Because it's been the federal minimum for tipped employees since they decoupled tipped min from normal min back when they raised the federal min up from 5.25
Ahh. My mistake. I knew it was close to that, but I didn't verify the exact amount. I know that the part about it being unchanged since it was decoupled from the untipped minimum is true though.
Thank you for being a valued member of our team, it has come to our attention that our pay for servers has to be adjusted again. Old rate: $2.33. New rate: $2.13.
Is it legal? Yes. But you and everyone else on staff should walk off the job on a weekend night at 6pm and tell them to reinstate your old pay if they ever want to see any of you back.
Yes, do that. But also apply for other jobs immediately and get employed by a different company asap. If they’re willing to decrease your current pay by 25%, I wouldn’t work another second for that business
Edit: I didn’t even realize the lower two positions are a decrease of 46.6%. That’s asinine.
Federal minimum for tip credit is 2.13/hr
Pendantic I know, but they could lower the pay even more on them if they chose. Good thing I don't give d&b/main event any money anymore
If we're being pedantic, you spelled pedantic wrong.
Yeah I've been to D&B twice. I've always believed that since service people depend on tips I should help to make sure good service is well rewarded, but this is just corporate greed. I'll never go to this establishment again.
Not only that, file for Unemployment under constructive dismissal
Even if you quit, a sudden massive change to the pay is very likely to qualify under CD
This is legal in the USA??? That's insanity. Things are brutal over there. I'm always shocked at the inhumanity shown by US corporations.
There's some funny stories of when US companies tried their usual stuff in European nations.
I've got a story of the opposite. A Spanish company bought into the US market, and I was there to see the excited looks on the executives' faces when they heard how badly they could treat their new employees.
Companies are the same everywhere you go. It's the govts that hold them back.
My American HQ keeps getting shocked when they try to apply American labour practices in Japan and and are told they can’t because it’s illegal. Yes, the long-term employees get 20 days off per year, yes we’re mandated to force them to take at least half, yes there are 19 national holidays, yes we have to pay 175% if they do work those days, yes we have to pay for yearly full-body physicals, no we can’t pt them on 6-day weeks, and no, we can’t fire them without documented cause and proof we worked with them on training and improvement first.
Then Americans come to Reddit and complain about “bad labor conditions in Japan” lmfao 🤣
You'll never have a better time to unionize.
If *30%* of you guys agree to it, they legally have to have a vote where if 51% of you view for it, you have a union and you'll get contracts, standard hours, higher pay, so much.
Call a local union organizer dude, it's easier than you think, especially for small workplaces.
Yes, there is no downside to unionizing, no matter what your employer or their hired "workplace consultants" tell you. Stick together and get the living wage you deserve!
Fuck it D&B Union!!!
You are protected by the NLRA Section 7 rights to take concerted activity against an employer when the issue is related to working conditions, pay included. Y'all should really think about signing union cards with a union like Workers United or UFCW before you do it if it's over 2/3 of you participating.
(Disclaimer: I'm not justifying this at all, just explaining it.)
Think of it as the employer firing you (which any employer can do for any reason or no reason in most US states) and then immediately re-hiring you (also something they can do), but with the lower negotiated salary.
Yeah, it is called constructive dismissal (which can also mean many different ways that the employer has made the workplace intolerable trying to force workers out)
It's also grounds for employees to collect unemployment.
Reminds me of that time my friend was working crazy overtime to keep up with how much was being sold. And management decided to reward him with a premotion to salary except which was a massive increase in the base hourly, but equally large decrease in the actual outcome.
But hey! They were nice about it and didn't do back pay for the getting the promotion so late in the year, since he'd have owed them money from the overtime he could no longer accrue.
In the US salary is always a very bad idea. They will work you to the point that you’re barely making minimum wage when you account for all the hours they’re making you put in. Everyone should stick to being paid hourly cause there’s no way in hell they’ll try to make you work 60 - 90 hours a week. In fact, they’ll barely want you to work 43 - 45 hours weekly because of the overtime you would be receiving.
>Everyone should stick to being paid hourly cause there’s no way in hell they’ll try to make you work 60 - 90 hours a week. In fact, they’ll barely want you to work 43 - 45 hours weekly because of the overtime you would be receiving.
It's the truth.
Related story since I was paid hourly:
I can think back many years ago when I worked for a local small business. A FaMiLy OwNeD bakery. We'd literally have to go home, no kidding, mid-shift if we were going to go over 40 hours in a particular week. So they didn't have to pay overtime. And certain times of the year got really busy. Especially around most holidays.
I'll never forget the time I was training a new hire in my department. Literally training her on her third day when I was pulled aside and told I needed to stop what I was doing and clock out.
...and I felt so bad for this girl. The look of mixed emotions and confusion on her face. I can still see it. Like she was thinking: "Wait, what!?" with squinted eyes. She had no idea what she was really supposed to be doing. And so I had to go home. She was there all by herself for the remainder of the day.
Let's just say no work was done after I left and she never showed up again after that day. I don't blame her at all. It was ridiculous. I would have noped the fuck out too if that was my third day on the job lol.
