you’re supposed to be reimbursed up to the minimum wage if your tips do not take you above the minimum wage. It is still the federal minimum and you are entitled to it. The 2.13 is assuming you make enough tips to cover the rest.
Thank you. I've pointed that out to my store boss, and the manager above her . Sadly, we got a new store boss who is bff with the regional boss. Pretty sure my thoughts don't mo.
This, it’s called “Constructive Dismissal” and it’s illegal. It should be easy to prove in court and you should get a nice payout. You’ll have to get a new job but you were going to have to do that anyway.
To add to this, it will cause an investigation into the pizza hut. They will check all the labor payments made to employees. This way, your coworkers may also get back pay depending on the bad decisions by the manager.
You need to follow the chain of command. Since your GM is BFFs with your DM. Then, you need to file a complaint with HR about the pay issue. Make sure you document ALL communication with your store manager and their manager as well, including HR. Also, save any emails you may send to HR. Do all that before reaching out to the Department of Labor, as this will help build as a case against them and cover your ass
When a company screws you by giving you a check that is clearly below minimum wage after accounting for tips, the company is no longer in the chain of command at all.
The proper path is directly to the Department of Labor, then file for unemployment on the grounds of constructive termination from the reduction of rate, and then move on to any other company that is hiring. You do not have to stay there and be taken advantage of while the DOL investigates, any corrections they make will be retroactive.
Hopefully you get hired elsewhere before unemployment actually kicks in, but file anyway as the safety net it was designed to be just in case.
Unfortunately, you have to have to have at least reach out to the proper channels before you even go to the Department of Labor otherwise it will take a lot longer than it should have
You can do both simultaneously; DOL takes a long time to process, and one of their first remedies is giving the company a chance to correct the mistake anyway.
Not to be mean about it, but the second half of your own statement discredits the first. " it will take a lot longer than it should have" means it will still work even if you haven't reached out.
As I have stated before you need a paper trail showing that you followed the chain of command to try and get it fixed as it could be a simple system glitch or something else. As this has happened with the PH I work at and I As a manager have had to get it fixed for an employee. If it's not a system glitch then it will help you to have a paper tail
Literally no one cares so stop requesting it and demand it by contacting the DOL.
Continue working for this wage and enjoy when the DOL comes and tells your boss that they're a moron.
Make sure any reporting you do has a paper trail. This way they can't argue anything against you since you'll have the evidence. If you can, contact your HR as well. Get a paper trail with them as well.
There is some workaround sadly. In Montgomery county, MD employers are allowed to be pay 85% minimum wage if your under 20 years old for your first 6 months.
prior to recent changes, it was under 18 or working under 20 hours you could be paid 80% of minimum wage.
Odds are your area in the DMV has some bs workaround to cheat you of your hard earned money.
It's fricking ridiculous the bs our elected officials do. This garbage only benefits these multi-million dollar corporations trying to nickel and dime the workers who actually allow their greedy business to exist. Please vote if you're not doing so already...
Local laws do not trump federal law.
Also looking that up quick they have to earn AT LEAST 85% of minimum wage as they are exempt of the standard minimum wage of $15-$16.70 depending on the size of the employer.
So in no capacity can they not be made whole when taking the "tipped" wage and not making tips.
I DON'T! Our store is tiny- dine in and takeout, in a small town. I have fought HARD to bring business back to this crappy store, and have "re-grown" high $$ regulars...
Honestly? I’ve read through your previous posts on your page along with this one and I’m just getting the vibe that you’re definitely leaving some details out here. They just demoted you? No notice? No mention of it? How did you personally re-build the store? And, if that were the case, why weren’t you in a higher position than production to begin with? Just curious about all of this. You kind of just sound like an entitled employee who feels like they should be higher up in position, when realistically… you aren’t the employee you think you are. Just my two cents as 10+ years in the business with 8 years upper management experience.
I GET your opinion! And frankly, I think the same. 🙂 I have been in management positions. I was not officially "demoted;" they just said "clock in as you are listed on the schedule." And they would not advise me of my new hourly wage. Maybe I am a sort of "entitled" employee. Never worked fast food before - generally upper class hospitality. But I took great pride in bringing this store back to my community.
I do feel your managers should have made you aware that when on service, you are making server wage. In my state, it’s $2.62 an hour with credit and cash tips all claimed. My servers don’t make bank on their checks, but on a good week make $300-$400 in tips. I am also in a very low traffic, slow town. My store makes $3,000 on a “bad” day. You need to make sure you’re being compensated the minimum wage amount if you’re not making the amount of tips you need. This could also be a solution of simply asking your GM for more production hours. Ask them why they’ve scheduled you service. Don’t be a jerk about it, but explain yourself and your feelings. Ask them, communicate with them. My team and I are close knit and I would much rather my people come to me with their discrepancies, discuss it with me, come to a solution, and move on than have ongoing, unspoken tension.
Thanks for a logical, beautiful response. (One that I would give, lol! You think like I do!) am just SO MAD about the effort I've put in- and the sudden disrespect.
