Latest news with #Mast
Vox
3 days ago
- Business
- Vox
The real reason we tip
is the host of Explain It to Me, your hotline for all your unanswered questions. She joined Vox in 2022 as a senior producer and then as host of The Weeds, Vox's policy podcast. We've all been there. Maybe it's when you grab a coffee in the morning or when you finish up a dinner out with friends. Maybe it's when you least expect it, like at the merch table at a concert. You tap your card, only to be confronted with the dreaded tip screen. There's a lot of talk about how much to tip and if you even should tip (more on that later), but why do we add gratuity in America in the first place? Nina Mast has the answer. She's an analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, DC. The point of the tip is to make up the difference between the minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage. 'The tipped minimum wage is the lower minimum wage that employers can pay tipped workers with the expectation that tips will bring their pay up to the regular minimum wage rate,' she says. 'Under federal law, the tipped minimum wage is $2.13 an hour. So tipped workers need to earn an additional $5.12 in tips to bring them up to the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour.' On this week's episode of Explain It to Me, Vox's weekly call-in podcast, we find out how this system began and why we still have it. Below is an excerpt of our conversation with Mast, edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. If you'd like to submit a question, send an email to askvox@ or call 1-800-618-8545. Where does tipping in America come from in the first place? Tipping goes back to the pre-Civil War times in the US. There were wealthy Americans who were vacationing in Europe, and they noticed this practice of tipping where if you had good service, you gave a small extra fee on top of what you paid. Then, tipping started to fade as a practice in Europe but persisted in the US. We can tie that back to the abolition of slavery. Once slavery was abolished following the Civil War, workers who were formerly enslaved in agriculture and domestic service continued to do these same jobs, but employers didn't want to pay them. So instead of actually just paying them their wage, they suggested that the customer paid a small tip to Black workers for their services. That's how tipping started proliferating across service sector jobs and became the predominant way that workers in these jobs were paid. How did the restaurant industry start to do this? It really goes back to the formation of the National Restaurant Association. From the very beginning, going back to the early 1920s, they united around a common goal of keeping labor costs low, essentially lobbying against any efforts to raise wages for tipped workers and to eliminate the tipped minimum wage. It sounds like this whole policy is a direct legacy of trying to keep Black people from getting the same minimum wage as other workers. When were service sectors included in the national minimum wage? It wasn't until the mid-1960s that tipped workers got the same rights as other workers under changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act. In the mid-1960s — this is during the civil rights movement, a few years after the March on Washington, which called for stronger minimum wage protections — amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act established a wage floor for tipped workers. It also increased protections for workers in agriculture, schools, laundries, nursing homes — a lot of sectors in which Black people were disproportionately employed and in which workers of color are still overrepresented even today. This was a big deal. Something like a third of the Black population gained protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act through these amendments in 1966. Even after these amendments, the FLSA continued to exclude farm workers from overtime protections, and domestic workers didn't gain rights until the 1970s. It was a significant change, and a big deal, for tipped workers to be covered, but there was a huge catch in the amendment. It established a lower minimum wage that tipped workers could be paid through the creation of the tip credit system. And that's still what is in use today. This tip credit essentially allowed employers to count the tips that were received by their staff against half of the minimum wage that they were required to pay. In 1996, the FLSA was amended again to raise the minimum wage federally from $4.25 to $5.15. Essentially, that froze the tipped minimum wage at $2.13 an hour, while the non-tipped minimum wage continued to go up. The tipped minimum wage has been stuck at $2.13 an hour since 1991, even though the federal minimum wage has been increased multiple times. And that's still the situation we're in now. Why hasn't this changed? It seems like it would be easier to give everyone the same minimum wage, and you wouldn't have to worry about tipping. I think that's in large part due to the lobbying and advocacy efforts of the National Restaurant Association, its affiliates — groups like the US Chamber of Commerce — and other employer groups that have fought tirelessly to prevent the minimum wage from being raised, both for tipped workers and for other workers. There is a proposal in Congress to raise the minimum wage to $17 an hour by 2030, and it would completely phase out this tipped minimum wage so tipped workers would receive the same minimum wage as everyone else. Some states have already eliminated the tipped minimum wage, but a lot more states haven't been able to do so yet. In most states, the minimum wage for tipped workers is still less than $4 an hour. How does the tip credit system work in practice? Employers are legally required to make up the difference if workers aren't receiving enough in tips to get them up to the regular minimum wage. But in practice, it's extremely difficult to enforce that rule. It's largely left up to the workers themselves to track their hours, their tips, and make some complicated calculations about what they're actually earning per hour per week. Then they have to confront their employer if it seems like they're not actually receiving the minimum wage, which obviously introduces a whole host of issues related to power dynamics. Not only is it difficult to calculate and keep track of, but it's also difficult for workers to demand what they're owed. As a result, it's largely not enforced. Workers who are already earning much lower wages than workers in non-tipped occupations are highly at risk of wage theft. I think as consumers, we're initially taught that tips are a way to reward good service. How should we think about tipping? I think this is a big misconception. People don't realize that they're actually paying the lion's share of their server's wages through their tips. Unfortunately, when you fail to tip your server, you're actually denying them their wage. We don't have the luxury in the US of having the system that you describe where you can pay a tip for particularly good service or pay a smaller tip to indicate that you didn't get good service. How much do you typically tip? I tip 20 percent as a standard, and sometimes, for a really good service, I'll tip more. I think that's basically the standard at this point in the US. It does get tricky, because we've seen a proliferation of tipping across lots of different transactions where a service wasn't necessarily rendered.