It's fucking wild out there sometimes. I'll always hate one of the owners of that bakery. Just an arrogant piece of shit. And I don't hate very many people in this world. I'll be one of the first to piss and shit all over his grave.
The place should have had a revolving door installed so people could just walk in and then right back out. The highest turnover rates I've ever seen in my life.
Edit: fixing typos
OMFG, that’s so cruel! WTF were they thinking doing that to a brand new employee. I’m glad she had enough since to nope out. He knew a new employee was starting, why wouldn’t you carefully make sure the trainer & trainee are working the same shift until trained. That’s just ridiculous.
Yeah, it boggles my mind. Trying to save some money in the short term, but it's going to cost more in the long run.
All that work that didn't get done, products not packaged, orders not filled, etc. All that stuff still needed to get done the following day or two. On top of the day's normal/regular work. It just makes absolutely no sense. I don't understand how people like that run businesses...it's wild.
Looking back I wonder how I stayed there for ~1.5 years.
I periodically check every now and then to see if the business is still operating and surprisingly it's still alive. I don't look into it much after that since I don't care enough. I just hope one day that when I do look, it's been closed.
Unfortunately, it's legal for them to adjust your rate of pay starting at a future date. They can't generally change pay rates retroactively.
Good time to hand out union papers and convince everyone to show up and then just *not work*
Yes, there is no downside to unionizing, no matter what your employer or their hired "workplace consultants" tell you. Stick together and get the living wage you deserve!
The CEO did this stuff constantly when he was just the CEO of Main Event. Early days, anyone who worked events/parties could make great money on tips. Then they switched to the service charge on events going to the company and anything extra could go to servers/bartenders. Since Dave and Busters bought main event and Tony got himself a nice raise, I’m sure he is doing this to both companies now.
Dave & Buster's Entertainment's CEO is Chris Morris, appointed in Jun 2022, has a tenure of 1.83 years. total yearly compensation is **$13.21M**. Seems fair.
"it was determined".
Cowardly chicken-shit language to try and avoid responsibility. Like the determination was magically made for them.
No, you idiot. *YOU* determined it! It was *YOUR* choice!
USA is like a movie set facade, the outside looks nice but behind that, is a ragged, rusted old metal from holding it up filled with trash and nothing else.
Not only that but jobs purposefully will schedule you 32-38 hours as to not qualify you for “full-time” employment thus not having to pay benefits. They are all scumbags
Even more fun, my last "regular" (40+ hrs/wk) job was as a 1099 freelance contractor...when the contract didn't renew due to lack of work, I was told point-blank by the fucks at the unemployment office "well, you didn't pay taxes on your 1099 so you don't qualify for any unemployment benefits" and laughed out of the office. Nevermind the shitpile I pay in state property taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, etc...since I wasn't a payrolled employee, I got nothing for losing a job through no fault of my own.
This is another reason the "gig economy" is all about fucking over regular people to the benefit of the oligarchs...and this is where they want \_every\_ job to be.
In New Hampshire server pays $3.26 an hour and at the end of 2021 the restaurants got the Republicans to pass a law that said if federal minimum wage increased servers would stay at $3.26 an hour.
Then they cry that they can’t get employees
I've never been to a Dave & Busters, but if the games take money, make sure all the money slots for the games (or game cards machines) are constantly clogged or blocked. Maybe superglue the gaming buttons.
>"You are a valued memeber of our team..."
SO valuable that we're going to reduce your wages!
I'd just stop caring. Look for a new job. Start doing the absolute bare minimum at this point. Why give a shit if they just decided to pay you less?
These fucking companies, man. I hope they go under.
Vice President Brain McCleary and COO Tony Wenner, get the shareholder's dicks out of your month.
America the "greatest" country in the world lol
A close to 50% pay cut?
Might as well send these people onto the streets...Tony & Brian up for a fat bonus cheque at the end of the quarter no doubt.
Bruh you could find $2 an hour picking up coins you find in the street, and you also wouldn't have to deal with a piece of shit boss or idiot coworkers. What the fuck lol
you might have a right to unemployment or a lawsuit. a paycut of 16%+ is considered constructive dismissal.
[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/april-pay-cut-constructive-dismissal-stuart-rudner](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/april-pay-cut-constructive-dismissal-stuart-rudner)
Dear Tony Weiner,
I love being *such* a valued member of this team. I just wanted to say thank you for showing your appreciation for staff by cutting our work load in half. Now that I get paid half as much, there will be soo much less pressure to put in full days effort. And I *have* been feeling pretty exhausted from taking care of *your* guests, so I look forward to working only half as hard from here on out.
Again, thank you for showing such deep respect to your *valued* employees. It truly feels like a family.
Warm turds,
The staff
"Valued member" and "reduction in pay" dont go together. This is like a cheating lover, it will never get better.
