTED BY: SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, AUSTRALIA, ON 27/12/2010 5:57:51 PM

I have worked on several cruise ships and the work and pay are terrible.... I was working as a Croupier which entitles you to $10 per day in wages... the rest is tips which on average rounded out at U$400 per week. There's no such things as weekends or privacy with having to share a cabin and no rostered time off. Only when the ship is in dock. So you are looking at 60-70 hour work weeks minimum. On the up side - it is a lot of fun if you can forego basic needs like sleep and the destinations are amazing. Ideally this is suited to people in their early 20's with no commitments back home. Unless of course... if you can get yourself a one of a kind job - like cruise director, super shopper etc. But these positions will require you to have an endless list of skills such as multiple languages and years of experience in these roles. These people also work very hard, but they at least get their own cabin and better pay.

[Sutho]

I am not getting the tips, my 8 staff are, that money doesnt go in my till,the client gives it to them, and it goes in their tip jars, so thats their accounting biz to deal with, but it is one of the first questions that my accountant asks us...and yes, my husband declares his tips, even though....drum roll...sometimes he earns just 4- 6 bucks an hr..( works weekend days only) and as he says, it costs him more for the "runners" that he loses, than the tips he makes.

Cabbies only get get paid when they have passengers...they also have to pay 6 dollars a day insurance money to the owner, .they get no workers comp, no sick pay...

yesterday John sat for 3 hrs before he got a fare, and that was a little old girl just wanting to go up the hill at Noosa..a 6 dollar fare, he gets half..so he waited 3 hrs to earn 3 dollars..

he started at 5 am, worked TEN HRS for 60 bucks, and then he has to pay 6 bucks gst out of that....and paid the 6 insurance, so in total he earned 54 dollars for ten hrs work..BEFORE personal tax.

he is 77 yrs old and still working...but it gives him a sense of doing something towards the bills...he has never been on a pension.

So yes, of course tips are accepted.

And Sutho complains about having to wait for a hair cut!!

 

If your husband is earning $4 to $6 an hour he should think about quitting or report his case to the unions and workplace relations and take them to court. That is illegal in this country and well below the minimum wage.

 

With a fairly high minimum wage in Australia people do not tip. It is only the pretentious up-them-self snobs that insist it is or the downright greedy gold-diggers claiming they are poor just for a free hand out.

 

As far as I am concerned the tipping culture can stay the hell out of my country. It is a disgusting condescending arrogant stuck up elitist attitude of the class system. This is a great country without such low and disgusting practices. I am disgusted at everyone in Australia that partakes in such a practice and would turn my back on the creeps in an instance if I knew of any. Its just the lowest of the low when people tip in this country. I mean its disgusting and the lowest form of elitism. The people who do it are nothing more than social-climbers, snobs, arrogant up-them-selves losers. I have no time for people in this country that stick to that disgusting practice.

[jannandjohn]

If your husband is earning $4 to $6 an hour he should think about quitting or report his case to the unions and workplace relations and take them to court. That is illegal in this country and well below the minimum wage.

 

.

 

He thinks about quitting every weekend, but it gets him out of the house, and he like talking to the other cabbies about life.

There are NO unions for cab drivers, and they also get no super.

They are classed as contractors by the ATO so therefore they even have to pay gst out of that pittance.(taxi industry is the only one that gets a special mention by the ATO for this "type" of employment with no benefits or rules offered by the Gov)

He always says he gets less than a 15 yr old at Maccas.

But it helps him to feel he is contributing and does not want a pension..

 

I couldnt be bothered answering the rest of your rant..its useless to debate with a miser.

We had one once that stayed with us for 2 weeks( he rang and asked if he could have a holiday with us )he even asked me to book the flight on my credit card( of course HE didnt have one)and said he would repay..still waiting for it..he was too mean to have the internet on..thats why I had to book it.

we drove 100 ks to the airport each way to pick him up..no offer of petrol money...we bought him lunch at a nice restaurant on the way home..no offer again.

I cooked him 3 courses every night, he drank our wine every night..never offered to buy a bottle..the only time in 2 weeks where he paid anything , was $8 at the surfclub for breakfast on a Sunday morn...he was expecting us to pay, but I purposely took only $20 with me, and told him so..even when I bought us all an icecream another day, he was suddenly occupied looking at something..

He had that "down pat"..never around when money was needed.

One afternoon he said he was going to go for a walk, I asked him to pick me up a carton of milk from the corner shop..

HE HELD OUT HIS MISERLY HAND FOR THE MILK MONEY!!

Ps..I wrote him a "lovely" 3 page letter when he got home, told him to reverse our entire two week scenario as if it was us, doing it to him..and said he was not welcome to return.

I hate misers..

