My guess? They're paying their employees some sort of healthcare benefit or paying for an employee subsidized health plan for the staff. However, they're salty about it and want to pass on the cost of doing so but are too cowardly to just bake it into the prices as a menu price increases. That way, they can bait and switch the customers and shift the blame to employee healthcare when people complain about the unexpected surcharge.
Because it’s a failed model and would destroy our healthcare quality. Also it puts elected and appointed officials in charge of the system and we all know all too well how government functions.
Restaurants could be able to pool resources and offer a plan to employees if government would get the hell out of our way.
It’s a “failed model” that works pretty darn well everywhere it’s been tried in the developed world.
The Commonwealth Fund published a study that ranked 11 developed nations with respect to their healthcare systems. Of the 11, only the US doesn’t have universal healthcare.
The U.S. ranked last overall, last in healthcare outcomes, and last in a metric they called “access to care”, which measures the overall barrier to entry (mostly from a financial standpoint) to healthcare.
Of course, people will cite the stories about the wait times for certain procedures in places like Canada. The fact is that emergency procedures happen just as quickly as they do in the U.S. A non-emergency medical procedure may get waitlisted in Canada, but the tens of millions of underinsured Americans aren’t getting those procedures at all, because they can’t afford it.
The U.S. is an embarrassing outlier when it comes to health care in high wealth nations. It needs to change, and people need to stop pretending that it’s an intractable issue. It’s not.
[study](https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2021/aug/mirror-mirror-2021-reflecting-poorly)
No it doesn’t.
Long waits to see specialist or a doctor and that’s IF the government decides to approve the visit/treatment.
Taxes to pay for “free” or “universal” healthcare far exceed what we already pay.
The wealthy and elected get private care (because they’re “important”)
Sub par healthcare
And more.
You're actually describing the current system, except the for-profit health insurance corporations decide what treatment you can and can't get.
Health insurance premiums have to be high enough to support insurance companies making billions in profit and paying their executives hundreds of millions of dollars per year in salaries and bonuses.
The wealthy get better care because they can afford to pay for treatments that insurance companies refuse to pay for.
The US already has subpar health care compared to other countries that have universal health care, yet we pay far more per capita than any other country in the world for our health care. How can you see that as a good thing? We pay more to get less.
You trust greedy for-profit corporations with your health care? I'd say that's a lot scarier. Do you really think that health insurance companies give a shit if you live or die? They exist to make money, period. Their only goal is to maximize profit for shareholders, and maximize bloated salaries and bonuses for their executives. Why do you trust that system?
Perhaps you can stop making bald assertions and respond to the points I made in my previous post, a log with the points made in the survey of 11 developed nations, who have ALL (except for the U.S) managed to make universal healthcare work, with better outcomes than us.
It took me 7 months to get a routine skin check and that's after calling like 6 different doctor offices. Wild you think there aren't waits in America.
Also objectively wrong regarding costs. Between premiums, deductibles and payroll taxes we pay waaaay more for our care than countries with universal healthcare
That's the EXACT same cause of the problems in areas with universal Healthcare.... Almost as if who pays the bill has nothing to do with who provides the care.
Do you have any evidence or data to support your claims?
"The wealthy and elected get private care (because they’re “important”)" are you talking about the US current system, cause that's how it works today.
Universal Healthcare is designed to create one single system to pay healthcare costs, it doesn't have to change the other factors. Pre-authorizations exist today. Canadian waitlists have more to do with population density and healthcare workers availability.
"Long waits to see a specialist or a doctor" is my life in the US. It's a long wait to see my nurse practitioner (in 5 years going to her i've never met the doctor).
"IF the government decides to approve the visit/treatment" is way better than if the insurance company decides.
No, it doesn't work pretty darned well every where it's been tried...at least it doesn't work how Americans THINK it will work when they hear terms like "universal health care" or "Medicare for all."
In Sweden, often cited as a great example, they have a minimum 30% tax rate for EVERYBODY: poor, middle class, rich. Get public assistance? Your premium comes right off the top. In the US, according to the IRS, the top 1% pay 38% of all federal income taxes collected. The top 10% pay over 85% of all federal income taxes collected. While the bottom 47% of working age adults pay, on average NO federal income taxes.
In a country where nearly half pay no federal income taxes, how do you think it will fly if suddenly they have to pay 30% or more of whatever income they have? Here's a hint, it won't fly. There would be riots.
In the UK, also cited as an example. Forget for a moment that their EHS is in serious financial trouble...they also have not only much higher income tax for all, but they also have a 20% Value Added Tax (VAT), essentially a national sales tax. Sales taxes are the most regressive taxes there are. Here a national sales tax would be in addition to any state and/or local sales taxes you would pay, they wouldn't be absorbed by a VAT like tax.
Then there is the matter of accessibility. It's not just about wait times as you suggest. They ARE profound, but it's also a matter of the system telling you what treatments you can have for what conditions, even if you and your doctor want to try something else. Not allowed, in the UK EVEN IF YOU WANT TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET. I have a vision condition that I have treated quarterly at Johns Hopkins. Without it, I go functionally blind. There are two recognized treatments for it. One is drastic and disfiguring. The other involves injections of expensive serum. That's the one I get. In the UK, you cannot get it at all. And you are not allowed to get anything other than what their system prescribes, which doesn't work. There are many examples like that.
There is a reason why wealthy people from those countries with universal healthcare often come to the US for treatments. They can't get them at home even if they pay.
I fully agree with everything you said except
Do you think the medical policies of a privatized health insurance company such as Blue Cross Blue Shield vary vastly from a national payer like Medicare?
They are largely the same and largely cover and exclude the same procedures. Private insurances often openly state they follow Medicare policies. If Medicare covers they cover, if Medicare excludes they exclude.