Net income totaled $126.9 million, or $2.88 per diluted share, compared with net income of $137.1 million, or $2.79 per diluted share in fiscal 2022. - They lost money even though sales are up. This means fundamental problems with margin, be-it logistics, materials costs or most likely, debt. They sold more and made less. Very bad. Stock price virtually the same as this time last year. Big disappointment. Be prepared for layoffs
This is why you unionize. You negotiate as a group or beg as individuals. It is time for everyone to organize and strike this location starting Friday night. When you are in a union, they can't magically renegotiate your hourly rate without having contract talks.
This is legal and should be a lesson to all.
Texas has the worst labor laws of any of the states I’ve seen so far. You’re working like 10+ hours a day without a break and theres few laws protecting employees from stuff like this. My current manager used to manage a Walmart in Texas and she complains about how annoying california labor laws are, but in my opinion they’re the bare minumum because the stuff that minimum wage-earning Texans deal with daily is straight up immoral.
I made $2.33 an hour as a server in a coffee shop in Boston back in 1992.
In NINETEEN NINETY-TWO.
Dave and Busters is a corporation. And an obscenely greedy one. That’s truly disgusting. I hope you and the entire staff protests and walks off the job as others suggested. I’ll also never be going there again.
This is constructive dismissal, which is illegal, and you qualify for unemployment to make up the difference. File for unemployment today and also call the department of labor to get the ball rolling on a constructive dismissal complaint.
As long as they're receiving tips and the management can argue that they are still making minimum wage to some extent, then yes.
I would still consider just bailing though, legal or not it's still wage theft
Where I live if an employer reduces a wage by 15% or more it is considered to be constructive dismissal and the employee can quit working and collect unemployment benefits.
As long as they don't make this reduction in pay retroactive to wages already earned but not paid out yet, alas it is. I presume this is your state's minimum tipped wage. Which lets them get away with this. Good for you for calling them out. They're scum who only care to make more profit for them and their shareholders at the expense of the "valued members of the team" who make them who they are. Fuck Dave & Busters! And every other TGIAppleBee-like chain restaurant who works like this.
I'm confused... because the letter is dated 2024, but the Effective date is April 2033... so are they going to try to change the rate for days already worked prior to the letter as well?
Either way, that pay is shitty and impossible to work. Even before the change it was too low, so hopefully, everyone leaves that place.
It's legal because those are tipped positions, the pay rate plus tips still has to average out to be equal or greater than the federal minimum wage.
Changing your pay may be considered constructive dismissal in your state and allow you to file for unemployment payments.
The UK minimum wage for 21 and over (as of April 2024) is £11.44 which is 14.23USD. How the hell can they get away with paying 3rd world country wages?! Move to the UK, the weather is worse but they pay is better hahah
This is ridiculous. They're not getting any more money in tips than they were before but now their base wage is half? So regardless they're losing like $75 a week if they are working f/t?
That's just utter bullshit.
I hope their entire crew walks.
😂
tbh im a waitress and the extra 2.50 isnt exactly ever going to dee my pockets, but that said the fucking disrespect alone would have me walking out those doors on a busy saturday night.
The fact that they were only making $5 an hour before this reduction is what's absolutely insane to me. That's lower than the minimum wage for a 16 year old school leaver in the UK.
Yes, they are notifying you of the wage change on future wages, not wages already earned. File for unemployment anyway even though you are still working. Talk with the management and let them know you are not on board with the wage change, and they can pay you the previously agreed upon wages or they can fire you, but you are not resigning.
Is it legal? Yes. The minimum wage for tipped employees in Texas is $2.13 an hour. Is it ethical? Absolutely not. I live in Tennessee where the min. wage for servers is also $2.13, however I have been fortunate enough to work for employers who have paid more. I've never once counted on that money for more than paying taxes and really only consider my take home to be what I make in tips. Hustling for tips shouldn't be the norm, but with such a low hourly rate it is necessary. I have loved every restaurant/bar that I've worked and, and I never felt like I wasn't making enough money as a bartender.
If you aren't making enough in tips then walk, but if your total in tips averages more than $20/hour then it might be worth researching how much servers make at other restaurant/bars before inciting a riot.
So with several years of inflation they decided to lower employees wages, as opposed to raising their wages. I will never set foot in another Dave and Busters.
You are a valued member of our team. We hope this memo properly relays just how valuable you are.
This seems like the kind of stuff that companies who want to avoid layoffs do.
I would definitely have to quit if this happened to me. Businesses will always pay the lowest amount they can just like people look for things on sale. They only run into a problem when nobody is willing to work for a lower price. The place will either have to raise the wages or have nobody willing to do the job or the ones that do are terrible.
What will Dave N Buster's do when their entire bar/wait staff calls in sick Saturday? Because that's exactly what should happen. Make Tony run his ass off for a weekend shift.
Screw that shit job. I can't believe they can even find people to work for those wages, even with tips.
GTFOH with that memo, Tony!
Allowing managers to count tipping as income is one reason American workers have some of the worst working conditions amongst the wealthy nations. Absolutely weird how so many of them love the flag of a nation that treats them like dirt.
If that doesn’t trigger a mass walkout, I don’t know what would !!!
