Inequalities in the Restaurant Industry: How Dishwashers, Prep Cooks and Porters Navigate an Unjust Workplace

• In Event: 1252 - Student Forum Refereed Roundtable
  In Refereed Roundtable (100 min): Table 2: Economics and Labor

Abstract

The restaurant industry is a unique place of commerce in that customer tips are involved in compensating a large portion of its employees and help to keep restaurants afloat. However, tips lead to wage disparities, workplace tensions, discrimination, and other pernicious outcomes, but will changing the tipping structure help or hurt restaurant laborers? This preliminary research sheds light on who is being left out of the conversation and what more needs to be done in order to ensure an equitable workplace. Using the qualitative methods of participant observation and in-depth structured interviews, we get a bit of insight into the work-life of restaurant employees in Boston.

Author

• Brittany Riffle, University of Massachusetts Boston