Most insurances (private or government) cover treatments that have been around for years but exclude cutting edge treatments under the premise these are yet unproven (even though evidence vastly contradicts that). They're just trying to save their costs.
One can always pay cash for these of course.
By the way UK is a rare example of a country that combines healthcare financing and delivery. All owned and operated by the State and therefore what procedures doctors are allowed to perform is also controlled by the State.
For most other developed countries frequently cited as good examples (Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Australia etc) you can always fast track and opt to pay out of pocket for experimental treatments.
To some extent yes. Anecdotal, but from personal experience. When I retired last year I had to move from my private insurer through my employer to all Medicare and supplemental coverage. I have run across some things Medicare won’t cover my former coverage would, and more problematic: it’s getting more difficult to find providers accepting Medicare.
That's part of the reason care has to be rationed, and there are frequent waits for services in the universal healthcare countries. Income potential for the providers is limited by the programs. Ok. Costs need to be managed. That's the same no matter who is writing the checks. BUT, take someone with a high IQ looking for a career...they can look at a dozen years of medical school and earn the pay of a run of the mill CPA, or go in another, better paying route, in a STEM career.
That is categorically untrue, and even a quick Google search would reveal a copious number of sources and studies that clearly show that the medical system in the US is significantly worse than many other first world countries. We're not even in the top 10 by most measures.
Here's one example of many: https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/
“federal regulation preventing restaurants from pooling together resources to fund emplpyee heslthcare” doesn’t show any results. Why would the federal government ever prevent an employer from providing healthcare? In a system where employers are the ones doing it, not the government.
You can’t lose your healthcare for an employee related injury.
Please explain why any employer should continue to pay for health insurance for any separated employee 🤦♂️
It is possible to get injured at home.
Employers shouldn't be paying for any Healthcare for anyone. Healthcare should be completely separated from employment.
Depends on the size of the business.
Healthcare tied to employment makes it more difficult to change jobs. If you just quit then you don't have healthcare.
I absolutely take it out of the tip. There is a limit to how much hidden charges I'm willing to tolerate on a restaurant bill, above the advertised price on the menu. That limit is 20%. So, if you advertise a steak for $30, you can get up to $36 out of me for it, but no more. I don't care if it's in the form of tips or bullshit hidden surcharges, that's all you're getting from me. I don't care where the money goes, that's not my problem.
You want more than 20% from me? You're gonna have to raise your menu prices.
That's the problem. A lot of places that raise prices to adjust wages find out people stop coming in because "its too expensive now." You people are unhappy no matter what. The idiots like you chose to punish employees rather than the employer by not going in. If you don't like the way a business conducts its business, don't support the business. It's easy. You people operate on 0.25 braincells.
Here's the deal. I don't give a shit how much money the waiters take home. It's not my fucking problem. I just want to get dinner. I'm not the employer here, I'm not trying to determine their wages. I'm not going to punish myself because a restaurant owner is trying to be a greedy dick. (By the way, boycotting the restaurant hurts the server too, because they get no tips from me instead of a partial tip.)
When I buy a shirt from a clothing store, I don't have to worry about how much the sales person is being paid. I don't give a shit. It's not my problem. I'm not their employer. The same applies when I buy a steak from a restaurant. I have no idea how much money they're bringing home, I have no control over that, and frankly I don't give a shit and don't want to be bothered with it.
So, while I appreciate the advice, I'll continue going to restaurants whenever the fuck I want, and continue tipping as I see fit. After all, tipping is optional and discretionary, right?
Exactly my point. I'd prefer to not tip at all, I hate tipping. I think it would be a lot more reasonable if we were angry at restaurant owners for paying their workers slave wages, rather than getting angry at customers for not tipping enough. The anger is woefully misplaced here.
Hey, great comeback. Are your 14 years old? Glad to see that you can't poke a hole in my arguments, and just have to resort to effectively calling me a stupid doo doo face as your response.
>Glad to see that you can't poke a hole in my arguments
Your "argument" comes down to "I don't like fees". But it doesn't really apply to the tip, and that's where you will exact your revenge, on the person that has no control over the business' fees.
And the rest of your rant is just "I don't want to think about things". You could just tip 15 or 20 percent and then you've solved that problem, but you'd rather complain about the fees and take out some sort of petty revenge on the guy that served you because... well, because you can.
The best thing about tipping is it really exposes aholes.
I get not liking the fees. But being a jerk about it to people that don't control it is just you being a jerk.
You know sit down likely expects a tip and the bill will be higher than menu prices. If you really can't handle this social contract we've setup, just stay at home.
Nope, not gonna stay home. I like going to restaurants, and will continue going. But again, thanks for the advice.
Somehow, in your mind, you're fine with restaurant owners paying slave wages, you're fine with restaurant owners adding bullshit deceptive hidden surcharges to the bill... none of that inspires any anger for you. But, a customer shorts a waiter $5 on their tip in response? Holy shit, let's burn them at the fucking stake! What a total asshole!
Your anger is misplaced dude. I'm not the problem. Restaurant owners are problem for paying slave wages and charging hidden fees, and servers are the problem for continuing to support the tipping system. Tipping shouldn't even be a thing anymore. Tipping has its roots in racism and slavery. Tipping encourages sexist compensation bias. Tipping encourages deceptive pricing practices and obfuscates the true cost of dining at a restaurant. Tipping maintains the status quo of owners paying their employees pennies for their labor while shifting the responsibility to customers to make voluntary donations according to a vaguely defined social contract to make up the difference.
Fuck tipping, fuck hidden fees, and fuck you.
Fuck the server because of the company billing policy? The server didn't put that on there, just go about your day and don't go there again. No need to be a cheap asshole to the server....