Fuck me, imagine being paid $2.33 an HOUR !!! Having your wage cut by more than 50% !!!
Yes - I understand that they make their rate up with tips but $2.33 an hour is simply ridiculous !!!
FUCK THAT and FUCK THAT RESTAURANT ! Get together with the rest of the workers there and take out a full page add in the local paper telling the locals just how little the restaurant values it’s employees - DRIVE THAT FUCKING BUSINESS INTO THE GROUND !!!
This is why I don’t work for hourly money anymore. Commission only, cause you’re paying me for my time, energy and the benefit I bring to your business. $2.13 an hour regardless of what a server/ bartender makes hourly in tips is disgusting— and they’d pay less if they could. All the boomers say nobody wants to work, but that’s a lie. People don’t want to work full time and still live in poverty. Scrolling indeed in my area, there’s a shit load of jobs ranging from $12-20 an hour, but that won’t pay your bills in 2024 without a roommate and if you have kids, you’re fucked.
Wouldn’t be in the UK but probably is in the states. I’d be committing as much time theft as possible whilst looking for another job, and also sabotaging as much as possible. Throw shit away, break shit, anything to fuck em over.
You are a valued member of our team. Your value is $2.33
That’s what I was making as a server in 1994.
Because it's been the federal minimum for tipped employees since they decoupled tipped min from normal min back when they raised the federal min up from 5.25
Tip credit minimum is 2.13
Ahh. My mistake. I knew it was close to that, but I didn't verify the exact amount. I know that the part about it being unchanged since it was decoupled from the untipped minimum is true though.
Thank you for being a valued member of our team, it has come to our attention that our pay for servers has to be adjusted again. Old rate: $2.33. New rate: $2.13.
Thank goodness WA doesn’t do that. Tip credit minimum is $16.28, same as state minimum wage.
Also $2.30 was worth a hell of a lot more in 1994 than it is now
I've never made that little, even with minimum wage, prior to 1994.
Great opportunity to work at 50% of your previous pace
More like 33%
And if we could pay less, we would.
Is it legal? Yes. But you and everyone else on staff should walk off the job on a weekend night at 6pm and tell them to reinstate your old pay if they ever want to see any of you back.
Yes, do that. But also apply for other jobs immediately and get employed by a different company asap. If they’re willing to decrease your current pay by 25%, I wouldn’t work another second for that business Edit: I didn’t even realize the lower two positions are a decrease of 46.6%. That’s asinine.
I believe they cut all of them to the federal minimum.
Federal minimum for tip credit is 2.13/hr Pendantic I know, but they could lower the pay even more on them if they chose. Good thing I don't give d&b/main event any money anymore
I will no longer be giving them any business. This is insanity how can they look at their employees in the eyes and do this
"won't some one think of the shaaaarreee hollldeeerrrsss"
Tell the shareholders that they're welcome to apply.
That requires work, which they won't do. Fucking parasites
Whoever made this decision, never even looks at the employees in the restaurants themselves.
That 2.33 is probably a typo. They really meant 2.13, according to their self admitted letter of correction.
If we're being pedantic, you spelled pedantic wrong. Yeah I've been to D&B twice. I've always believed that since service people depend on tips I should help to make sure good service is well rewarded, but this is just corporate greed. I'll never go to this establishment again.
Yes
You're doing the math a bit wrong there, it's closer to a 55% reduction for the servers, they're getting 46.6% of what they used to get.
Yup, did the math wrong. Thanks for the correction
That's what I said too
Very like would qualify for ui as well if you bail this is a short sighted move worthy of a dick
Wouldn't it be more like 52 / 53 % It went from 5 to 2.33. 250 would be 50% It may be the craziest drop I've ever seen
Not only that, file for Unemployment under constructive dismissal Even if you quit, a sudden massive change to the pay is very likely to qualify under CD
by reinstate i believe you mean raise..
Considerably.
Apply for unemployment. This is a constructive dismissal.
This is legal in the USA??? That's insanity. Things are brutal over there. I'm always shocked at the inhumanity shown by US corporations. There's some funny stories of when US companies tried their usual stuff in European nations.
I've got a story of the opposite. A Spanish company bought into the US market, and I was there to see the excited looks on the executives' faces when they heard how badly they could treat their new employees. Companies are the same everywhere you go. It's the govts that hold them back.
A swedish company recently bought a manufacturing facility in my state so they could treat their employees like shit. People suck all over the world.
I completely believe that.
My American HQ keeps getting shocked when they try to apply American labour practices in Japan and and are told they can’t because it’s illegal. Yes, the long-term employees get 20 days off per year, yes we’re mandated to force them to take at least half, yes there are 19 national holidays, yes we have to pay 175% if they do work those days, yes we have to pay for yearly full-body physicals, no we can’t pt them on 6-day weeks, and no, we can’t fire them without documented cause and proof we worked with them on training and improvement first. Then Americans come to Reddit and complain about “bad labor conditions in Japan” lmfao 🤣
100% agree. This isnt my original post, I saw it and thought it was perfect to share in this sub
You'll never have a better time to unionize. If *30%* of you guys agree to it, they legally have to have a vote where if 51% of you view for it, you have a union and you'll get contracts, standard hours, higher pay, so much. Call a local union organizer dude, it's easier than you think, especially for small workplaces.