[Aus Traveller]

Anyone working in Australia who ends up with $4 to $6 per hour maybe should look for another job or give up work and volunteer in the community. Then he would get great job satisfaction and not feel he has to tell an old lady to stick her broom up his a..... (If anyone is puzzled at my comment I suggest you read back through this thread.)

 

On the subject of wages on cruise ships - Don't believe all the stories about low wages. They are generally told to encourage passengers to tip the 'poor hard-working under-paid staff' well. By the way I don't deny that staff are hard-working, but they are paid much better than they would be in their home countries and don't do too badly. Keep in mind that their board, food and medical are all supplied. I suggest that you check on the internet websites about working on a cruise ship. Waiters' remuneration is around US$1,000 per week, and in most (maybe all) cases that would be tax free. If anyone doubts the figure I quoted, consider ships where tipping makes up a large part of their remuneration and work out how much you tipped (automatic tipping plus extra) for (say) a 7 night cruise and how many other people would also have tipped that steward.

 

If wages were as low as some people make out, labour unions in many countries wouldn't let the ships leave and they certainly wouldn't service them. There was a case in Australia where a Ukrainian-crewed cargo vessel was kept in port because the crew were paid too little.

 

The story by the casino worker about no time off was funny. Casinos cannot open when a ship is in port, and with some cruises very very port-intensive, I don't think the working hours would be as long as he indicated. I don't know about all cruise lines, but on those owned by Carnival, all staff have to fill out a time sheet showing hours worked and hours of rest and it has to be checked by their supervisor. I know a lot of people (and I used to be one) who worked longer hours in their own business than staff on cruise ships are permitted to work. They also don't have to spend an hour or two a day commuting to work.

[6andy6]

Misers always come out of the woodwork when the word money is mentioned:rolleyes:;):D

 

...and so do people that like to big note themselves so they have people fawn over their 'gee whizz aren't I generous' mantra. :rolleyes:

 

 

Don't which is worse, a miser or a two bob boaster.

 

Btw...this country is not yet a dictatorship. I don't care whether taxi drivers get paid sick leave or whatever, given many are on 457 or student visas and any job is voluntary and the pro's and con's of working In these positions are know by even 5 year old, conditions should hardly come as a surprise to anybody. Next you will be telling us police work is dangerous...

[Sutho]

What I would really love to see is all those who are pro tipping in Australia.

 

PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS - Why the hell does any other worker on above average wages in Australia deserve to be placed on a threshold above all over average paid workers JUST BECAUSE THEY WORK IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY???????

 

 

We have many average blue collar workers here and it is disgusting that other jobs should be placed on a higher threshold, given cash in hand and get a better deal than the others on average wages who don't get tips.

 

All those precious little darlings in your hair salon should get out there and join with the rest of Australia who have to work hard for their money. I work hard for mine and reward myself with cruises.

 

Some people here just don't get it and need to pull their head out of where it is!

 

All you people are doing is tipping because you have your head up your a------- and you want to look good. You are throwing around cash to already highly paid workers while the rest of Australians do it tough on minimum wage.

[sun-set]

Our last steward told us..

This is about P&O UK paying 75p an hr.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137233/P-O-cruise-ship-staff-paid-just-75p-hour-face-having-tips-cuts.html

 

Is it 17 cents a day or 75 pence an hour ? A massive difference. Still with a tips of $250 for your butler he should be okay.

[jannandjohn]

Is it 17 cents a day or 75 pence an hour ? A massive difference. Still with a tips of $250 for your butler he should be okay.

Sorry meant 17 cents an hr..but hey, big deal..not much diff.

2 different cruiselines in 2 different countries..it was also mentioned(the 17cents an hr pay) on CNN. when the Carnival Triumph had its disastrous cruise this yr, the tv announcers mentioned it saying that the poor crew had to cope with it all and the passengers abusing them, for 17cents an hr.

There is probably a transcript somewhere.

 

Just for the record, I do not gloat when I tip someone, but I do tip if necessary.

And yes our butler was very thankful, he had kids he hadnt seen for four months, we were happy with the way he treated us, so we treated him the same.

 

Anyway, I have had enough to say..everyone knows my stance on the subject.

 

Ps..Aus traveller, you should have put the broom sentence in context..

The woman had him carry all her grocery bags up and down her unit stairs, and she wanted him to put them away for her as well!!

Thats why he said he would sweep her driveway for her on the way out..

All this for no tip, and a grand pay of 6 bucks an hr..(her fare was about 3 bucks..would you put her groceries away?)

 

Bye bye..I have a day of group certificates to fill out.

[jannandjohn]

 

All those precious little darlings in your hair salon should get out there and join with the rest of Australia who have to work hard for their money.

.

They work hard, you try standing all day in the one spot with your arms in the air ..and if they get 5-10 bucks A Day extra from some happy clients..good on em.

