Ever pay the mandatory 20 percent tip for $17 drinks at GoldBar and wonder how much of it actually goes to the bartender? We’re not sure how it works at GoldBar (we assume some of that money goes to golden-skull upkeep), but the New York State Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of fourteen servers who claimed that the World Yacht, a dining cruise, illegally withheld from them a 20 percent fee that was added to banquet costs. The World Yacht argued that the fee wasn’t actually a gratuity, but the court found that the company led patrons to believe it was just that, and so was obligated to distribute it to servers. Or did they think the nice view was enough of a work perk?
Opinion: Arnel Samiento, et al., Appellants v. World Yacht [PDF]