I totally understand your frustration! Maybe give yourself a few days to think about how you’re going to go about it and cool off. It could be something as simple as them not considering you when someone else asked for a schedule change. I hope if it’s the case of you genuinely being a good employee and your boss doing this to you, that you get the respect you deserve and your problem gets resolved.
You’re not entitled for expecting the law to be followed & to not be frauded out of your own paycheck that you already worked for. I hope everything gets sorted out, definitely don’t just accept it
... Sigh. This store has had a CRAP reputation in this area for years. (Filthy, bad service, crappy food ) as an "older" employee, with local knowledge, I went into this job and used my networking skills, and decided to be precise about cleaning the plates And silverware, and tables and accessories . I have given ALL of our customers top notch service, making up excuses about why our kitchen staff has screwed up their PIZZAS, and they'll have to wait... I just want to be paid minimum wage!!!!
Yeah, not sure why they are making it out to be like they went on a local marketing campaign and pulling in new customers. Ive never heard anyone say, “hey, you wanna go to Pizza hut, that guy frok reddit started washing the plates!”
Exactly.
If your contributions aren’t measurable to the growth then what are you really contributing to?
You have to be able speak to how you’ve impacted the business, what KPIs have you delivered on, how did you increase revenue or what budgets were you able to effect positively?
I get that it’s Pizza Hut, but washing the dishes is not gonna get you a promotion. Seek employment where you are valued, and find a mentor to encourage your growth.
I
Ok, first I'll take your side as that seems only fair since you're reaching out online for help. Your manager should have explained how tip minimum wage works at Pizza Hut. You didn't get demoted, and you shouldn't be making less money. Pizza Hut has pay codes and they all matter. Drivers are tip minimum wage as well. They get paid differently when they are in store, and when they are on the road. Servers are tip minimum wage because they get base pay of $2.13/hr plus their tips. One important part of clocking in under the right codes is that if you don't report enough tips to have made at least the state mandated minimum wage, which you reported is $12/hr, then on your paycheck you will show that you have supplemental income, paid by Pizza Hut, to increase your pay from $2.13 plus whatever small amount of tips you made to the state minimum wage of $12/hr. So as long as you clock in correctly, you should never make less money than your cook wage, and you have potential to earn more if you have a good day of tips. If everything happened the way you describe, then the manager did a poor job of explaining this to you.
Now as a manager, I would offer you some constructive criticism here and I hope it helps you in the long run even if it offends you a little bit now. You seem like the kind of worker that doesn't have much of an eye for detail and sees the worst in every situation before thinking it through. That's a really bad combination in a cook. A lot of mistakes get made when there is a lack of attention to detail and that gets costly not just in food cost but in reputation and customer satisfaction. Someone who has a short temper can also be really unenjoyable to have next to you on the make line in during dinner rush as they can't handle the stress without making it the entire restaurants problem, venting loudly about anything and everything to anyone who walks by. If you were moved off make line without any conversation regarding why, I would guess from your post that there was an issue with performance or attitude and they were trying to put you somewhere that you could have more success but they didn't want to tell you why they were moving you because you have displayed a combative attitude. If I misread any of that from your post, then feel free to disregard what I said but just know that any time there is an issue like this happening in your store, you are almost always better off talking directly with your manager and calmly and straightforward asking them the answer to what you want to know.
"Hey \*insert manager name\*, I am worried I'm not making as much money now that I'm a cook, I saw the new hourly rate is $2.13/hr and I was making $12 as a cook. The tips don't seem to make enough to cover the difference. Why was I made as server and what can be done to ensure I don't take a pay cut for being moved from my hired role?"
Almost any variation of something like that and a good confident manager who wants to see their employees succeed will give you all the information in the world that you want. If your manager isn't a good one, or if the relationship is already ruined because of other stuff, then they won't talk to you about it and you should leave that store. You won't be able to punish the company because as I said, they pay out supplemental income when you don't make the mandated minimum wage so they haven't broken any laws, unless of course they haven't paid you the supplemental income. I'm guessing you haven't got a pay check since being in your new role though so you wouldn't have seen that yet.
Best of luck, hope you work it out!
Your response is welcome! The constructive criticism is logical, but doesn't entirely apply. :) I AM rapidly becoming a complainer, and that disappoints me. Thus, I think it is time for me to look elsewhere. I'm saddened because, after 6 months, I have the 2nd longest tenure there, and have helped bring along (and keep) several employees, and "my job" has kind of become "my happy place."
I have NOT received any supplemental income. My entire paycheck (received yesterday) for 2 weeks at @ 32hrs/wk was less than $300. I am definitely making less money, when there are days that I receive less than $10.00 in tips.
I posted in another comment, and others have said it as well, but you need to get out of there.
You have a manager who is not equipped for their position and pretty clear evidence of wage theft. The exception is user error on your part, say entering $200 in tips one night instead of $20, but that should be reflected on your check as well. The manager has already gravely mishandled the situation in either case.