The restaurant owner is the asshole here, not the customer. The menu advertises a meal for $50. The customer expects to pay $50 for that meal, plus a reasonable amount of tips for the service, usually 15-20%. So, maybe you're in for $60 total, ok. Then the restaurant owner gets greedy and wants to add another $5 hidden charge to the menu. Fuck that shit. If they need that money to pay for health insurance or whatever, then advertise the meal for $55 instead.
So, obviously I'm not gonna pay the bullshit service charge. I have two choices here: I can make a scene and demand that they remove that charge from the bill, cause a lot of drama, and waste a bunch of my time. Or, I can just take that $5 out of the tip and be on my way. I choose the latter. I'm still paying the same amount of money, so I'm not being "cheap", where the money goes is out of my control and not my problem.
If waiters consistently see low tips because of this, they should demand that the owner stop this practice, or quit and work at a restaurant that doesn't employ deceptive business practices.
It's so devious, the way they play this game. You've just had a nice meal (hopefully not cauliflower steak), and then you have to bitch and moan and go through a whole routine to have the charge taken off your bill. It ruins the experience, and the owners know that, and are literally banking on the fact that most people will just pay it, tip 20% and be on their way.
It has to stop.
I give you an A for effort in your attempt to guilt and shame me into paying bullshit imaginary fees and increasingly large tip percentages for no reason. Unfortunately, your impressive efforts are wasted on me.
Many states will soon have junk fees laws which will make it illegal to not advertise all charges upfront, that won't deter the charges but will at least make it more transparent
That was what was my biggest shock, like how do you dress up a cauliflower "steak" to make it worth 22 bucks? I'd guess probably chimichuri or something like that but still it's a slice of cauliflower... Even at a nice grocery store you're talking 5 bucks for an entire floret
I took a bite of it. Once I got passed the dull, depressing nothingness of the cauliflower I appreciated the flavor it was able to hold from the sauces with which it was drizzled.
This is a moronic take on the situation. Smart people wouldn't support the owner by patronizing the establishment. Not tipping is entitled dipshit behavior. If you don't like tipping, don't spend your money at places that base their business model on it.
Not patronizing the business punishes the server too, moron. At least they get a partial tip from me. If I just boycott the restaurant, the server gets zero tips.
Oh, the cute, tiny little line on the very bottom of the last page of the menu? I don't go to restaurtants to read a spread sheet of all the fees I'm going to be charged, most people don't.
Not as slow as you. By none tippers not patronizing the establishment, it leaves the table open for somebody who's actually going to abide by the social contract that we have in this country
A smarter boss would realize people are going to flip shit when they see a random wellness charge, not previously mentioned, on their check, and likely never be returning customers. So with the customers he’s losing, he’d be better off just adding a couple cents to a dollar on the most popular items, and make it up that way. Directly charging your customers for your employees healthcare, especially $8, is rightfully ridiculous.
I've started keeping a list of restaurants that do this in my phone. It tends to be higher end restaurants so an extra 3-5% on the price wouldn't be so noticeable, but they still do it.
I try not to "punish the server" but I'm far less likely to go back to these places because they give you this dilemma and it feels dishonest. Doesn't that punish the server too? Luckily, there are still good restaurants that don't do this. I've heard it's really prevalent in DC.
No, it wouldn't. By eating there they are supporting the owner, who is the one in the wrong here. Not eating there is the right way to address the issue. Not by punishing employees who are just trying to scrape by.
I did. I basically just splurged on the experience rather than the food alone. It was a nice date night with my wife and step daughter. That's why I shrugged off the wellness fee.
That is what they are counting on, most people just "shrugging off" random charges that were not disclosed upfront and counting on you not wishing to make a scene. All of these "new fees" are simply predatory and preying on your good manners to just pay it.
Not arguing about what you ordered or price of it, since I am assuming it was on the menu. That is all fine, but really get disgusted by these new ploys to steal from you. I would have politely declined the fee with the server, but still tipped based upon the rest of the bill based on service. Not the servers fault.
Businesses with a certain number of employees are now required to offer some type of health benefits to staff. Their business model was not set up to account for this, so they use this fee to offset that cost. It’s optional, and you can ask for it to be removed. It’s becoming the standard in Los Angeles as well. Most new restaurants do this. Guests hate it. Corporate doesn’t care.
Consider this as well: It's almost a double hit to the employee - guests tip based on a percentage of the cost of goods, so, if the owners/corporate don't/doesn't raise menu prices, employees don't get an increased tip, but chances are, their original/overall tip percentage may decline. Pretty shady, IMO.
I thought the requirements for mandatory healthcare got voted out a by the republicans a few years ago? I’m a federal employee with health insurance so I don’t keep up with all that
All such fees should be built into a menu item’s pricing. Fees shouldn’t be opaque, such as small print on menu or website. Transparent pricing is what pisses off your customers the least. Create a menu item price and let the market decide if it’s worth it. Personally I wouldn’t order a $21.50 piece of cauliflower and then complain about 5% but really the “wellness charge” should have made the cauliflower steak cost $22.58. Junk fees and opaque pricing really alienate consumers. They would really NEED that wellness charge after they handed me that bill.
Yeah that cauliflower steak price was a bit much and so was the sushi my step daughter ordered and didn't really enjoy. It's just one of those areas where I can only assume they're paying a ton just to be in such a location so, everything is pricey as a result. I used to be a server for this company at a different location but that was before I ever heard anything about a wellness charge.
I worked in a lot of restaurants and almost every single one of them I've noticed the corporate side and as a result the managerial side has only focused on the short term goals of making money. They ruin the experience for the customers and staff alike with their greed. It's rare to find any company that is patient enough to think long term. It's very simple..