I never said they got tips from everyone..just that they get them because someone said "nobody in Aus tips barbers" and they do..thats it..some people do.

[LibbyLee]

We have to agree with all the people who have said no tipping exists in Australia. To the couple in Queensland you are completely wrong. No man ever tips his barber these days. My husband can confirm this. You must be really mean and nasty people to be taking money off pensioners who have their hair done. That reeks of mafia tactics to us. TO the fishtaco - you don't sound like you are living in Australia to me. Perhaps you were not born here, I do not know but tipping is most unwelcome in this country.

I totally agree with you. Tipping is not required in Australia as wages are sufficient that service is not requiring extra pay from tips. In the US and Canada however, the wage situation is completely different and very low wages are paid by the employer. Tipping supplements their wages and I have adhered to tipping in those countries. It does encourage a worker to excel in their service however. That could be applied here with service sometimes as the worker knows they get paid well whether the service is adequate or not.

I will never feel the need to tip in our country and refrain from doing so.

This thread is amusing with the banter.......but lets put all of it into perspective. No tipping in Australia. Tipping in other countries and on cruises required.

[Waihekean]

Thanks everyone for responding. I will just have to work on my no tipping guilt issues!:eek: It really does make things much simpler with no tax or tips and it's nice to know that workers get compensated as they should by their employers. Looking forward to my first visit to New Zealand and my second to Australia!

 

"You are very welcome":)

Just round up bits here and there and you will be fine.

If you see collecting jars on counters for charities, then drop some money in there to release those guilt issues:p

You can always give some tip to bartenders and porters. Also waiters in higher end restaurants. Enjoy your travels.

[rkmw]

on the US ships a lot of aussies cancel their gratuities and pay different employees a tip, the point is you are still giving a tip....i read that Sutho leaves his gratuities on but i cant see what the difference is between paying the gratuities and giving joe blow a tip because you got good service

 

on the princess and p&o AU ships we dont have to put up with these tips because we have paid our gratuities in with the fare....the staff know what they are getting each month but on the US ships they know that people will remove the gratuities even tho they do their job well

[Aus Traveller]

on the US ships a lot of aussies cancel their gratuities and pay different employees a tip, the point is you are still giving a tip....i read that Sutho leaves his gratuities on but i cant see what the difference is between paying the gratuities and giving joe blow a tip because you got good service

 

on the princess and p&o AU ships we dont have to put up with these tips because we have paid our gratuities in with the fare....the staff know what they are getting each month but on the US ships they know that people will remove the gratuities even tho they do their job well

 

On the Aussie Princess and P&O ships (with no tipping) we no longer get the stories of how underpaid the stewards/waiters are.:)

[ceejay3377]

I am not getting the tips, my 8 staff are, that money doesnt go in my till,the client gives it to them, and it goes in their tip jars, so thats their accounting biz to deal with, but it is one of the first questions that my accountant asks us You might want to brush up on the ATO requirements, because you are incorrect in your assertion that it their 'accounting biz' to deal with. PAYG is not required on tips, BUT as an employer you must record all tips received and where they go. All tips must be accounted for, otherwise YOU are liable. ...and yes, my husband declares his tips, even though....drum roll...sometimes he earns just 4- 6 bucks an hr..( works weekend days only) and as he says, it costs him more for the "runners" that he loses, than the tips he makes.

Cabbies only get get paid when they have passengers...they also have to pay 6 dollars a day insurance money to the owner, .they get no workers comp, no sick pay...

yesterday John sat for 3 hrs before he got a fare, and that was a little old girl just wanting to go up the hill at Noosa..a 6 dollar fare, he gets half..so he waited 3 hrs to earn 3 dollars..

he started at 5 am, worked TEN HRS for 60 bucks, and then he has to pay 6 bucks gst out of that....and paid the 6 insurance, so in total he earned 54 dollars for ten hrs work..BEFORE personal tax. Is he earning this, or is he in business for himself (ie, sub contracting)? If he is a wage earner, then there is no PAYG tax on such a small amount, but it sounds like he is subcontracting (if he is paying the GST) and in business for himself? That is a whole different ball game and your comments might be considered a bit misleading for those who don't understand the complexities of running a business and the different tax structure (and benefits) that would apply to your husband.

he is 77 yrs old and still working...but it gives him a sense of doing something towards the bills...he has never been on a pension.

So yes, of course tips are accepted.

And Sutho complains about having to wait for a hair cut!!

 

Cheers,

[NSWP]

All I can say is..What great entertainment reading this thread, cheaper than going to the movies too.

 

I believe money is made round to go round, so I tip here and overseas if the service is to my expectations, not just because I have to. In my mind, tipping is a private/personal thing, end of story. Have a nice Sunday everybody, I await the next episode, this is better than the American tipping threads !