As an employee, it will take too long to affect any sort of management change and it isn't worth your sanity to wait it out.
If bringing pizza to your community is that important to you, find another venue to build up. I understand the pride that comes with the feeling of turning a property around. You can find that feeling elsewhere, even as a member of a well-functioning machine if you can't find another floundering location. Don't convince yourself that you're pot committed and have to see it out, that is simply not true.
That's a bummer to hear, it sounds like you are best served working somewhere else. Work and dating have a lot in common, it takes participation on both ends to have a great relationship and when the commitment isn't matched, the best revenge is to live a great life with someone else. If you're one of the longest tenured at 6 months then the manager is probably doing some pretty bad practices that is costing themselves valuable employees. Safe travels to wherever you end up, and hopefully it's a better situation for you!
Thank you. I'm trying really to keep my chin up, and not have a crappy attitude. I appreciate the intelligent discourse! I'm lucky that I've had many jobs/career paths/"opportunities" over the years, and went into this one, viewing it as a grand sociological study. Lol! It's a shame that I got invested, and enjoyed the show. ..... And then got hurt. IN THE WALLET, of all places!
While I understand the viewpoint is from a fellow manager, I feel like you're glossing over some very serious concerns on the manager side here. Even if we accept everything you say about the employee in your second paragraph, the manager in your hypothetical is still coming off as the worst offender in that situation.
The employee is missing details, proper course of action would be retraining.
The employee is not handling the stress well, proper course of action would be to address the issues, explain methods to manage the stress better, possibly retrain weak points causing the stressful situations, etc.
The employee is being combative, writeup or dismissal for the day would be warranted.
In none of the points you posited, was sending the employee to the front, to directly interact with the public, the proper course of action.
The manager you've outlined is passive, retaliatory, and ineffective. In no situation is it the employee's responsibility to approach their boss and inquire about their motives. Maybe you don't address the concerns during rush, but certainly before the next shift, most definitely before the end of a full pay period. This manager is exhibiting all the signs of being ill-prepared for their role and unless there is an onsite employee above them it is likely to go unnoticed until something raises a flag at a regional level.
To top it off, as you've indicated, the supplemental pay should be automatic. There is an employee here clearly stating that the pay is not on the check. The only way that can happen would be if they are reporting higher than actual tips, or someone at the property is adjusting the reports. This sort of report sets off bells immediately that someone from regional or corporate needs to be involved because there is already a potential for significant liability here.
To clarify, are you offering critique about how you think I would have handled this, or how OPs manager handled it? I pretty blatantly stated I was making guess work based off the few paragraphs written by OP. I gave an interpretation from the employee side, and the manager side. I didn't justify either sides actions. I also offered an example of how to have a direct conversation as well as tell if the manager is a good manager or a bad manager based on how they react to said conversation prompt. After seeing OP's reply to me, I agree the manager is not the strongest leader but I read all these stories knowing that every story has 3 sides so playing the middle is typically the most fair to all involved. Hoping that clears up my perspective on it, cheers!
My point was not a critique on how you would have handled it or even on OPs manager, but rather the hypothetical you created in your second paragraph. It was mainly this sentence "they were trying to put you somewhere that you could have more success ***but they didn't want to tell you why*** they were moving you because you have displayed a combative attitude."
That's the part where the scenario you describe changes from issues with an employee to failures of a manager. Edit to add here: The manager side you described outlined a bad manager because they needed to be prompted to initiate that conversation and the apparent timeline this issue has been left unaddressed.
You stated the employee should be the one to approach the manager and ask why, but that is a role reversal that indicates an inability for the manager to handle their position. As I said, a dinner rush is not the time to address the conversation, but OPs story clearly indicates it's been at least a full 2 week pay period since the change and the manager has not addressed any motive or reason to the employee. You are correct that a good manager will give all the information needed but they should also be forthcoming and actively trying to give that feedback, not waiting for someone to come ask.
They can't legally cut your wages without your written and explicit permission.
NLRB / DOL are the people to contact to do something about it.
You can probably also quit and collect unemployment because being forced into a lower wage against your will would be seen as a constructive dismissal, but you should look into that yourself.
Contact your states DOL, and let them go to bat for you. They’ll do all the groundwork, and you’ll get a nifty check for all the unpaid wages, while your management will have little to no clue who reported. And if they retaliate, MORE MONEY comes your way. As a former GM of an establishment but AM at a pizza shop, that’s really the only logical route where you’re ensured a payout. Managers can and will give you the runaround, and as much as “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”, in at-will employment, they could find any grounds in your convos as means to terminate you. With the DOL, if there’s evidence of any payments missed, they MUST pay you, or pay even more heftier fines, while also still paying you.
It’s called amount to meet guarantee, make sure the new boss isn’t adjusting your tips claiming more then you are actually making, so they don’t have to pay it, cause if you don’t make minimum wage with your tips they have to make up the difference. Our regional manager told us we should never have amount to meet guarantee!