Newsweek
20-07-2025
- Newsweek
Millennial Mom Realizes Gen Alpha Kids 'Don't Know How' To Use a Landline
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A mom has been praised for introducing some retro technology to her home to give her kids independence while keeping them away from cell phones. Brittney Mast, 38, a stay-at-home mom of two from Portland, Oregon, runs Instagram account @momsfororegon, where she discusses "local and progressive politics accessible to busy moms." One issue she's noticed which is important to parents across the political spectrum is kids' use of technology. As she put it to Newsweek: "I've come to view this topic as perhaps one of the last bipartisan issues that crosses the deep political divide we currently find ourselves in. Kids and technology is as much an issue for liberal parents as it is for conservative parents. There's common ground to be found here." With Mast's two children, aged 9 and almost 7, getting older, she and her husband are determined they "aren't getting a cell phone anytime soon," and hope to delay it until they are driving age—but, "we also want to give them increased opportunities for independence." Brittney Mast's home phone, which she has taught her young kids to use. Brittney Mast's home phone, which she has taught her young kids to use. Instagram @momsfororegon "Someday they'll be old enough to stay home alone. That is not going to be a safe option unless there's an available phone for emergencies," she said. "Since we only had cell phones, we had to think about how that would work. "My husband and I were joking that we didn't have this problem when we were growing up, because there was always a home phone around. And then we were like, why don't we just do that? "So we did our research, and figured out a home phone option that gave us what we needed." In a video posted to her Instagram on March 27, and boasting close to 130,000 likes, Mast showed the cordless phone—connected via the internet rather than a hard landline—sitting pride of place on a corner table in their home. She wrote over the simple clip: "POV you're a millennial who just put a 'home phone' into their house in the year 2025." And in the caption, she laid out her reasons: they don't want their kids to have a cell phone until they're "much older," but once they're old enough to stay home on their own, they'll have a phone available to them for an emergency. And they'll have the independence to be able to speak to family without using a parent's cell phone. Explaining point number four, she wrote: "We realized they don't know how to hold a conversation on the phone, they're too used to FaceTime!" "So far the kids think it's awesome, and they love calling Grammy all on their own," she added in the caption. And it had a major reaction, with commenters flocking to the video, one writing: "We did this. I hope this becomes a trend over the next few years. Force these kids to have to have actual conversations!" Read more Mom asks Gen Z son for help—realizes what's "not taught" in schools anymore Mom asks Gen Z son for help—realizes what's "not taught" in schools anymore "We got one when our kids could stay home alone," another said. "My girls are 14 and still don't have cell phones. We will get them flip phones next year when they start high school." "I LOVE THIS!! My daughter is almost 7 and already she has kids asking if she can text them on the weekends," another mom wrote, as one shared: "We were talking about doing this when our kid gets a little older but isn't ready for a phone." According to a 2021 report from Common Sense Media, 42 percent of children in the US have a cell phone by age 10, moving to 71 percent at age 12, and 91 percent by 14. Tweens were found to be spending 5 hours 33 minutes a day using screen media, with teens using it for 8 hours 39 minutes on average, including cell phone use, watching TV and playing video games. Mast says the home phone has become a "valuable tool" for their kids. Since they were used to video calling, she had to "coach them on basic phone manners, like saying 'hello' when they answer, always responding out loud—not just nodding—and how to carry on a conversation. "Coaching them on phone etiquette was pretty eye-opening." The kids now know how to scroll the phonebook and call family, giving them a "layer of a way that is safe," and Mast is encouraging other families to consider it as an option. "The less families that default to cell phones, the less of an issue it will be for all of our kids," she said. "Especially for children in elementary school. The longer we can delay their dependence on personal smart technology, the better." Responding to the huge, "mostly supportive and enthusiastic" response to her video, she said it has "opened my eyes to how much parents across the political spectrum are grappling with this issue of kids and technology." "My content on Instagram is rather political, so it's been really interesting to see accounts share that reel who I don't think I would have a lot in common with otherwise. But this is something we agree on." "Those responses really validated the whole reason we decided to install a home phone in the first place."
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Aftab Shivdasani once revealed he faced casting couch during early days in his career: 'He used to call me late at night...'
