A woman on TikTok has stirred up conversation after posting her paycheck for one cent which she says she earned after six weeks of work as a waitress. Liny, who posts as @lvndsmac, proved that her job at a Nashville eatery was far from lucrative by sharing the payslip, which clearly reads $0.01.
Liny didn’t share where she worked, nor did she mention how much she made in tips. People in serving positions rely on gratuities to make up the bulk of their wages, which is why customers who leave bad tips or who don’t tip at all are so infuriating.
The video of Liny’s check went viral pretty much immediately, racking up nearly two million views and more than 100,000 likes. The comments section was also busy, though not everyone commiserated with her plight.
“It’s not my job to pay your bills I got my own to pay,” one person wrote. Another added, “I always tip, but restaurants need to pay you guys.” A third agreed, saying: “Take it up with your employer. It’s not the customer’s responsibility to pay your wage.”
@lvndsmac THE FUCK IMA DO WITH ONE PENNY STEVEN!!!!!!! #serverlife #serverlife #bigballing #IDeserveTuitionContest #fyp #fypã‚·
They weren’t the only ones who felt indignant by Liny’s post, with another commenter saying: “Blame the business you’re working for, not the consumers. In other countries, they don’t need to tip because they pay a living wage. I’m already paying overpriced prices for mediocre food. I shouldn’t also have to pay out of my pocket for your salary.”
However, she did get sympathy from some viewers, who pointed out the fact that service industry employees are typically undervalued. “Half the people in this comment section are the ones who get mad when restaurants are understaffed. Who’s gonna serve your food and take care of you when they all quit bc they don’t get paid what they should and some people feel too entitled to tip. Get your own job in the industry and see how it is,” they wrote.
There were also some people who pointed out that Liny was probably banking it when it came to tips. One person claimed to have made $4,400 a month as a server, writing: “Don’t let these empty checks fool you if you’re serving and making so much that you don’t get an hourly [wage].”
We can all agree that a waitress being paid one cent is not okay, but Lindy insists she’s doing okay.