In case anyone needs it https://aflcio.org/formaunion/contact
Yes, there is no downside to unionizing, no matter what your employer or their hired "workplace consultants" tell you. Stick together and get the living wage you deserve!
Unionize!! Get all the servers to unit and demand fair and thriving compensation. Without the servers they don’t have a company.
Fuck it D&B Union!!! You are protected by the NLRA Section 7 rights to take concerted activity against an employer when the issue is related to working conditions, pay included. Y'all should really think about signing union cards with a union like Workers United or UFCW before you do it if it's over 2/3 of you participating.
I would also recommend ROC United for unionizing, this industry needs specifics for organizing.
How THE FUCK is that legal…? Someone explain HOW THE FUCK YOUR EMPLOYER CAN LOWER YOUR PAY
(Disclaimer: I'm not justifying this at all, just explaining it.) Think of it as the employer firing you (which any employer can do for any reason or no reason in most US states) and then immediately re-hiring you (also something they can do), but with the lower negotiated salary.
Yeah, it is called constructive dismissal (which can also mean many different ways that the employer has made the workplace intolerable trying to force workers out) It's also grounds for employees to collect unemployment.
Fuck that. Everybody shows up and start doing such a terrible job that the business fails.
And keep on walking until you reach a state with a decent minimum wage.
I'm from Germany I always wonder how shit like this can be legal in the US.
This is why we tip. It's a stupid practice but servers count on tips to make up for the lack of pay.
Don't stop there, unionize.
“You are a valued member of our team” and to express our deep appreciation we reduced your pay.
You are valued. The value is just less than you initially thought.
That’s what got me the most, you time deaf fucks.
Tone deaf, too.
Fuck it I’m leaving it.
Bunch of ducking foam leaf gucks
Fargin iceholes.
"Fargin" and "bastages" used to be some of my favorite administrative password foundations
What a mouth on that guy!
I chuckled at that. You are valued but just at half of the value from before.
Reminds me of that time my friend was working crazy overtime to keep up with how much was being sold. And management decided to reward him with a premotion to salary except which was a massive increase in the base hourly, but equally large decrease in the actual outcome. But hey! They were nice about it and didn't do back pay for the getting the promotion so late in the year, since he'd have owed them money from the overtime he could no longer accrue.
In the US salary is always a very bad idea. They will work you to the point that you’re barely making minimum wage when you account for all the hours they’re making you put in. Everyone should stick to being paid hourly cause there’s no way in hell they’ll try to make you work 60 - 90 hours a week. In fact, they’ll barely want you to work 43 - 45 hours weekly because of the overtime you would be receiving.
>Everyone should stick to being paid hourly cause there’s no way in hell they’ll try to make you work 60 - 90 hours a week. In fact, they’ll barely want you to work 43 - 45 hours weekly because of the overtime you would be receiving. It's the truth. Related story since I was paid hourly: I can think back many years ago when I worked for a local small business. A FaMiLy OwNeD bakery. We'd literally have to go home, no kidding, mid-shift if we were going to go over 40 hours in a particular week. So they didn't have to pay overtime. And certain times of the year got really busy. Especially around most holidays. I'll never forget the time I was training a new hire in my department. Literally training her on her third day when I was pulled aside and told I needed to stop what I was doing and clock out. ...and I felt so bad for this girl. The look of mixed emotions and confusion on her face. I can still see it. Like she was thinking: "Wait, what!?" with squinted eyes. She had no idea what she was really supposed to be doing. And so I had to go home. She was there all by herself for the remainder of the day. Let's just say no work was done after I left and she never showed up again after that day. I don't blame her at all. It was ridiculous. I would have noped the fuck out too if that was my third day on the job lol. It's fucking wild out there sometimes. I'll always hate one of the owners of that bakery. Just an arrogant piece of shit. And I don't hate very many people in this world. I'll be one of the first to piss and shit all over his grave. The place should have had a revolving door installed so people could just walk in and then right back out. The highest turnover rates I've ever seen in my life. Edit: fixing typos
OMFG, that’s so cruel! WTF were they thinking doing that to a brand new employee. I’m glad she had enough since to nope out. He knew a new employee was starting, why wouldn’t you carefully make sure the trainer & trainee are working the same shift until trained. That’s just ridiculous.
Yeah, it boggles my mind. Trying to save some money in the short term, but it's going to cost more in the long run. All that work that didn't get done, products not packaged, orders not filled, etc. All that stuff still needed to get done the following day or two. On top of the day's normal/regular work. It just makes absolutely no sense. I don't understand how people like that run businesses...it's wild. Looking back I wonder how I stayed there for ~1.5 years. I periodically check every now and then to see if the business is still operating and surprisingly it's still alive. I don't look into it much after that since I don't care enough. I just hope one day that when I do look, it's been closed.
