underpaid

i work as a server in tucson, az in a 24 hour restaurant. from time to timen the kitchen needs to be closed for detailed cleaning. on nights when this happens i am expected to do cleaning but i am being paid $2.50 per hour for the 8 hours im spend cleaning. my manager tells me they don't have to pay me more because i make enough tips during the rest of the week to make up the difference. is my manager right or should i be getting minimum wage on these nights?

If your wage of $2.50 an hour plus your tips equals minimum wage or surpasses it when divided by 40 hours a week, then your employer is right. It is only when the above does not happen that you would have a leg to stand on. So, that means that you have to keep a good record of your tips each week to make sure you don't dip below minimum wage -- in which event, your employer will have to up the hourly that he pays you in that week to pay mimimum wage. Personally, if I were the employer and wanted to keep a happy and productive workforce, I'd put you on the clock for that cleaning time and avoid all the math, bookkeeping and possible loss of good employees because of misunderstandings over a few pennies. But as the saying goes, "Penny wise, pound foolish."

P.S. - talk about "penny wise, pound foolish," I make $22 an hour. My boss gets a 50 cent dividend check each month from an off-the-wall stock he owns. I spend 15 minutes in line at the bank cashing that check for him, which means he pays me $5.50 to cash a 50 cent check, more if I am held up in line -- it only goes to show you that some employers lack common sense! LOL.