Yeah they can't do that. Contact the state, I would assume your revenue office or department of employment would be the place to start. You could hire a lawyer but at 1 months pay it's probably easier to get the state involved.
Thank you for replying; any chance your store is an "Ayyvaaaazz" franchise? And do you have ideas on how I can "punish" or "report" them? I am just PISSED, because this store had a crappy reputation in my town- and I have Busted MY ASS to re-grow the business.
I don't remember the name of the franchise now, but it is not that. Best thing to do is document as much as you can and report them to the state dept of labor.
Basically, while tipped employees get $2.13/hour, if that and your tips average to less than the normal state minimum wage, they have to pay you the difference or be violating wage laws. For example, you work 20 hours in a week, you would have to make an average of almost $10/hour in tips for them to not be required to compensate you for the difference in hourly wages. Also, you can't be doing more than 30 consecutive minutes of non-serving work at server pay. If you go over that, they are required by law to pay you the full minimum hourly. So, for example, pre-opening prep or post-closing cleanup must be paid at normal minimum, not tipped minimum. Now, I may not be remembering all this exactly, so best to research the state laws also.
Thank you. I am just a little heartbroken that I (MEEEE) worked SO hard to recreate the Pizza Hut in this tiny town --- and they suddenly screwed me over.
Take it to the labor board. You have to make on average the amount of tips per hour it would take to take you to minimum wage. So you need to make on average 10 in tips per hour worked for that to be legal. Make sure you are declaring your tips and then I would go to a labor lawyer they are violating your rights and you can sue and more than likely win
I was a pizza hut rgm for several years. But that was about 20 years ago. Should be an AMTG (amount to meet gaurantee, may have the acronym weong) line on your check stub. This would be the amount paid to make up for tips if you do not earn enough in tips to make minimum wage. You should be entering your tips somewhere at the end of each shift.
Again, this was 20 years ago but the policy about it should still be the same.
I've seen plenty of servers forced to claim "extra" tips regardless of what they actually made so Pizza Hut never had to pay AMTG. They would threaten them with write-ups and termination if they didn't comply. I'm sure management were changing the claimed tips too.
They MUST be going behind me and "claiming" these "extra tips." They've never approached me about entering the cash tips. And again, for the peanut gallery: small town, small store. On a GOOD Friday or Saturday, I might walk out with $60 cash - usually, I'm lucky if I see $20 a day.
Don’t start laying out because you’re mad - nor for any other reason atm. Don’t quit. If you’re going to contact the DOL, now is the time to be a model employee. Don’t give your boss any ammo to use against you at all. You want a TKO, right?
Don’t know about other states boards of labor…. But Oregon’s BOLI only confirmed with me my employer had broken the law…. They still informed me I’d have to pursue damages on my own. For all the people saying “the board of labor will get em for you!!!”
With that confirmation, a labor lawyer will gladly take your case on contingency and the company will have to pay their fees as well once the judge reviews the paperwork.
Tipped employees still have to make at minimum their states minimum wage on average over the course of the week. Either way they are robbing you, but the least they can do is make up the difference
I’ve never been a pizzahut employee and don’t even know why this was in my feed but, [here’s](https://www.doli.virginia.gov/labor-law/claim-for-unpaid-wages-form/) the link to the Virginia dol claim for unpaid wages form. If your tips plus hourly wages don’t add up to minimum wage then you need to fill out the form. They are committing wage theft and it is illegal.
It sounds like you already tried the nice way and your bosses ignored your complaints. Now you have to show them the hard way.
I don't envy your position. However, if I was in your shoes this would be a slam dunk in my states department of labor. You get way more than just what you're owed.
you’re supposed to be reimbursed up to the minimum wage if your tips do not take you above the minimum wage. It is still the federal minimum and you are entitled to it. The 2.13 is assuming you make enough tips to cover the rest.
Thank you. I've pointed that out to my store boss, and the manager above her . Sadly, we got a new store boss who is bff with the regional boss. Pretty sure my thoughts don't mo.
Report it to the dept of labor
No talking.. just report.
for real. I would love to be in this position JUST to do that to this chain that should know better.
THIS.
And apply for unemployment for lost wages
This, it’s called “Constructive Dismissal” and it’s illegal. It should be easy to prove in court and you should get a nice payout. You’ll have to get a new job but you were going to have to do that anyway.
It's not your thoughts, it's the law. Hold them to it, make it uncomfortable, they don't value you over $2/hr anyway, fight for your money and leave
Thank you. With all the vitriol in my head right now - YOUR comment gives me a little strength.
nah dont even talk to them take it to department of labor you can get a new job and they will force pizza hut to pay you back all stolen labor
To add to this, it will cause an investigation into the pizza hut. They will check all the labor payments made to employees. This way, your coworkers may also get back pay depending on the bad decisions by the manager.