Aftab Shivdasani shared his casting couch experience on 'Yaaron Ki Baraat'. He received inappropriate late-night calls from an industry figure. Aftab distanced himself from the situation. Ram Gopal Varma launched him in 'Mast' after spotting him in a commercial. He has films like 'Welcome To The Jungle' and 'Kasoor 2' lined up. 'Masti 4' is also in the pipeline. Aftab Shivdasani has always maintained a grounded presence in the industry. But behind the glitz and glamour of his career lies a chapter many don't talk about openly. The actor once recalled facing the casting couch during his early days in the industry. Revealing the Unspoken on National Television Aftab Shivdasani and Vivek Oberoi appeared as guests on Yaaron Ki Baraat, hosted by Riteish Deshmukh and Sajid Khan. During a candid segment, Aftab opened up about facing the casting couch early in his career. He revealed that a well-known figure from the industry would repeatedly call him late at night, asking him to come to a hotel. Sensing the inappropriate intent behind the calls, Aftab chose to distance himself and stopped responding. The Kasoor actor's revelation shed light on the uncomfortable realities many newcomers face in the industry. When Red Flags Became Clear He further recalled facing the casting couch early in his career, during his transition from modelling and music videos to acting. He shared that a well-known industry figure had promised him a film but would repeatedly call him late at night, making him uncomfortable. Sensing the inappropriate intent behind the interactions, Aftab chose to distance himself and stopped responding. Though he did not name the individual, he acknowledged that the experience was unsettling and a harsh reminder of the hidden challenges many newcomers face in the entertainment world. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Foods That Help In Healing Knee Pain Naturally Undo A Breakthrough with Ram Gopal Varma Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma launched Aftab as a lead actor in the 1999 film Mast, opposite Urmila Matondkar . However, Aftab revealed in a chat with ETimes that his casting had nothing to do with his background as a child actor. While still in school, he frequently auditioned for commercials just for the love of being on camera. It was during one of those ad shoots—a cola commercial—that he caught RGV's eye, eventually leading to his big Bollywood debut. On the work front, the actor has featured in several hit films over the years, including Kasoor, Awara Paagal Deewana, Hungama, Footpath, 1920: The Evil Returns, and Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3. Up next, he's gearing up for a packed slate with exciting projects like Welcome To The Jungle—Akshay Kumar's multi-starrer comedy, Masti 4 alongside Riteish Deshmukh and Vivek Oberoi, and Kasoor 2, where he's paired opposite Urvashi Rautela .
News18
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Aftab Shivdasani Once Spoke About Facing Casting Couch: 'He Used To Call Me Late At Night…'
Aftab Shivdasani once revealed that he faced casting couch during early days in his career. Ram Gopal Varma gave him his big break in Mast with Urmila Matondkar. Actor Aftab Shivdasani started his acting career as a child artist, having starred in films such as Mr India, Shahenshah, and ChaalBaaz. He then took a break and returned to the film industry, only to restart his career with modelling and ad gigs. It was during that phase in life when the actor admitted to facing the casting couch. Aftab Shivdasani and Vivek Oberoi, together, appeared as guests on Riteish Deshmukh and Sajid Khan's game show, Yaaron Ki Baraat. During a segment on the show, Aftab shared his ordeal when a renowned personality from the entertainment industry would call him late at nights and ask him to visit him at a hotel. Upon realising the intent, the Kasoor actor stopped entertaining him. Aftab said on the show, 'When I was not an actor and was doing music videos and modelling assignments, I visited a person who promised me a film. He used to call me late night, kept me hanging. Later on, I realised that it's a hoax and stopped picking his calls. And the guy was a very well known personality and I can't name him here. I did meet him once or twice but later I stopped when his intentions became clear." For the unversed, casting couch refers to the exploitative practice where people in positions of power in the entertainment industry demand sexual favours from aspiring actors in exchange for roles or career opportunities. It's widely condemned as unethical and abusive. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma gave Aftab Shivdasani his first big break in Mast, co-starring Urmila Matondkar in 1999. In a conversation with ETimes, Aftab clarified that his background as a child actor had no connection to him landing the lead role in Mast. While still in school, he often auditioned for commercials simply because he enjoyed being in front of the camera. It was during one such stint, a cola advertisement, that he caught the attention of RGV, who later cast him in Mast. Meanwhile, on the work front, Aftab Shivdasani has been a part of superhit films such as Kasoor, Awara Paagal Deewana, Hungama, Footpath, 1920: The Evil Returns, Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3, and several others. Next, he has an array of films in the pipeline. He is a part of Welcome To The Jungle in Akshay Kumar's multi-starrer, Masti 4 with Riteish Deshmukh and Vivek Oberoi and Kasoor 2 with Urvashi Rautela. First Published: July 18, 2025, 19:56 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Holmes County treasurer reappointed to her post - here's why it was necessary
The Republican Central Committee voted unanimously to reappoint Leslee Mast as Holmes County Treasurer to complete the current term, which ends in August. Mast was elected to a new term as county treasurer, which begins in August, in the November 2024 election. The resignation and reappointment steps are required under current law to enable eligible members of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System to claim their benefits. The Holmes County Republican Central Committee met this week to consider the appointment to the vacancy created Mast's resignation. The Republican Central Committee is composed of one member elected by Republican voters every four years from each of the 17 precincts in the county. For more information about the Holmes County Republican Party, go to: This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Holmes County treasurer resigns, is re-appointed until term begins