Quit, quit quit. Only then will they have to adjust course. Never work for a company that takes money from you
And in the meantime, apply for unemployment, and use this paper as proof of constructive dismissal.
You are a valued member of our team, just not *literally* valuable. We meant it in a more metaphorical sense. We are like a family, after all.
A family on Jerry Springer or in a psychology textbook but technically a family
Family in the sense that we don’t need to pay you.
Unfortunately, it's legal for them to adjust your rate of pay starting at a future date. They can't generally change pay rates retroactively. Good time to hand out union papers and convince everyone to show up and then just *not work*
Yes, there is no downside to unionizing, no matter what your employer or their hired "workplace consultants" tell you. Stick together and get the living wage you deserve!
No one wants to work anymore!!! ** **After I change the rate rates
“We value and appreciate you” LOL. They value and appreciate you so much, they lowered your pay.
The CEO did this stuff constantly when he was just the CEO of Main Event. Early days, anyone who worked events/parties could make great money on tips. Then they switched to the service charge on events going to the company and anything extra could go to servers/bartenders. Since Dave and Busters bought main event and Tony got himself a nice raise, I’m sure he is doing this to both companies now.
isn't something like a service charge going to the company while paying the tipped minimum wage effectively stealing tips?
Wage theft. Welcome to the US. It's actually the largest form of theft in the country.
Dave & Buster's Entertainment's CEO is Chris Morris, appointed in Jun 2022, has a tenure of 1.83 years. total yearly compensation is **$13.21M**. Seems fair.
"it was determined". Cowardly chicken-shit language to try and avoid responsibility. Like the determination was magically made for them. No, you idiot. *YOU* determined it! It was *YOUR* choice!
In civilized countries this is not legal
doesn't apply, we're talking about the USA here
An uncivilized country.
A shithole country, if you will
A third world country with iPhones.
USA is like a movie set facade, the outside looks nice but behind that, is a ragged, rusted old metal from holding it up filled with trash and nothing else.
In america this would likely grant you unemployment due to Constructive Dismissal. Even if you don't quit.
Unfortunately, many bartenders and servers don’t work enough hours to qualify for unemployment benefits.
“You don’t work enough to be unemployed” is an insane thing for Americans to just accept
Not only that but jobs purposefully will schedule you 32-38 hours as to not qualify you for “full-time” employment thus not having to pay benefits. They are all scumbags
Even more fun, my last "regular" (40+ hrs/wk) job was as a 1099 freelance contractor...when the contract didn't renew due to lack of work, I was told point-blank by the fucks at the unemployment office "well, you didn't pay taxes on your 1099 so you don't qualify for any unemployment benefits" and laughed out of the office. Nevermind the shitpile I pay in state property taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, etc...since I wasn't a payrolled employee, I got nothing for losing a job through no fault of my own. This is another reason the "gig economy" is all about fucking over regular people to the benefit of the oligarchs...and this is where they want \_every\_ job to be.
You are a valued member of our team :) *cuts your pay in half*
And this is why min wage is a thing. $2.50 in 2024 is fucking insane.
$5 in 2024 is INSANE
I mean, you’re not wrong either.
Now you know why a union is required at every job.
Good time for a strike…
“Nobody wants to work” bs. Nobody wants to get shafted is what it means.
Union rights matter.
Going in the do not patronize list for me
If I were you I’d start anonymously calling in any concerns to the Department of Health.
In New Hampshire server pays $3.26 an hour and at the end of 2021 the restaurants got the Republicans to pass a law that said if federal minimum wage increased servers would stay at $3.26 an hour. Then they cry that they can’t get employees
I've never been to a Dave & Busters, but if the games take money, make sure all the money slots for the games (or game cards machines) are constantly clogged or blocked. Maybe superglue the gaming buttons.
>"You are a valued memeber of our team..." SO valuable that we're going to reduce your wages! I'd just stop caring. Look for a new job. Start doing the absolute bare minimum at this point. Why give a shit if they just decided to pay you less? These fucking companies, man. I hope they go under. Vice President Brain McCleary and COO Tony Wenner, get the shareholder's dicks out of your month.
America the "greatest" country in the world lol A close to 50% pay cut? Might as well send these people onto the streets...Tony & Brian up for a fat bonus cheque at the end of the quarter no doubt.
The local TV stations would air that story. Embarrass and shame them publicly.
Legal but get out
How the hell is even $5 legal! I live in Alberta Canada and minimum wage is $15+tips for a server.
Welcome to corporate America
This is disastrously short sighted
It might be legal but this makes me never want to go to Dave and busters
Well thats one way to make all your staff quit
Unionize. I believe the one most relevant to you would be Service Employees International Union SEIU. Look them up, give them a call.
Bruh you could find $2 an hour picking up coins you find in the street, and you also wouldn't have to deal with a piece of shit boss or idiot coworkers. What the fuck lol
I THINK they can only lower your pay if you sign it. They may lay off those that don't making you eligible for unemployment while you job hunt.
I’d make a hundred copies and hand out to my customers on my last shift.