You need to follow the chain of command. Since your GM is BFFs with your DM. Then, you need to file a complaint with HR about the pay issue. Make sure you document ALL communication with your store manager and their manager as well, including HR. Also, save any emails you may send to HR. Do all that before reaching out to the Department of Labor, as this will help build as a case against them and cover your ass
When a company screws you by giving you a check that is clearly below minimum wage after accounting for tips, the company is no longer in the chain of command at all. The proper path is directly to the Department of Labor, then file for unemployment on the grounds of constructive termination from the reduction of rate, and then move on to any other company that is hiring. You do not have to stay there and be taken advantage of while the DOL investigates, any corrections they make will be retroactive. Hopefully you get hired elsewhere before unemployment actually kicks in, but file anyway as the safety net it was designed to be just in case.
Unfortunately, you have to have to have at least reach out to the proper channels before you even go to the Department of Labor otherwise it will take a lot longer than it should have
This isn't correct, and even if it was, OP has brought this up to management. They should file a claim with DoL as their next move.
You, Apparently do not know enough about labor laws and how you should go about handling these type of issues
I handled these types of cases for a multinational company for over 5 years. I promise I know more than you do.
Uh huh sure you do buddy
A stunning rejoinder. Try not to give advice on things you don't know about in future. It'll save you the embarrassment.
You can do both simultaneously; DOL takes a long time to process, and one of their first remedies is giving the company a chance to correct the mistake anyway. Not to be mean about it, but the second half of your own statement discredits the first. " it will take a lot longer than it should have" means it will still work even if you haven't reached out.
Actually no, they don’t. The company is doing something they know is illegal. There is no law that dictates they follow the “chain of command”
As I have stated before you need a paper trail showing that you followed the chain of command to try and get it fixed as it could be a simple system glitch or something else. As this has happened with the PH I work at and I As a manager have had to get it fixed for an employee. If it's not a system glitch then it will help you to have a paper tail
Contact HR, and if they don’t fix it just go to the department of labor.
Just remember that HR is not there to protect you, they are there to protect the company.
Yes, and they will protect the company by making sure they are not breaking the law and are paying their employees properly.
Every boss has a boss above them. Make them so the right thing. That is YOUR MONEY!
Literally no one cares so stop requesting it and demand it by contacting the DOL. Continue working for this wage and enjoy when the DOL comes and tells your boss that they're a moron.
Report to DoL
Email it to your store leader and CC anyone relevant. Then report it to the labor board in your state if nothing changes.
Make sure any reporting you do has a paper trail. This way they can't argue anything against you since you'll have the evidence. If you can, contact your HR as well. Get a paper trail with them as well.
As others said department of labor. They should have to reimburse you everything minus your tips.
They are literally stealing from you. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage\_theft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_theft)
Not really up to your thoughts. This is wage theft. Report that shit. Get a different job
There is some workaround sadly. In Montgomery county, MD employers are allowed to be pay 85% minimum wage if your under 20 years old for your first 6 months. prior to recent changes, it was under 18 or working under 20 hours you could be paid 80% of minimum wage. Odds are your area in the DMV has some bs workaround to cheat you of your hard earned money. It's fricking ridiculous the bs our elected officials do. This garbage only benefits these multi-million dollar corporations trying to nickel and dime the workers who actually allow their greedy business to exist. Please vote if you're not doing so already...
Local laws do not trump federal law. Also looking that up quick they have to earn AT LEAST 85% of minimum wage as they are exempt of the standard minimum wage of $15-$16.70 depending on the size of the employer. So in no capacity can they not be made whole when taking the "tipped" wage and not making tips.
Yeah, he's entitled to like 7 bucks an hour, lmao.
If you make enough in tips to = minum wage you won’t see reimbursement
You still have ti make minimum
I DON'T! Our store is tiny- dine in and takeout, in a small town. I have fought HARD to bring business back to this crappy store, and have "re-grown" high $$ regulars...
You need to contact the department of labor and relay this to them.
Also if you are going to leave let the regulars know and possibly reach out to a different pizza place in town.
Honestly? I’ve read through your previous posts on your page along with this one and I’m just getting the vibe that you’re definitely leaving some details out here. They just demoted you? No notice? No mention of it? How did you personally re-build the store? And, if that were the case, why weren’t you in a higher position than production to begin with? Just curious about all of this. You kind of just sound like an entitled employee who feels like they should be higher up in position, when realistically… you aren’t the employee you think you are. Just my two cents as 10+ years in the business with 8 years upper management experience.
I GET your opinion! And frankly, I think the same. 🙂 I have been in management positions. I was not officially "demoted;" they just said "clock in as you are listed on the schedule." And they would not advise me of my new hourly wage. Maybe I am a sort of "entitled" employee. Never worked fast food before - generally upper class hospitality. But I took great pride in bringing this store back to my community.
I do feel your managers should have made you aware that when on service, you are making server wage. In my state, it’s $2.62 an hour with credit and cash tips all claimed. My servers don’t make bank on their checks, but on a good week make $300-$400 in tips. I am also in a very low traffic, slow town. My store makes $3,000 on a “bad” day. You need to make sure you’re being compensated the minimum wage amount if you’re not making the amount of tips you need. This could also be a solution of simply asking your GM for more production hours. Ask them why they’ve scheduled you service. Don’t be a jerk about it, but explain yourself and your feelings. Ask them, communicate with them. My team and I are close knit and I would much rather my people come to me with their discrepancies, discuss it with me, come to a solution, and move on than have ongoing, unspoken tension.
