Co-authored by Howard M. Wexler and Robert S. Whitman
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed the Commissioner of Labor to schedule public hearings to address the possibility of eliminating the tip credit. A tip credit allows an employer to pay less than minimum wage to employees who receive the bulk of their pay in customer tips.
As we say goodbye to 2017, New York employers should also start preparing to say goodbye to minimum wage tip credits.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed the Commissioner of Labor to schedule public hearings to address the possibility of eliminating the tip credit. A tip credit allows an employer to pay less than minimum wage to employees who receive the bulk of their pay in customer tips.
As we reported in 2015, the then-Commissioner issued a report questioning the continuation of the minimum wage tip credit. Governor Cuomo appears to be in favor of the elimination of tip credits; he called for the public hearings “to ensure that no workers are more susceptible to exploitation because they rely on tips to survive.” While the Governor has not made any specific proposal, it is likely that, even if the tip credit goes away, employees could still be tipped, and participate in tip pooling/sharing arrangements, but they would have to be paid at least the standard minimum wage that non-tipped employees receive.
As with the minimum wage for all employees across the state, the minimum wage for tipped employees across the state is set to increase on December 31. The Department of Labor has summarized the revisions applicable to the tipped minimum wage for hospitality employers, employers in “miscellaneous industries,” and employers in the “building service industry.” Employers should consult these summaries to determine how much they can deduct for the appropriate minimum wage tip credit as the amount varies based on the industry, job classification, location of the employee and size of the employer.