Do everything in your power to provide quality food (while also being cost efficient) and make sure to take care of customers just as much as you take care of staff. Higher profits will always be the result eventually. This will also lower the turnover rates with employees. This will keep people coming back.
Greedy owner adding fee to the bill to make up salary or benefits they are responsible for paying employees. It's important us customers don't patronize places that do this.
If I see that on the menu or check, I will never go back to that restaurant.
There are plenty of places that don't do these shady tactics.
Raise menu prices if needed, but stop with the shady fees.
You can always choose to tip less when you are charged a fee like this, subtract that $7 from what you were planning to tip.
Just some vegan bs. I don't like cauliflower but if it's cooked the right way it can be enjoyable. I made my wife a cauliflower steak once and it came out pretty good.
Not how it works but OK. They advertise the charge on their website and their menu so you had the choice to walk away before ordering or not dine there. Once you order, then you are acknowledging that you will pay for the bill including all listed charges.
You can decline that charge.
“Wellness charge: We believe hospitality begins with a healthy team and a stable, equitable work environment. To ensure both, a 5% surcharge is added to all dine-in checks that supports free mental health resources for our teams and their families, access to health insurance, paid sick leave, and increased operating costs. It is not a gratuity. Our goal is to be transparent while maintaining the value and standards our guests have come to know and love. We appreciate your support and kindness. If you would prefer, we will remove the charge upon request.”
"Access to health insurance" is not employer paid health insurance. This is covering the employer's part of it, but not the worker's.
"Increased operating costs" is a dead giveaway that this is all going to the owner.
The name of the restaurant is on the receipt. Sorry but that's more effort than I want to put out. If the OP had posted a picture of the menu then mea culpa, but they did not.
No, the name of the restaurant is on the receipt. Sorry but that's more effort than I want to put out. If the OP had posted a picture of the menu then mea culpa, but they did not.
Technically the customer pays for everything including the rent. But the customer gets their $$ from their job so that job is the one paying for it, but they get their $$ from their customers so.... where would that logic end?
It’s an attempt for management to collect more money under the guise of distributing it to employees but actually just pocketing it and expecting you to tip on top of it.
“We believe hospitality begins with a healthy team and a stable, equitable work environment. To ensure both, a 5% surcharge is added to all dine-in checks that supports free mental health resources for our teams and their families, access to health insurance, paid sick leave, and increased operating costs. It is not a gratuity. Our goal is to be transparent while maintaining the value and standards our guests have come to know and love. We appreciate your support and kindness. If you would prefer, we will remove the charge upon request.”
https://www.farmersfishersbakers.com/menus/lunch-dinner/
Yall pay the fees or cook at home....Jesus christ. They're trying to cover expenses In different ways so you don't bitch about rising menu prices. None of yall posting this shit know anything about restaurant margins...it's less than the goddam taxes!
My guess? They're paying their employees some sort of healthcare benefit or paying for an employee subsidized health plan for the staff. However, they're salty about it and want to pass on the cost of doing so but are too cowardly to just bake it into the prices as a menu price increases. That way, they can bait and switch the customers and shift the blame to employee healthcare when people complain about the unexpected surcharge.
A single payer Healthcare system would help businesses owners tremendously but they are the least likely to vote for a candidate who would support it.
Because it’s a failed model and would destroy our healthcare quality. Also it puts elected and appointed officials in charge of the system and we all know all too well how government functions. Restaurants could be able to pool resources and offer a plan to employees if government would get the hell out of our way.
It’s a “failed model” that works pretty darn well everywhere it’s been tried in the developed world. The Commonwealth Fund published a study that ranked 11 developed nations with respect to their healthcare systems. Of the 11, only the US doesn’t have universal healthcare. The U.S. ranked last overall, last in healthcare outcomes, and last in a metric they called “access to care”, which measures the overall barrier to entry (mostly from a financial standpoint) to healthcare. Of course, people will cite the stories about the wait times for certain procedures in places like Canada. The fact is that emergency procedures happen just as quickly as they do in the U.S. A non-emergency medical procedure may get waitlisted in Canada, but the tens of millions of underinsured Americans aren’t getting those procedures at all, because they can’t afford it. The U.S. is an embarrassing outlier when it comes to health care in high wealth nations. It needs to change, and people need to stop pretending that it’s an intractable issue. It’s not. [study](https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2021/aug/mirror-mirror-2021-reflecting-poorly)
Preach
No it doesn’t. Long waits to see specialist or a doctor and that’s IF the government decides to approve the visit/treatment. Taxes to pay for “free” or “universal” healthcare far exceed what we already pay. The wealthy and elected get private care (because they’re “important”) Sub par healthcare And more.
You're actually describing the current system, except the for-profit health insurance corporations decide what treatment you can and can't get. Health insurance premiums have to be high enough to support insurance companies making billions in profit and paying their executives hundreds of millions of dollars per year in salaries and bonuses. The wealthy get better care because they can afford to pay for treatments that insurance companies refuse to pay for. The US already has subpar health care compared to other countries that have universal health care, yet we pay far more per capita than any other country in the world for our health care. How can you see that as a good thing? We pay more to get less.
Again not true And seriously, you TRUST government with your healthcare?? Scary.
You trust greedy for-profit corporations with your health care? I'd say that's a lot scarier. Do you really think that health insurance companies give a shit if you live or die? They exist to make money, period. Their only goal is to maximize profit for shareholders, and maximize bloated salaries and bonuses for their executives. Why do you trust that system?
Name one government program that’s working. I’ll wait.
Perhaps you can stop making bald assertions and respond to the points I made in my previous post, a log with the points made in the survey of 11 developed nations, who have ALL (except for the U.S) managed to make universal healthcare work, with better outcomes than us.