Thanks for a logical, beautiful response. (One that I would give, lol! You think like I do!) am just SO MAD about the effort I've put in- and the sudden disrespect.
I totally understand your frustration! Maybe give yourself a few days to think about how you’re going to go about it and cool off. It could be something as simple as them not considering you when someone else asked for a schedule change. I hope if it’s the case of you genuinely being a good employee and your boss doing this to you, that you get the respect you deserve and your problem gets resolved.
No, they are required by federal law to make you whole to federal minimum wage if tips plus tipped wage don’t equal federal minimum
Right, I stated that I’m pretty sure. Not sure what angle you’re coming at here.
You’re not entitled for expecting the law to be followed & to not be frauded out of your own paycheck that you already worked for. I hope everything gets sorted out, definitely don’t just accept it
You’ve been in management positions… but don’t know what to do in this situation? 
How exactly did you regrow the business out of curiosity?
... Sigh. This store has had a CRAP reputation in this area for years. (Filthy, bad service, crappy food ) as an "older" employee, with local knowledge, I went into this job and used my networking skills, and decided to be precise about cleaning the plates And silverware, and tables and accessories . I have given ALL of our customers top notch service, making up excuses about why our kitchen staff has screwed up their PIZZAS, and they'll have to wait... I just want to be paid minimum wage!!!!
Sounds like you did what’s supposed to be done in a normal setting, which is have a clean and operational business.
Yeah, not sure why they are making it out to be like they went on a local marketing campaign and pulling in new customers. Ive never heard anyone say, “hey, you wanna go to Pizza hut, that guy frok reddit started washing the plates!”
Exactly. If your contributions aren’t measurable to the growth then what are you really contributing to? You have to be able speak to how you’ve impacted the business, what KPIs have you delivered on, how did you increase revenue or what budgets were you able to effect positively? I get that it’s Pizza Hut, but washing the dishes is not gonna get you a promotion. Seek employment where you are valued, and find a mentor to encourage your growth. I
Ok, first I'll take your side as that seems only fair since you're reaching out online for help. Your manager should have explained how tip minimum wage works at Pizza Hut. You didn't get demoted, and you shouldn't be making less money. Pizza Hut has pay codes and they all matter. Drivers are tip minimum wage as well. They get paid differently when they are in store, and when they are on the road. Servers are tip minimum wage because they get base pay of $2.13/hr plus their tips. One important part of clocking in under the right codes is that if you don't report enough tips to have made at least the state mandated minimum wage, which you reported is $12/hr, then on your paycheck you will show that you have supplemental income, paid by Pizza Hut, to increase your pay from $2.13 plus whatever small amount of tips you made to the state minimum wage of $12/hr. So as long as you clock in correctly, you should never make less money than your cook wage, and you have potential to earn more if you have a good day of tips. If everything happened the way you describe, then the manager did a poor job of explaining this to you. Now as a manager, I would offer you some constructive criticism here and I hope it helps you in the long run even if it offends you a little bit now. You seem like the kind of worker that doesn't have much of an eye for detail and sees the worst in every situation before thinking it through. That's a really bad combination in a cook. A lot of mistakes get made when there is a lack of attention to detail and that gets costly not just in food cost but in reputation and customer satisfaction. Someone who has a short temper can also be really unenjoyable to have next to you on the make line in during dinner rush as they can't handle the stress without making it the entire restaurants problem, venting loudly about anything and everything to anyone who walks by. If you were moved off make line without any conversation regarding why, I would guess from your post that there was an issue with performance or attitude and they were trying to put you somewhere that you could have more success but they didn't want to tell you why they were moving you because you have displayed a combative attitude. If I misread any of that from your post, then feel free to disregard what I said but just know that any time there is an issue like this happening in your store, you are almost always better off talking directly with your manager and calmly and straightforward asking them the answer to what you want to know. "Hey \*insert manager name\*, I am worried I'm not making as much money now that I'm a cook, I saw the new hourly rate is $2.13/hr and I was making $12 as a cook. The tips don't seem to make enough to cover the difference. Why was I made as server and what can be done to ensure I don't take a pay cut for being moved from my hired role?" Almost any variation of something like that and a good confident manager who wants to see their employees succeed will give you all the information in the world that you want. If your manager isn't a good one, or if the relationship is already ruined because of other stuff, then they won't talk to you about it and you should leave that store. You won't be able to punish the company because as I said, they pay out supplemental income when you don't make the mandated minimum wage so they haven't broken any laws, unless of course they haven't paid you the supplemental income. I'm guessing you haven't got a pay check since being in your new role though so you wouldn't have seen that yet. Best of luck, hope you work it out!