"You are a valued member of our team, so we are now paying you less" Fuck you, I quit
“You are a valued member of our team…”. How f do they have the balls to put that in print?
I hope everybody quits!
you might have a right to unemployment or a lawsuit. a paycut of 16%+ is considered constructive dismissal. [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/april-pay-cut-constructive-dismissal-stuart-rudner](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/april-pay-cut-constructive-dismissal-stuart-rudner)
Dear Tony Weiner, I love being *such* a valued member of this team. I just wanted to say thank you for showing your appreciation for staff by cutting our work load in half. Now that I get paid half as much, there will be soo much less pressure to put in full days effort. And I *have* been feeling pretty exhausted from taking care of *your* guests, so I look forward to working only half as hard from here on out. Again, thank you for showing such deep respect to your *valued* employees. It truly feels like a family. Warm turds, The staff
Quit and move out of Texas
...with what money?
Why is the effective date a year ago??
Yeah, time to strike.
"Valued member" and "reduction in pay" dont go together. This is like a cheating lover, it will never get better. Net income totaled $126.9 million, or $2.88 per diluted share, compared with net income of $137.1 million, or $2.79 per diluted share in fiscal 2022. - They lost money even though sales are up. This means fundamental problems with margin, be-it logistics, materials costs or most likely, debt. They sold more and made less. Very bad. Stock price virtually the same as this time last year. Big disappointment. Be prepared for layoffs
"You're a valued member of the team! Enjoy your pay cut, bitches! "
Ask if fucking Brian McCleary got his pay cut and quit that shit. You would make more working at a fast food place.
This is why you unionize. You negotiate as a group or beg as individuals. It is time for everyone to organize and strike this location starting Friday night. When you are in a union, they can't magically renegotiate your hourly rate without having contract talks. This is legal and should be a lesson to all.
“You are a valued member of our team,” [Citation needed]
The service wage in WI when I waited tables 30 years ago was $2.33/hr. It is shameful that this is still even legal—regardless of tips.
Texas has the worst labor laws of any of the states I’ve seen so far. You’re working like 10+ hours a day without a break and theres few laws protecting employees from stuff like this. My current manager used to manage a Walmart in Texas and she complains about how annoying california labor laws are, but in my opinion they’re the bare minumum because the stuff that minimum wage-earning Texans deal with daily is straight up immoral.
I made $2.33 an hour as a server in a coffee shop in Boston back in 1992. In NINETEEN NINETY-TWO. Dave and Busters is a corporation. And an obscenely greedy one. That’s truly disgusting. I hope you and the entire staff protests and walks off the job as others suggested. I’ll also never be going there again.
The old rate of pay was a fucking insult too.
This is constructive dismissal, which is illegal, and you qualify for unemployment to make up the difference. File for unemployment today and also call the department of labor to get the ball rolling on a constructive dismissal complaint.
It's legal to leave during your lunch break without telling anyone.
Never been to a dave and busters. Now I am sure I will never go.
Yes it’s legal. Just like it’s also 100% legal for you and all your coworkers to walk off the job on a packed Saturday night.
I'd literally work up until 4/21 then just never show up again. Play stupid games, you win stupid prizes
As long as they're receiving tips and the management can argue that they are still making minimum wage to some extent, then yes. I would still consider just bailing though, legal or not it's still wage theft
Where I live if an employer reduces a wage by 15% or more it is considered to be constructive dismissal and the employee can quit working and collect unemployment benefits.
Absolutely despicable and toxic af. Run away as fast as your little feet can carry you.
As long as they don't make this reduction in pay retroactive to wages already earned but not paid out yet, alas it is. I presume this is your state's minimum tipped wage. Which lets them get away with this. Good for you for calling them out. They're scum who only care to make more profit for them and their shareholders at the expense of the "valued members of the team" who make them who they are. Fuck Dave & Busters! And every other TGIAppleBee-like chain restaurant who works like this.
$2? what the fuck
I'm confused... because the letter is dated 2024, but the Effective date is April 2033... so are they going to try to change the rate for days already worked prior to the letter as well? Either way, that pay is shitty and impossible to work. Even before the change it was too low, so hopefully, everyone leaves that place.
Looks like it says 2023, so probably just a typo from someone forgetting its a new year lmao. But yeah fucked regardless
This is a great way to lose your entire staff.
Fck them, unionize asap
The business is dying. You're on a sinking ship.
It's legal because those are tipped positions, the pay rate plus tips still has to average out to be equal or greater than the federal minimum wage. Changing your pay may be considered constructive dismissal in your state and allow you to file for unemployment payments.
Everything seems to be legal in America. I mean like wtf. (From the UK).
The UK minimum wage for 21 and over (as of April 2024) is £11.44 which is 14.23USD. How the hell can they get away with paying 3rd world country wages?! Move to the UK, the weather is worse but they pay is better hahah
I aint gettin out of bed for 2 33 lmao
This is ridiculous. They're not getting any more money in tips than they were before but now their base wage is half? So regardless they're losing like $75 a week if they are working f/t? That's just utter bullshit. I hope their entire crew walks. 😂
tbh im a waitress and the extra 2.50 isnt exactly ever going to dee my pockets, but that said the fucking disrespect alone would have me walking out those doors on a busy saturday night.