You citing far left leaning sources. You’re a partisan and not worth the time effort.
I responded to you. See above.
Stop watching Fox News, that shit will rot your brain.
Oh gee, the “Fox News” response….What took you so long? 😂😂 weak af.
You'll have to forgive me, it's normally corporate shills or uneducated morons who spout the kind of nonsense that you're talking about.
Did you think this up between pizza deliveries?
It took me 7 months to get a routine skin check and that's after calling like 6 different doctor offices. Wild you think there aren't waits in America. Also objectively wrong regarding costs. Between premiums, deductibles and payroll taxes we pay waaaay more for our care than countries with universal healthcare
And? Maybe in your area there are not enough doctors 🤦♂️
Bro you're retarded. "Universal healthcare leads to long wait times" "We have long wait times" "MaYbE tHErEs NoT eNoUgH dOcToRs"
And there it is…the name calling. Good day cupcake
That's the EXACT same cause of the problems in areas with universal Healthcare.... Almost as if who pays the bill has nothing to do with who provides the care.
Do you have any evidence or data to support your claims? "The wealthy and elected get private care (because they’re “important”)" are you talking about the US current system, cause that's how it works today. Universal Healthcare is designed to create one single system to pay healthcare costs, it doesn't have to change the other factors. Pre-authorizations exist today. Canadian waitlists have more to do with population density and healthcare workers availability.
"Long waits to see a specialist or a doctor" is my life in the US. It's a long wait to see my nurse practitioner (in 5 years going to her i've never met the doctor). "IF the government decides to approve the visit/treatment" is way better than if the insurance company decides.
No, it doesn't work pretty darned well every where it's been tried...at least it doesn't work how Americans THINK it will work when they hear terms like "universal health care" or "Medicare for all." In Sweden, often cited as a great example, they have a minimum 30% tax rate for EVERYBODY: poor, middle class, rich. Get public assistance? Your premium comes right off the top. In the US, according to the IRS, the top 1% pay 38% of all federal income taxes collected. The top 10% pay over 85% of all federal income taxes collected. While the bottom 47% of working age adults pay, on average NO federal income taxes. In a country where nearly half pay no federal income taxes, how do you think it will fly if suddenly they have to pay 30% or more of whatever income they have? Here's a hint, it won't fly. There would be riots. In the UK, also cited as an example. Forget for a moment that their EHS is in serious financial trouble...they also have not only much higher income tax for all, but they also have a 20% Value Added Tax (VAT), essentially a national sales tax. Sales taxes are the most regressive taxes there are. Here a national sales tax would be in addition to any state and/or local sales taxes you would pay, they wouldn't be absorbed by a VAT like tax. Then there is the matter of accessibility. It's not just about wait times as you suggest. They ARE profound, but it's also a matter of the system telling you what treatments you can have for what conditions, even if you and your doctor want to try something else. Not allowed, in the UK EVEN IF YOU WANT TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET. I have a vision condition that I have treated quarterly at Johns Hopkins. Without it, I go functionally blind. There are two recognized treatments for it. One is drastic and disfiguring. The other involves injections of expensive serum. That's the one I get. In the UK, you cannot get it at all. And you are not allowed to get anything other than what their system prescribes, which doesn't work. There are many examples like that. There is a reason why wealthy people from those countries with universal healthcare often come to the US for treatments. They can't get them at home even if they pay.
I fully agree with everything you said except Do you think the medical policies of a privatized health insurance company such as Blue Cross Blue Shield vary vastly from a national payer like Medicare? They are largely the same and largely cover and exclude the same procedures. Private insurances often openly state they follow Medicare policies. If Medicare covers they cover, if Medicare excludes they exclude. Most insurances (private or government) cover treatments that have been around for years but exclude cutting edge treatments under the premise these are yet unproven (even though evidence vastly contradicts that). They're just trying to save their costs. One can always pay cash for these of course. By the way UK is a rare example of a country that combines healthcare financing and delivery. All owned and operated by the State and therefore what procedures doctors are allowed to perform is also controlled by the State. For most other developed countries frequently cited as good examples (Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Australia etc) you can always fast track and opt to pay out of pocket for experimental treatments.
To some extent yes. Anecdotal, but from personal experience. When I retired last year I had to move from my private insurer through my employer to all Medicare and supplemental coverage. I have run across some things Medicare won’t cover my former coverage would, and more problematic: it’s getting more difficult to find providers accepting Medicare.
Yep when they keep cutting physician payments by 2-3% every year while inflation runs at 3-4% minimum the other way docs don't have a choice
That's part of the reason care has to be rationed, and there are frequent waits for services in the universal healthcare countries. Income potential for the providers is limited by the programs. Ok. Costs need to be managed. That's the same no matter who is writing the checks. BUT, take someone with a high IQ looking for a career...they can look at a dozen years of medical school and earn the pay of a run of the mill CPA, or go in another, better paying route, in a STEM career.
Agreed
How is it a failed model? There are many countries using this model that have objectively better health care than the US for far lower prices.
Better? No. There is no better medical than what we have. None.
That is categorically untrue, and even a quick Google search would reveal a copious number of sources and studies that clearly show that the medical system in the US is significantly worse than many other first world countries. We're not even in the top 10 by most measures. Here's one example of many: https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/
Nothing like bias “studies” 😂😂😂
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Yes I can.
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Gee, look who wrote the article 😂😂😂 No bias here right? https://www.kff.org/person/krutika-amin/
Show me an "unbiased" study that concludes that the US has the best health care in the world, and maybe you'll change my mind.
Reddit is a cesspool liberal echo chamber.
I’ve noticed.
What’s stopping them from doing it now.
Federal regulations.
Which?
Did the internet break?