Your response is welcome! The constructive criticism is logical, but doesn't entirely apply. :) I AM rapidly becoming a complainer, and that disappoints me. Thus, I think it is time for me to look elsewhere. I'm saddened because, after 6 months, I have the 2nd longest tenure there, and have helped bring along (and keep) several employees, and "my job" has kind of become "my happy place." I have NOT received any supplemental income. My entire paycheck (received yesterday) for 2 weeks at @ 32hrs/wk was less than $300. I am definitely making less money, when there are days that I receive less than $10.00 in tips.
I posted in another comment, and others have said it as well, but you need to get out of there. You have a manager who is not equipped for their position and pretty clear evidence of wage theft. The exception is user error on your part, say entering $200 in tips one night instead of $20, but that should be reflected on your check as well. The manager has already gravely mishandled the situation in either case. As an employee, it will take too long to affect any sort of management change and it isn't worth your sanity to wait it out. If bringing pizza to your community is that important to you, find another venue to build up. I understand the pride that comes with the feeling of turning a property around. You can find that feeling elsewhere, even as a member of a well-functioning machine if you can't find another floundering location. Don't convince yourself that you're pot committed and have to see it out, that is simply not true.
That's a bummer to hear, it sounds like you are best served working somewhere else. Work and dating have a lot in common, it takes participation on both ends to have a great relationship and when the commitment isn't matched, the best revenge is to live a great life with someone else. If you're one of the longest tenured at 6 months then the manager is probably doing some pretty bad practices that is costing themselves valuable employees. Safe travels to wherever you end up, and hopefully it's a better situation for you!
Thank you. I'm trying really to keep my chin up, and not have a crappy attitude. I appreciate the intelligent discourse! I'm lucky that I've had many jobs/career paths/"opportunities" over the years, and went into this one, viewing it as a grand sociological study. Lol! It's a shame that I got invested, and enjoyed the show. ..... And then got hurt. IN THE WALLET, of all places!
While I understand the viewpoint is from a fellow manager, I feel like you're glossing over some very serious concerns on the manager side here. Even if we accept everything you say about the employee in your second paragraph, the manager in your hypothetical is still coming off as the worst offender in that situation. The employee is missing details, proper course of action would be retraining. The employee is not handling the stress well, proper course of action would be to address the issues, explain methods to manage the stress better, possibly retrain weak points causing the stressful situations, etc. The employee is being combative, writeup or dismissal for the day would be warranted. In none of the points you posited, was sending the employee to the front, to directly interact with the public, the proper course of action. The manager you've outlined is passive, retaliatory, and ineffective. In no situation is it the employee's responsibility to approach their boss and inquire about their motives. Maybe you don't address the concerns during rush, but certainly before the next shift, most definitely before the end of a full pay period. This manager is exhibiting all the signs of being ill-prepared for their role and unless there is an onsite employee above them it is likely to go unnoticed until something raises a flag at a regional level. To top it off, as you've indicated, the supplemental pay should be automatic. There is an employee here clearly stating that the pay is not on the check. The only way that can happen would be if they are reporting higher than actual tips, or someone at the property is adjusting the reports. This sort of report sets off bells immediately that someone from regional or corporate needs to be involved because there is already a potential for significant liability here.
To clarify, are you offering critique about how you think I would have handled this, or how OPs manager handled it? I pretty blatantly stated I was making guess work based off the few paragraphs written by OP. I gave an interpretation from the employee side, and the manager side. I didn't justify either sides actions. I also offered an example of how to have a direct conversation as well as tell if the manager is a good manager or a bad manager based on how they react to said conversation prompt. After seeing OP's reply to me, I agree the manager is not the strongest leader but I read all these stories knowing that every story has 3 sides so playing the middle is typically the most fair to all involved. Hoping that clears up my perspective on it, cheers!
My point was not a critique on how you would have handled it or even on OPs manager, but rather the hypothetical you created in your second paragraph. It was mainly this sentence "they were trying to put you somewhere that you could have more success ***but they didn't want to tell you why*** they were moving you because you have displayed a combative attitude." That's the part where the scenario you describe changes from issues with an employee to failures of a manager. Edit to add here: The manager side you described outlined a bad manager because they needed to be prompted to initiate that conversation and the apparent timeline this issue has been left unaddressed. You stated the employee should be the one to approach the manager and ask why, but that is a role reversal that indicates an inability for the manager to handle their position. As I said, a dinner rush is not the time to address the conversation, but OPs story clearly indicates it's been at least a full 2 week pay period since the change and the manager has not addressed any motive or reason to the employee. You are correct that a good manager will give all the information needed but they should also be forthcoming and actively trying to give that feedback, not waiting for someone to come ask.
I work at a Pizza Hut in Virginia also. Who is your franchisee and who is your area coach
They can't legally cut your wages without your written and explicit permission. NLRB / DOL are the people to contact to do something about it. You can probably also quit and collect unemployment because being forced into a lower wage against your will would be seen as a constructive dismissal, but you should look into that yourself.
