Bartender Posts Paycheck Showing She Only Made $9.28 For 71 Hours Of Work

A bartender in the US has shared a shocking TikTok video showing her payslip, which added up to a payment of only $9.28 (£6.70) for almost 71 hours' worth of labour. Watch the video:

Aaliyah Cortez has been working as a server and bartender at a local sports bar for slightly more than a year.

According to the rate of pay on her payslip, she should take home roughly $150 (£110) after having worked that number of hours - but that amount dwindles significantly once taxes and benefits such as Medicare and Social Security are deducted.

In the video, Aaliyah shows us her payslip and says: "This is why you should always tip your bartender, server, anyone who waits on you or provides a service for you.

"I get paid $2.13 (£1.50) an hour as a bartender and a server.

"I should have made $150.81, but because I have to have Social Security, Medicare and income tax taken out, I was paid $9.28 for 70 hours of work.

"Of course, I got tips, but this is what I got for my hourly. This is why you tip."

Other TikTok users were left unimpressed, with person saying: "No mam, your bar/restaurant is getting free labour and that's not ok."

Another added: "This is why the US should be like EVERY other developed nation and not have a tipping culture. Business should pay your wages. Tips shouldn't be a thing."

According to US Federal law, the minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13 per hour - the law counts tips as part of one's salary.

Aaliyah has since said that she uploaded the video to show how much workers from the service industry rely on tips to survive, telling BuzzFeed: "There are laws set up that allow tipped employees to be paid under the federal minimum wage, which makes us rely on the customer to pay our wages.

"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 added: "As you can see - by my check - I cannot afford to live off of $2.13 an hour, so I solely rely on the generosity of my customers."

Words: Cilene Tanaka

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: US News

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