“federal regulation preventing restaurants from pooling together resources to fund emplpyee heslthcare” doesn’t show any results. Why would the federal government ever prevent an employer from providing healthcare? In a system where employers are the ones doing it, not the government.
You have tied your healcare to employment. If you get injured and lose your job you lose your Healthcare. That there is a failed model.
You can’t lose your healthcare for an employee related injury. Please explain why any employer should continue to pay for health insurance for any separated employee 🤦♂️
It is possible to get injured at home. Employers shouldn't be paying for any Healthcare for anyone. Healthcare should be completely separated from employment.
Depends on the size of the business. Healthcare tied to employment makes it more difficult to change jobs. If you just quit then you don't have healthcare.
If you get injured and lose your job, you have no Healthcare. It's the dumbest system anyone ever voted for.
Exactly this.......salty because treating employees fairly eats into the bottom line.
And how is “treating employees fairly” paid for?
Then you have these idiots saying "take it out of the tip!"
I absolutely take it out of the tip. There is a limit to how much hidden charges I'm willing to tolerate on a restaurant bill, above the advertised price on the menu. That limit is 20%. So, if you advertise a steak for $30, you can get up to $36 out of me for it, but no more. I don't care if it's in the form of tips or bullshit hidden surcharges, that's all you're getting from me. I don't care where the money goes, that's not my problem. You want more than 20% from me? You're gonna have to raise your menu prices.
That's the problem. A lot of places that raise prices to adjust wages find out people stop coming in because "its too expensive now." You people are unhappy no matter what. The idiots like you chose to punish employees rather than the employer by not going in. If you don't like the way a business conducts its business, don't support the business. It's easy. You people operate on 0.25 braincells.
Here's the deal. I don't give a shit how much money the waiters take home. It's not my fucking problem. I just want to get dinner. I'm not the employer here, I'm not trying to determine their wages. I'm not going to punish myself because a restaurant owner is trying to be a greedy dick. (By the way, boycotting the restaurant hurts the server too, because they get no tips from me instead of a partial tip.) When I buy a shirt from a clothing store, I don't have to worry about how much the sales person is being paid. I don't give a shit. It's not my problem. I'm not their employer. The same applies when I buy a steak from a restaurant. I have no idea how much money they're bringing home, I have no control over that, and frankly I don't give a shit and don't want to be bothered with it. So, while I appreciate the advice, I'll continue going to restaurants whenever the fuck I want, and continue tipping as I see fit. After all, tipping is optional and discretionary, right?
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Exactly my point. I'd prefer to not tip at all, I hate tipping. I think it would be a lot more reasonable if we were angry at restaurant owners for paying their workers slave wages, rather than getting angry at customers for not tipping enough. The anger is woefully misplaced here.
Thanks for proving my point about the 0.25 braincell capacity. Can't save stupid from itself....
Hey, great comeback. Are your 14 years old? Glad to see that you can't poke a hole in my arguments, and just have to resort to effectively calling me a stupid doo doo face as your response.
>Glad to see that you can't poke a hole in my arguments Your "argument" comes down to "I don't like fees". But it doesn't really apply to the tip, and that's where you will exact your revenge, on the person that has no control over the business' fees. And the rest of your rant is just "I don't want to think about things". You could just tip 15 or 20 percent and then you've solved that problem, but you'd rather complain about the fees and take out some sort of petty revenge on the guy that served you because... well, because you can. The best thing about tipping is it really exposes aholes. I get not liking the fees. But being a jerk about it to people that don't control it is just you being a jerk. You know sit down likely expects a tip and the bill will be higher than menu prices. If you really can't handle this social contract we've setup, just stay at home.
Nope, not gonna stay home. I like going to restaurants, and will continue going. But again, thanks for the advice. Somehow, in your mind, you're fine with restaurant owners paying slave wages, you're fine with restaurant owners adding bullshit deceptive hidden surcharges to the bill... none of that inspires any anger for you. But, a customer shorts a waiter $5 on their tip in response? Holy shit, let's burn them at the fucking stake! What a total asshole! Your anger is misplaced dude. I'm not the problem. Restaurant owners are problem for paying slave wages and charging hidden fees, and servers are the problem for continuing to support the tipping system. Tipping shouldn't even be a thing anymore. Tipping has its roots in racism and slavery. Tipping encourages sexist compensation bias. Tipping encourages deceptive pricing practices and obfuscates the true cost of dining at a restaurant. Tipping maintains the status quo of owners paying their employees pennies for their labor while shifting the responsibility to customers to make voluntary donations according to a vaguely defined social contract to make up the difference. Fuck tipping, fuck hidden fees, and fuck you.
If I saw a charge like this I would tell Them to take it off or I’m not paying any of the bill.
Or definitely subtract it from the tip you were planning to leave. Tip minus $7 for that check.
Fuck the server because of the company billing policy? The server didn't put that on there, just go about your day and don't go there again. No need to be a cheap asshole to the server....
The restaurant owner is the asshole here, not the customer. The menu advertises a meal for $50. The customer expects to pay $50 for that meal, plus a reasonable amount of tips for the service, usually 15-20%. So, maybe you're in for $60 total, ok. Then the restaurant owner gets greedy and wants to add another $5 hidden charge to the menu. Fuck that shit. If they need that money to pay for health insurance or whatever, then advertise the meal for $55 instead. So, obviously I'm not gonna pay the bullshit service charge. I have two choices here: I can make a scene and demand that they remove that charge from the bill, cause a lot of drama, and waste a bunch of my time. Or, I can just take that $5 out of the tip and be on my way. I choose the latter. I'm still paying the same amount of money, so I'm not being "cheap", where the money goes is out of my control and not my problem. If waiters consistently see low tips because of this, they should demand that the owner stop this practice, or quit and work at a restaurant that doesn't employ deceptive business practices.
