Your employer is required to pay you for all hours worked.  This includes:

• time spent before your shift to set up
• time spent after your shift to perform closing duties
• time spent in mandatory meetings
• time spent running errands (i.e. picking up supplies, going to the bank, etc.)
• time spent doing 'side work' (re-setting tables, re-stocking condiments, etc.)
• time spent catering events
• time spent at 'tastings'

Your employer can not take a "tip credit" for the time you spend doing things that are not "tip producing" (i.e. attending meetings, running errands, time spent training if you don't get to keep your tips, etc.).

Rather, your employer can claim a tip credit only when you perform one of two types of duties:

• all "tip producing" duties (i.e. waiting tables, serving drinks, etc.)
• all duties that are "incidental to one of the employee's tip producing duties (i.e. side work, closing duties, etc.)

As you might expect, most disagreements relate to the 2nd category of work.  If the duty falls within this category, the employer may take a tip credit for the time the employee spends on incidental duties so long as the incidental duties do not exceed 20% of the employee's overall duties.  

Feel free to call me at 877.TIP.POOL (877.847.7665) for a free/confidential consultation or submit a confidential claim form here. 

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The Houston tip pool violations attorney of the Debes Law Firm represent clients nationwide. Regionally we serve the uptown, downtown and Galleria areas of Houston, Texas, the cities of Austin, Bellaire, Bryan, College Station, Corpus Christi, El Campo, Horton, Galveston, Port Arthur, Sugar Land, Texas City, and West University, as well as residents of Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, and Harris County.