Posted on 02/18/2014 12:42:54 PM PST by BenLurkin
HANCOCK PARK (CBSLA.com) — A local restaurant has added a surcharge to every tab in order to pay for its employees’ healthcare.
République, located on La Brea, is emerging as one of LA’s more popular, newer restaurants. However, the three percent surcharge is bringing about mixed reactions from the restaurant’s customers.
One critic on the review site, Yelp, claimed: “It’s not MY responsibility to take care of YOUR employees’ healthcare… that’s YOUR job.”
“Everyone has the same policy that I do as the owners,” owner and chef Walter Manske said. “And we offer it to everyone; (the) dishwasher, busboy, waiters, across the board.”
Manske says that, ultimately, it is up to the customer whether to take the surcharge out of the gratuity.
There are other customers, however, who don’t mind the surcharge on the basis of healthcare for workers.
“Adding it to the tip, or taking it away from the tip is normal, and I think it’s important that everybody has healthcare within the restaurants,” customer Chris Jordan said.
Under Obamacare, businesses like République, that have over 50 full-time employees, are required by law to provide affordable healthcare benefits.
Manske, meanwhile, says that the surcharge system is the solution to that requirement that works for the restaurant and that most feedback has been positive.
“Even if this isn’t the perfect solution, it’s definitely a solution, and so far, there isn’t any other solution.”
**“It’s not MY responsibility to take care of YOUR employees’ healthcare… that’s YOUR job.”***
Do you really think you aren’t paying for it? It’s just being shown to you upfront, that’s all.
“Obamacare surcharge”. Great. I hope they don’t lose customers over it, though.
The IRS will probably have something to say about this, soon, if more businesses start this practice.
Well, it’s either this, or raise menu prices without an explanation. If this 3% reflects the cost of doing business, then it allows customers to see how much of what they pay goes to this expense.
While they are at it, they should show the Medicare and OASDI charges as well.
Take it up with Pelosi.....
Customers were going to pay it anyway; might as well break it out and itemize it.
This is like the "shop fees" and "EPA fees" every garage charges in addition to their prices. Stop advertising $19.95 oil changes when there is no way to get it done for less than $24.50 plus sales tax. Unless I have the option to bring my own bucket to take home the old oil.
Really? Maybe there should be a rent surcharge, a global warming surcharge, a business license surcharge, a laundry surcharge, a garbage surcharge, a water surcharge, etc.
Same libtard that thinks his IRS refund check is free money from the gov'ment.
Well, maybe not the best analogy since with all the tax credits, it may just be free money.
I do like the honesty inherent in this approach. I wish businesses would do this for tax increases as well. If a 10% increase in corporate tax rates, for instance, led directly to a 10% surcharge in the price of consumer goods, maybe the LI voters would be less inclined to favor increasing taxes on corporations. As it is now, of course, they’re still paying the surcharge; they just don’t realize it.
Let me be the first to apologize for my fellow Californian. We grow stupid out here, we try to keep it locally confined - this one slipped through.
Must be a very expensive restaurant if only 3% of sales pays for all the employes’ health insurance.
I think all built-in taxes should be listed on the menu or receipt
if that is possible
List it as a tax. That’s what Robert’s calls it. It’s enforced by the IRS. List it as a tax.
Rut roh....look out...here comes the IRSS to say you cannot call an 0DeathCare fee an 0DeathCare fee!!
If an establishment is doing that, it should be public information. That way people who DON’T want to pay for it can go elsewhere.
I think that’s fair.
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