Walking away from a restaurant table used to feel like a simple transaction. Recently, however, that final moment with the bill has become a source of immense social anxiety. You might feel like the goalposts for being a decent human being keep moving further away. This shift is not just in your head because the hidden systems of service labor are undergoing a radical transformation. Tipping enough has become a moving target that leaves both diners and workers feeling consistently shortchanged. Modern digital payment screens frequently suggest starting points that would have seemed outrageous only five years ago. Furthermore, the pressure to supplement stagnant wages has shifted entirely onto the consumer’s shoulders.
