Aussies, help

[Seshat]

so I just put the change in the Blind Society Dog Jar at the front of the counter. I'd rather they get something than be having to walk about with a bunch of 5c coins all day. Plus it's going to people who need it more than me.

Thank you. Breeding, raising and training the dogs does cost a lot. I have a friend who has a seeing eye dog, and is extremely grateful for her. The dog herself is a gorgeous, gentle dog. Very reliable, very well trained, and she loves leaning on me and thumping me with her tail while she gets a petting.

It's interesting to see the change in her when she goes into harness. Off harness, she's this playful thing who loves petting and always carries a chew toy. On harness, she's working and she watches her environment carefully.

[Peppergirl]

Tell me about it. Ohio Law actually still has it on the books that an employer is not required to let you leave the company grounds during any of your breaks. I'd love to see a company try to enforce that.

It's been years, but down here in Southern Ohio, I had a friend who was a factory worker. They were banned from leaving the grounds of said factory during breaks and lunches. They even had a security guard onsite to ensure that that it was enforced.

Scary.

My memory of it is a bit fuzzy, but if I had to guess I'd say it was 15-20 years ago.

[Diablo]

Its a bit off topic but all this talk of minimum wages and stuff has made me wonder. what is the min wage in the US and UK and what the average rent in each country. Just curious to compare the wages and cost of living that we each deal with

Well that's a pretty difficult question. Keep in mind that the cost of living varies extremely not only state to state, but also inside of states. Hell, France is only 4/5th the size of Texas, and Texas isn't even our biggest state. We do have a federal minimum wage at $5.85 an hour with tip jobs being a minimum of $2.13/hour. Now this is just the federal level and most states have higher minimum wages. There are a few with lower limits but employers must go by whichever is higher. That said, its safe to assume if you are working the minimum wage, no matter what state your in, your struggling to get by.

[pyxee]

Missouri is absolutely craptastic. We just finally raised our min. wage to a wopping $6.50, tipped employees get 2.13. In the town I live in which is the third largest in the state I pay $550 a month for rent on a two bedroom duplex that is about 900 square foot. Prices vary a lot though, if you look really hard you can find a *cough* structurally sound 2 bed room for $350. If you want something nice in a decent school district it would be more likely to run about $700.

[plan9au]

An Aussie here

I never tip, unless the service i have recived is beyond what is expected of the serving staff, Bring me my meal and be as polite to e a si am to you and you get a wage, man the bar on christmas eve until 3am Christmas day (still serving me and my friends after the bar was offially closed, gets you drinks all night but a combined $1000 tip (we all get generous when we drink) between the three of you (we kinda felt bad the next day keeping them there)

But i have noticed that some resturants have stared adding a tip to the bill total, not cool, always check the bill if you decide to eat at one of the 'better' establishments...

Of course if you are coming to Oz....Come to Adelaide the best damn city in the best damn country in the world IMHO anyway

[DexX]

The minimum wage in Australia (as hard as our gloriously now-ex Prime Minister tried to dismantle it) is referred to as the Award Wage. I believe there are national Awards and state Awards. Last I heard, the national hourly award for any worker in any job over the age of 18 was $au14-and-a-bit, which is around $us12 and between five and six UK pounds.

We don't tend to tip over here because nobody's going to be evicted if we don't. We have this bizarre idea that employers should pay their employees' wages out of the money they get from customers.

In Aussie terms, I am actually quite a generous tipper, tending to round a bill up to the nearest multiple of $5 for anything over $40, though I only do this if impressed by the quality of the service. For genuinely exceptional service I may tip more. For plain old average service, I don't tip at all.

It was bizarre when I visited the US - I had no idea that hourly wages were so pathetically low, and I figured the expectation of tipping was just a cultural tradition. In my first hour after touching down in New York, I was yelled at by a cabbie for giving too small a tip. I wasn't too upset, though - I just smiled and thought, "Wow, I'm really in New York!"

[DexX]

My bad - Australia Federal Minimum Wage is $au13.50.

[powerboy]

I only tip when I go to someplace regular and if I might go back. Wages in America are sucktacular. I feel that the national wage should be set at a wage, where that person can actually afford to eat and breath.

[Peppergirl]

I only tip when I go to someplace regular and if I might go back. Wages in America are sucktacular. I feel that the national wage should be set at a wage, where that person can actually afford to eat and breath.

Wait...I really hope I'm wrong here, but are you saying that you don't tip unless you are a regular? So if you go someplace and know you wont be back, you'll stiff the poor server?

I REALLY hope that's not what you meant.

[TealJellyfish]

Tipping is completely optional in Australia because our Minimum wage is higher than the states.

I tip at restaurants if I liked my wait person, at Cafe's again if I liked their service. I don't tip at bars as I have several friends who work at bars and they say they don't expect tips and they don't need them.

Basically its a nice extra if the service was extra good but here Waiters etc dont live off tips (thank god!) so its not expected!

[Binky]

As far as I know you don't have to tip.

The only time I've ever tipped is when I received exceptional service (they have done more than what they needed/had to do) or, like one of the stories I posted in the 'Oops' section, spilled something on the person serving me by accident.

[Peppergirl]

No offense to those in other countries, but in most states in the US, servers make a wage so low, that they rarely get a paycheck. They completely rely on tips as a salary, for the most part.

It's a horrible system, but it is what it is, unfortunately.

That's why I questioned it, thinking that perhaps the person who stated that he only tips if he's a regular or will be back...hoping I misunderstood it or perhaps he (like many of you) reside in a country where it's not customary to tip. p

I know this has the potential to become a hot-button topic, and I certainly don't want that...but I was fairly appalled at the thought of an American staying he doesn't tip, if that's the case.

[Zeeko]

I think you were refering to me Peppergirl.

I am infact in Australia, where our wages are higher. Things in Australia cost a bit though: I'm making around $500 AUD after tax and I still live week to week.

[Killer Bees]

Tipping is not required normally and is only done by non-Aussie visitors.

You can if you feel that the service is exceptional. But as a rule it's not done in our country.