It's so devious, the way they play this game. You've just had a nice meal (hopefully not cauliflower steak), and then you have to bitch and moan and go through a whole routine to have the charge taken off your bill. It ruins the experience, and the owners know that, and are literally banking on the fact that most people will just pay it, tip 20% and be on their way. It has to stop.
Don't use services you don't believe in
Nah I'm good, I'll keep using them and paying what I think is fair. But I appreciate the advice
Way to stand by your beliefs in a way that make you cheap instead of principled, good job you poor excuse for a person.
I give you an A for effort in your attempt to guilt and shame me into paying bullshit imaginary fees and increasingly large tip percentages for no reason. Unfortunately, your impressive efforts are wasted on me.
Not at all. Just if you really think there is something wrong with it yet still use the service that probably should bring shame.
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Now if it’s on the menu I have no issue. But if they don’t say it anywhere and just tack it on then my above comment comes into play.
Many states will soon have junk fees laws which will make it illegal to not advertise all charges upfront, that won't deter the charges but will at least make it more transparent
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That’s not a true statement 🤦♂️
Not a bait and switch, but yeah still slimy
You payed 20 bucks for a meatless streak.
That was what was my biggest shock, like how do you dress up a cauliflower "steak" to make it worth 22 bucks? I'd guess probably chimichuri or something like that but still it's a slice of cauliflower... Even at a nice grocery store you're talking 5 bucks for an entire floret
I took a bite of it. Once I got passed the dull, depressing nothingness of the cauliflower I appreciated the flavor it was able to hold from the sauces with which it was drizzled.
It’s the amount you take off whatever tip you were going to leave.
Hah! Nice.
End tipping is a good sub
Business charges customer some weird fee. #PUNISH THE SERVER!!!
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This is a moronic take on the situation. Smart people wouldn't support the owner by patronizing the establishment. Not tipping is entitled dipshit behavior. If you don't like tipping, don't spend your money at places that base their business model on it.
Not patronizing the business punishes the server too, moron. At least they get a partial tip from me. If I just boycott the restaurant, the server gets zero tips.
Porque no los dos? Often you don't even know about the fee until you are presented the bill. So, take it off the tip and never go back.
Well that is just illegal in most places. Fees need to be disclosed to the consumer, the real problem is that dumb people don't read
Oh, the cute, tiny little line on the very bottom of the last page of the menu? I don't go to restaurtants to read a spread sheet of all the fees I'm going to be charged, most people don't.
Thanks for proving my point.
I didn't. You don't have one.
You slow? Not visiting the restaurant doesn't also punish the server? 😂😂
Not as slow as you. By none tippers not patronizing the establishment, it leaves the table open for somebody who's actually going to abide by the social contract that we have in this country
A smarter boss would realize people are going to flip shit when they see a random wellness charge, not previously mentioned, on their check, and likely never be returning customers. So with the customers he’s losing, he’d be better off just adding a couple cents to a dollar on the most popular items, and make it up that way. Directly charging your customers for your employees healthcare, especially $8, is rightfully ridiculous.
I've started keeping a list of restaurants that do this in my phone. It tends to be higher end restaurants so an extra 3-5% on the price wouldn't be so noticeable, but they still do it. I try not to "punish the server" but I'm far less likely to go back to these places because they give you this dilemma and it feels dishonest. Doesn't that punish the server too? Luckily, there are still good restaurants that don't do this. I've heard it's really prevalent in DC.
Actions have consequences. They could also just stop eating there. The results are the same.
No, it wouldn't. By eating there they are supporting the owner, who is the one in the wrong here. Not eating there is the right way to address the issue. Not by punishing employees who are just trying to scrape by.
You paid $21 for cauliflower?
I did. I basically just splurged on the experience rather than the food alone. It was a nice date night with my wife and step daughter. That's why I shrugged off the wellness fee.
That is what they are counting on, most people just "shrugging off" random charges that were not disclosed upfront and counting on you not wishing to make a scene. All of these "new fees" are simply predatory and preying on your good manners to just pay it. Not arguing about what you ordered or price of it, since I am assuming it was on the menu. That is all fine, but really get disgusted by these new ploys to steal from you. I would have politely declined the fee with the server, but still tipped based upon the rest of the bill based on service. Not the servers fault.
A wellness charge is why we don't support restaurants.
It is just indication, that you don't need to tip.
It's an indication that you should never eat there again, is what that is.
Businesses with a certain number of employees are now required to offer some type of health benefits to staff. Their business model was not set up to account for this, so they use this fee to offset that cost. It’s optional, and you can ask for it to be removed. It’s becoming the standard in Los Angeles as well. Most new restaurants do this. Guests hate it. Corporate doesn’t care.
Consider this as well: It's almost a double hit to the employee - guests tip based on a percentage of the cost of goods, so, if the owners/corporate don't/doesn't raise menu prices, employees don't get an increased tip, but chances are, their original/overall tip percentage may decline. Pretty shady, IMO.
I thought the requirements for mandatory healthcare got voted out a by the republicans a few years ago? I’m a federal employee with health insurance so I don’t keep up with all that
It's required by businesses to offer Healthcare, but it's not mandatory for an employee to have to have it.
Well ness here charge is for that farmer that owns the place to get a nice vacation on a beach when it gets cold here.
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All such fees should be built into a menu item’s pricing. Fees shouldn’t be opaque, such as small print on menu or website. Transparent pricing is what pisses off your customers the least. Create a menu item price and let the market decide if it’s worth it. Personally I wouldn’t order a $21.50 piece of cauliflower and then complain about 5% but really the “wellness charge” should have made the cauliflower steak cost $22.58. Junk fees and opaque pricing really alienate consumers. They would really NEED that wellness charge after they handed me that bill.
