What is going on with my paychecks?

[u/BettaFishCL]

I recently got moved to management after working for my location for 2.5 years. We are very short staffed right now, so I am quite literally the only person in the building who is able to bartend. That being said, I'm bartending most days and managing on whatever days are left. The days I don't bartend, we have no bartender.

In the mornings, there is no takeout person, so I clock in as takeout and make $17 an hour from it. At night, I have to clock in as normal, which is $7.50 an hour + tip out + bar tips.

Here is my problem. No. One. Comes. To. The. Bar. Nobody. I would take tables, but even the servers are getting no tables. They're making no money, plus having to tip me out. People who are going out to eat anyway are spending the least amount of money possible and tipping nothing.

I don't know if this is worth noting, but last week I was scheduled 36 hours. I had to call in on a managing day, so I ended up working only about 27 hours.

That being said, for the 27 hours I worked last week, I got about $370. That's including tipout and any tips I happened to make at the bar.

That equates to around $13 an hour, which is $2 below minimum wage ($15). For all of the work I end up doing in both bartending and management, that's absolutely ridiculous and I don't know how anyone is meant to survive on this. Plus, isn't the company meant to pay the difference between what you made and minimum wage???

Is anyone else on the same boat here?

[u/jss58]

Take your skills elsewhere, friend - the Lobster is taking advantage of you.

[u/Fit_Onion_7473 → u/jss58]

I concur ,seen it first hand

[u/No-Supermarket-6136 → u/jss58]

Our red lobster has issues with scheduling our cooks properly, we have two or three cooks that get forty hours, the rest of us are down to below thirty or in between twenty five and twenty hours a week, and it's mainly because they don't want to give overtime, and they don't want to give vacation days, because they always want a body in position to work, they overstaff and then cut our hours and expect us to stay, plus our management team is like a revolving. Door because they can't keep managers because they stopped giving their bonuses and give them the figure it out mentality. And then they bring back endless shrimp permanently every day Once again, just like in twenty twenty four when we went bankrupt, the new owner said that he would never do endless shrimp again Because he knows math, but you never, ever trust a CEO When it comes to i'm making profits, since working in this place, i've been on the brink of losing my home and my vehicle because day schedule all of their cooks except for 3 like we are all in school and have parents to take care of us, i have a car note rent and utilities to pay for, and this job is helping me spiral downward, if you are a grown adult and you are working in the kitchen, it will not sustain you! This is easy money but horrible management andhorrible corporate management at that with no care in the world for their employees, they only want people's money at the expense of employees and the quality of the food. If you wonder most people's experience is bad, it's because red lobster don't care, all they want is your money and they will not stop during the practices that they are doing Because people that never worked in restaurants, nor dealt with these type of situations are oblivious, and we'll continue bringing their money to them until they close their doors down. 

[u/ashikoman23]

The taxes from your claimed tips are being deducted. When you clock out you input your tip amount and that's taxed with your hourly rate. Most of the servers don't get any paycheck its all taken for taxes.

[u/AlanStanwick1986]

You're on a sinking ship, man. The writing is on the wall. Find another job before the store closes.

[u/Horror_Accountant574 → u/AlanStanwick1986]

I’ve felt that at mine since I started two years ago that it was just a sinking ship like you said. It’s my favorite job I’ve ever had so I think I’ll stick it out until it does close. I’m not hurting for money or anything so I will get some unemployment at least when that happens.

[u/xanxth2]

This shit is wild to me in California. Why can’t they just pay you and you get tips?

[u/PmMeAnnaKendrick]

What is your pre-deduction (gross) amount on that $370?

Whenever I have worked a hybrid role where I received tips for half the pay period and worked an hourly position the other half, the tax on the tips ate most of the check up, but the refund at the end of the year was larger, because of how tips are taxed. This is even more true with the tip credit you can take on your taxes for the BBB no tax on tips legislation.

[u/LopsidedAd4558]

Who's eating at Red lobster these days? It's a dying chain. Leave!

[u/Anonymously361]

When I bartended at Red Lobster, there were very few people who would sit at the bar. Management ended up giving me two tables to serve, along with the bar. With that I was able to make a respectable hourly wage. I averaged $30 per hour. Sadly, our restaurant was one they closed in May 2024.

[u/No-Supermarket-6136]

Our red lobster has issues with scheduling our cooks properly, we have two or three cooks that get forty hours, the rest of us are down to below thirty or in between twenty five and twenty hours a week, and it's mainly because they don't want to give overtime, and they don't want to give vacation days, because they always want a body in position to work, they overstaff and then cut our hours and expect us to stay, plus our management team is like a revolving. Door because they can't keep managers because they stopped giving their bonuses and give them the figure it out mentality. And then they bring back endless shrimp permanently every day Once again, just like in twenty twenty four when we went bankrupt, the new owner said that he would never do endless shrimp again Because he knows math, but you never, ever trust a CEO When it comes to i'm making profits, since working in this place, i've been on the brink of losing my home and my vehicle because day schedule all of their cooks except for 3 like we are all in school and have parents to take care of us, i have a car note rent and utilities to pay for, and this job is helping me spiral downward, if you are a grown adult and you are working in the kitchen, it will not sustain you! This is easy money but horrible management andhorrible corporate management at that with no care in the world for their employees, they only want people's money at the expense of employees and the quality of the food. If you wonder most people's experience is bad, it's because red lobster don't care, all they want is your money and they will not stop during the practices that they are doing Because people that never worked in restaurants, nor dealt with these type of situations are oblivious, and we'll continue bringing their money to them until they close their doors down. 

[u/No-Supermarket-6136 → u/No-Supermarket-6136]

What's even crazier is this week, I'm scheduled 8.25 hours, in a span of two days, it really isn't worth my time, and I am ready to just walk on them Anyway, because it's not like they care