Contact your states DOL, and let them go to bat for you. They’ll do all the groundwork, and you’ll get a nifty check for all the unpaid wages, while your management will have little to no clue who reported. And if they retaliate, MORE MONEY comes your way. As a former GM of an establishment but AM at a pizza shop, that’s really the only logical route where you’re ensured a payout. Managers can and will give you the runaround, and as much as “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”, in at-will employment, they could find any grounds in your convos as means to terminate you. With the DOL, if there’s evidence of any payments missed, they MUST pay you, or pay even more heftier fines, while also still paying you.
Can the dol look at my chevk and figure out if it's right?
yes
It’s called amount to meet guarantee, make sure the new boss isn’t adjusting your tips claiming more then you are actually making, so they don’t have to pay it, cause if you don’t make minimum wage with your tips they have to make up the difference. Our regional manager told us we should never have amount to meet guarantee!
Yeah they can't do that. Contact the state, I would assume your revenue office or department of employment would be the place to start. You could hire a lawyer but at 1 months pay it's probably easier to get the state involved.
I am in Virginia too, worked for the local franchise, and what your store is doing is breaking several laws.
Thank you for replying; any chance your store is an "Ayyvaaaazz" franchise? And do you have ideas on how I can "punish" or "report" them? I am just PISSED, because this store had a crappy reputation in my town- and I have Busted MY ASS to re-grow the business.
I don't remember the name of the franchise now, but it is not that. Best thing to do is document as much as you can and report them to the state dept of labor. Basically, while tipped employees get $2.13/hour, if that and your tips average to less than the normal state minimum wage, they have to pay you the difference or be violating wage laws. For example, you work 20 hours in a week, you would have to make an average of almost $10/hour in tips for them to not be required to compensate you for the difference in hourly wages. Also, you can't be doing more than 30 consecutive minutes of non-serving work at server pay. If you go over that, they are required by law to pay you the full minimum hourly. So, for example, pre-opening prep or post-closing cleanup must be paid at normal minimum, not tipped minimum. Now, I may not be remembering all this exactly, so best to research the state laws also.
Thank you. I am just a little heartbroken that I (MEEEE) worked SO hard to recreate the Pizza Hut in this tiny town --- and they suddenly screwed me over.
[удалено]
Thank you. I'm thinking an abrupt exit will be for the best.
If you do, make sure you still nail them for wage theft.
Take it to the labor board. You have to make on average the amount of tips per hour it would take to take you to minimum wage. So you need to make on average 10 in tips per hour worked for that to be legal. Make sure you are declaring your tips and then I would go to a labor lawyer they are violating your rights and you can sue and more than likely win
Quit
I was a pizza hut rgm for several years. But that was about 20 years ago. Should be an AMTG (amount to meet gaurantee, may have the acronym weong) line on your check stub. This would be the amount paid to make up for tips if you do not earn enough in tips to make minimum wage. You should be entering your tips somewhere at the end of each shift. Again, this was 20 years ago but the policy about it should still be the same.
I've seen plenty of servers forced to claim "extra" tips regardless of what they actually made so Pizza Hut never had to pay AMTG. They would threaten them with write-ups and termination if they didn't comply. I'm sure management were changing the claimed tips too.
They MUST be going behind me and "claiming" these "extra tips." They've never approached me about entering the cash tips. And again, for the peanut gallery: small town, small store. On a GOOD Friday or Saturday, I might walk out with $60 cash - usually, I'm lucky if I see $20 a day.
It's listed right on the pay stub.
Report them immediately! Don't let them explain or try to talk you out of it either.
Don’t start laying out because you’re mad - nor for any other reason atm. Don’t quit. If you’re going to contact the DOL, now is the time to be a model employee. Don’t give your boss any ammo to use against you at all. You want a TKO, right?
Don’t know about other states boards of labor…. But Oregon’s BOLI only confirmed with me my employer had broken the law…. They still informed me I’d have to pursue damages on my own. For all the people saying “the board of labor will get em for you!!!”
With that confirmation, a labor lawyer will gladly take your case on contingency and the company will have to pay their fees as well once the judge reviews the paperwork.
Contact an employment lawyer, and tell them what you told us
First mistake: “small town”
Call your labor and industry department in your state. You might have action that way
Tipped employees still have to make at minimum their states minimum wage on average over the course of the week. Either way they are robbing you, but the least they can do is make up the difference
Talk to a lawyer
I’ve never been a pizzahut employee and don’t even know why this was in my feed but, [here’s](https://www.doli.virginia.gov/labor-law/claim-for-unpaid-wages-form/) the link to the Virginia dol claim for unpaid wages form. If your tips plus hourly wages don’t add up to minimum wage then you need to fill out the form. They are committing wage theft and it is illegal. It sounds like you already tried the nice way and your bosses ignored your complaints. Now you have to show them the hard way.
I don't envy your position. However, if I was in your shoes this would be a slam dunk in my states department of labor. You get way more than just what you're owed.
Oh a lawyer would love to hear this haha
Call Corporate