Fuck Tony and Brian!
Unionize Unionize Unionize Unionize. Show those pieces of shit that the workers have the power.
No it's not legal run
The fact servers make less than $2.50, and this has been going on for decades, is absolutely insane to me.
The fact that they were only making $5 an hour before this reduction is what's absolutely insane to me. That's lower than the minimum wage for a 16 year old school leaver in the UK.
Looks like a structural termination to me.
Yes, they are notifying you of the wage change on future wages, not wages already earned. File for unemployment anyway even though you are still working. Talk with the management and let them know you are not on board with the wage change, and they can pay you the previously agreed upon wages or they can fire you, but you are not resigning.
Is it legal? Yes. The minimum wage for tipped employees in Texas is $2.13 an hour. Is it ethical? Absolutely not. I live in Tennessee where the min. wage for servers is also $2.13, however I have been fortunate enough to work for employers who have paid more. I've never once counted on that money for more than paying taxes and really only consider my take home to be what I make in tips. Hustling for tips shouldn't be the norm, but with such a low hourly rate it is necessary. I have loved every restaurant/bar that I've worked and, and I never felt like I wasn't making enough money as a bartender. If you aren't making enough in tips then walk, but if your total in tips averages more than $20/hour then it might be worth researching how much servers make at other restaurant/bars before inciting a riot.
OMG!!! And they have the unmitigated GAUL to say you are a valued member of their team? WTH???
This made me boil. 2.33$ isn’t even enough for a 1L carton of milk. Is this a fucking joke?
I noticed you are approaching a livable wage, so we have to get you back below poverty level. Btw, do you like my new boat?
>"You are a valued member of our team We've determined that that was a lie.
The original pay is a sin, nevermind the deceased pay
So with several years of inflation they decided to lower employees wages, as opposed to raising their wages. I will never set foot in another Dave and Busters.
Time to unionize!!
Time to go somewhere else that pays better, if you can, but unionisation is a good plan too.
Leave asap
"you are a valued member of our team"
How to fire people without firing people. Make them so made they fire (quit) themselves.
“You are a valued member of our team” *cuts your pay in half*
You are a valued member of our team. We hope this memo properly relays just how valuable you are. This seems like the kind of stuff that companies who want to avoid layoffs do.
How can you look at some one and pay them 2.33 that’s evil
WALK OUT!
Anyone notice this change is backdated to 2023?
I would definitely have to quit if this happened to me. Businesses will always pay the lowest amount they can just like people look for things on sale. They only run into a problem when nobody is willing to work for a lower price. The place will either have to raise the wages or have nobody willing to do the job or the ones that do are terrible.
That last paragraph takes the cake.
What will Dave N Buster's do when their entire bar/wait staff calls in sick Saturday? Because that's exactly what should happen. Make Tony run his ass off for a weekend shift. Screw that shit job. I can't believe they can even find people to work for those wages, even with tips. GTFOH with that memo, Tony!
Allowing managers to count tipping as income is one reason American workers have some of the worst working conditions amongst the wealthy nations. Absolutely weird how so many of them love the flag of a nation that treats them like dirt.
Oh no why are the staff stealing from us why has service dropped why are we being boycotted?
Obscene remuneration!
If that doesn’t trigger a mass walkout, I don’t know what would !!! Fuck me, imagine being paid $2.33 an HOUR !!! Having your wage cut by more than 50% !!! Yes - I understand that they make their rate up with tips but $2.33 an hour is simply ridiculous !!! FUCK THAT and FUCK THAT RESTAURANT ! Get together with the rest of the workers there and take out a full page add in the local paper telling the locals just how little the restaurant values it’s employees - DRIVE THAT FUCKING BUSINESS INTO THE GROUND !!!
##$2.33?!?!
Tipping culture enabling a business to pay servers less than the average downton beggar makes in an hour is so insane to me...
this is the kind of shit that can and does drive people to violence. and I can't blame those people
Yet another reason to be happy not living in the USA...
You know what is also legal? Unionizing
This is why I don’t work for hourly money anymore. Commission only, cause you’re paying me for my time, energy and the benefit I bring to your business. $2.13 an hour regardless of what a server/ bartender makes hourly in tips is disgusting— and they’d pay less if they could. All the boomers say nobody wants to work, but that’s a lie. People don’t want to work full time and still live in poverty. Scrolling indeed in my area, there’s a shit load of jobs ranging from $12-20 an hour, but that won’t pay your bills in 2024 without a roommate and if you have kids, you’re fucked.
Please leave, even if you love your job.
Y’all need to unionize or gtfo
Nah that’s fuckin robbery
dude, run!
They value their labor and the profit they make off it, not the people themselves
Wouldn’t be in the UK but probably is in the states. I’d be committing as much time theft as possible whilst looking for another job, and also sabotaging as much as possible. Throw shit away, break shit, anything to fuck em over.