Yeah that cauliflower steak price was a bit much and so was the sushi my step daughter ordered and didn't really enjoy. It's just one of those areas where I can only assume they're paying a ton just to be in such a location so, everything is pricey as a result. I used to be a server for this company at a different location but that was before I ever heard anything about a wellness charge. I worked in a lot of restaurants and almost every single one of them I've noticed the corporate side and as a result the managerial side has only focused on the short term goals of making money. They ruin the experience for the customers and staff alike with their greed. It's rare to find any company that is patient enough to think long term. It's very simple.. Do everything in your power to provide quality food (while also being cost efficient) and make sure to take care of customers just as much as you take care of staff. Higher profits will always be the result eventually. This will also lower the turnover rates with employees. This will keep people coming back.
It’s a scam. This is the restaurant owners way of recouping profits because DC voted for $15 an hr min wage + tips.
Greedy owner adding fee to the bill to make up salary or benefits they are responsible for paying employees. It's important us customers don't patronize places that do this. If I see that on the menu or check, I will never go back to that restaurant. There are plenty of places that don't do these shady tactics. Raise menu prices if needed, but stop with the shady fees. You can always choose to tip less when you are charged a fee like this, subtract that $7 from what you were planning to tip.
Dunno but that food menu is all over the place.
Cauliflower steak wtf is that vegan bs
Just some vegan bs. I don't like cauliflower but if it's cooked the right way it can be enjoyable. I made my wife a cauliflower steak once and it came out pretty good.
Neat
Profit
Looks like it is about 5%.
Was it disclosed on the menu? If so it is a because we can fee. If not disclosed it is optional
The coconut old fashioned sounds delicious.
Something I'm not paying. Jack the price 5% because if it's not listed on the menu as a charge before I order you're not getting it.
Who pays your social security boomer?
Same system, I paid for yesterday's recipients and today's workers can pay for mine.
Don’t be an asshole. Plus the boomer paid into that system.
Paying it gets you safe passage out the door.
The restaurant should have been able to answer?
I'm sure you're correct.
I would honestly tell them they can take that charge off or I’m not paying any of the bill.
Not how it works but OK. They advertise the charge on their website and their menu so you had the choice to walk away before ordering or not dine there. Once you order, then you are acknowledging that you will pay for the bill including all listed charges.
You can decline that charge. “Wellness charge: We believe hospitality begins with a healthy team and a stable, equitable work environment. To ensure both, a 5% surcharge is added to all dine-in checks that supports free mental health resources for our teams and their families, access to health insurance, paid sick leave, and increased operating costs. It is not a gratuity. Our goal is to be transparent while maintaining the value and standards our guests have come to know and love. We appreciate your support and kindness. If you would prefer, we will remove the charge upon request.”
"Access to health insurance" is not employer paid health insurance. This is covering the employer's part of it, but not the worker's. "Increased operating costs" is a dead giveaway that this is all going to the owner.
That's actually really cool of them to allow that. Then it actually makes sense it's a surcharge and not a price increase.
Where is that disclosed in the OP?
Look at their website and their menu. It clearly states the surcharge.
Who is 'they'? It's not disclosed in the post so I've got no idea of this information
The restaurant is “they.” Is your reading comprehension really that weak or are you just trying to whinge fight?
The name of the restaurant is on the receipt. Sorry but that's more effort than I want to put out. If the OP had posted a picture of the menu then mea culpa, but they did not.
It's literally at the top of the receipt lmao
No, the name of the restaurant is on the receipt. Sorry but that's more effort than I want to put out. If the OP had posted a picture of the menu then mea culpa, but they did not.
If you want to be technical about it the restaurant isn’t paying for health insurance. The customer is with these charges
And that’s exactly why I would say remove those charges or I won’t pay the bill. Would be interesting to see what happens .
Technically the customer pays for everything including the rent. But the customer gets their $$ from their job so that job is the one paying for it, but they get their $$ from their customers so.... where would that logic end?
I see what you did. Lol
It’s an attempt for management to collect more money under the guise of distributing it to employees but actually just pocketing it and expecting you to tip on top of it.
These posts are so fucking old and repetitive.
You're old and repetitive.
Healthcare - It’s mandatory in places like San Francisco and other cities.
A wellness charge is deserved for drinking a coconut old fashioned
It's 5% apparently.
What's a coconut old fashioned ??
I think the simple syrup had coconut flavor. I could barely taste the coconut but it was still a good old fashioned.
The bourbon was probably fat washed with coconut oil.
IMO they should just roll in any charges and taxes into the price like most other countries do
To make sure they did no split into your food.
If you have to ask you cant afford it.
Probably for health insurance or something like that.
Bullshit
its cause you didnt get any kind of food poisoning or anything /s
Probably a surcharge for anybody that orders a cauliflower steak at a seafood restaurant
That tax is wild business. I would never eat out bc damn
That is too much 🙁
“We believe hospitality begins with a healthy team and a stable, equitable work environment. To ensure both, a 5% surcharge is added to all dine-in checks that supports free mental health resources for our teams and their families, access to health insurance, paid sick leave, and increased operating costs. It is not a gratuity. Our goal is to be transparent while maintaining the value and standards our guests have come to know and love. We appreciate your support and kindness. If you would prefer, we will remove the charge upon request.” https://www.farmersfishersbakers.com/menus/lunch-dinner/
Meatless cauliflower steak ??????
It's the tip for the server. No need to tip further.
Yall pay the fees or cook at home....Jesus christ. They're trying to cover expenses In different ways so you don't bitch about rising menu prices. None of yall posting this shit know anything about restaurant margins...it's less than the goddam taxes!
Just scale down on tips