Random People Who Aren't Allowed To Accept Your Tips (11 items)

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  (#1) Flight Attendants

  On paper, it may seem like flight attendants are providing a service, and therefore should be classified as being part of the service industry. However, legally speaking, the people who work in the sky are considered safety professionals. According to Travel + Leisure, flight attendants make an average of about $18 an hour, which is well over the average minimum wage seen in most developed countries. As a result, most airlines have a company policy that bans flight attendants from accepting tips from passengers.
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  (#2) USPS Mail Carriers

  Employees at the US Postal Service are not allowed to receive cash tips or gift cards, even on holidays. There are clear rules on what is allowed and what is not allowed in their Employee Tipping and Gift-Receiving Policy:

  All postal employees, including carriers, must comply with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Exec­utive Branch. Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount. Furthermore, no employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from any one customer in any one calendar year period.

  If you decide to give a postal employee a gift worth more than $20, they are required to reimburse you out of their own pocket. Since employees probably have a better idea of how they want to spend their money than you do, it's best to refrain from giving them luxurious gifts. 
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  (#3) Uber Drivers (In Some States)

  Originally, Uber did not want its customers to tip their drivers, as the company claimed the tip was already built into the price of the ride. Recently, however, the company has added a tipping option into the app that allows passengers to tip their driver for up to 30 days after their ride. Of course, riders have the option to tip in cash as well.

  However, in 13 states, it's illegal to give a cash tip to an Uber driver because of regulations that define the drivers as part of a "transportation network company." These types of companies are often forbidden from carrying out cash transactions, which technically includes tipping.

  State governments consider it dangerous for drivers to carry loads of cash while working. The Boston Globe expanded upon this issue, saying: 

  Over the last three years, 13 states have passed laws restricting cash payments in some form. While none of the laws explicitly mention gratuity, there’s widespread agreement that most — if not all – of these rules apply to cash tips. Supporters of these rules have said they’re inspired by driver safety concerns. Each state’s restrictions are a little different, with some only banning the solicitation of payments and others banning any cash changing hands.
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  (#4) McDonald's Employees

  Although it is not custom to give a tip when ordering food at a restaurant counter, some customers will still provide a small gratuity for counter service. However, patrons are not allowed to tip their cashiers, or anyone working at McDonald's, due to the company's internal policy. The higher-ups at corporate McDonald's feel that the fast food chain is all about teamwork, and frown upon rewarding an individual. Despite this team-player attitude, the company has repeatedly been criticized for underpaying their workers, many of whom cannot survive on a full-time, non-tipped salary. 

   
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  (#5) Servers At Several High-End Restaurants

  In 2005, Thomas Keller — who was a chef at Per Se, one of the most expensive and celebrated restaurants in New York City — did away with tipping entirely. Keller replaced tipping with a flat service fee of 20% added to every bill. Another high end Manhattan sushi restaurant, Sush Yashunda, also banned tipping and raised menu prices so they could afford to pay their waitstaff a livable salary.

  In light of this, many high-end restaurants around the country now follow a "no-tip" model. Instead, the restaurant pays their employees a living wage, so they do not have to rely on tips. San Francisco restaurant critic Michael Bauer is totally on-board with restaurants that have banned tipping altogether, and thinks many other establishments will follow suit. "It’s civilized — and the wave of the future," said Bauer. 
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  (#6) Employees At Walmart

  It is not customary to tip a cashier or retail associate at Walmart, or at a department store like Sears or Macy's. However, if an employee helps you unload a cart full of groceries, should you tip that person? 

  Not at Walmart, where it is against company policy for an employee to take any form of tip. Under their Gifts and Gratuities guidelines page, it clearly states, "It is our policy that associates of the Company, regardless of their capacity, do not accept for their personal benefits, gratuities, tips, cash, samples, etc. from anyone buying or selling to us, or in any way serving our company."
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  (#7) Teachers

  Tipping a teacher in cash looks bad. Even if a parent has the best of intentions, it's hard to make it look like anything other than a bribe. Relationship etiquette expert April Masini writes, "It creates a conflict for them in the classroom, and while it’s fine to give them a gift card or little gift, money is a problem… you want to avoid any special attention and conflict of interest that your cash to a teacher may create.” 
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  (#8) Taco Bell Employees

  There is a 24-page Taco Bell Handbook with all sorts of rules for employees to follow. It includes everything from making sure the restaurant is clean, to carrying out responsibilities with a smile. 

  Under the "On the job at Taco Bell" section of the handbook, there are several well-defined rules for employees to follow. Between "Never take unsold food out of the restaurant" and "Do not sleep or chew gum while on the clock," there is a clear rule that states, "Do not ask for or take tips from customers." 
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  (#9) Police Officers

  Believe it or not, it is illegal for a police officer to take cash from a civilian. Even if the officer has gone above and beyond, the civilian needs to find a way to express their gratitude that doesn't resemble bribery. However, when an officer accepts a free cup of coffee at a diner, or a patron wants to buy them lunch for helping out, the rules aren't as clean cut. 

  There's a ton of debate over whether or not law enforcement should be allowed to accept non-cash gifts. Some say a free lunch or cup of coffee is no big deal, since the buyer is merely showing their appreciation for the officer. Others believe that gifts are a slippery slope that can make it hard for an officer to act impartially. 
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  (#10) Restaurant Managers

  A restaurant manager usually receives a regular salary and should not need tips to flesh out their wage. A waiter, on the other hand, is typically paid less than $3 an hour, and relies on tips to make a living. The Department of Labor states that a restaurant manager cannot claim a portion of a waiter's tips, even if they help out with table service or pour a few drinks at the bar.

  There are a couple notable exceptions to this rule. If a tip pool is divided up among the staff, the manager is allowed to claim a portion of the total. A manager may also receive tips if he is scheduled to work a shift as a member of the waitstaff, rather than as a manager. 
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  (#11) "Back Of The House Employees" At Restaurants

  The rigidity of this rule varies from state to state, but generally, it's okay not to tip the people who you don't directly come into contact with in restaurants. In 2016, a California 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2011 ruling that bans restaurants from forcing their bartenders and waiters to share their tips with "back of the house employees," such as dishwashers and cooks.

  The reasoning is that back of the house employees are not considered tipped workers, and therefore should receive at least a minimum wage salary from the restaurant. Since it's custom to tip waiters in America, the law believes it is ethical to pay them less than minimum wage, as long as the difference is made up in tips. 

  The California ruling also applies to Alaska, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. In those states, back of the house employees earn the full state minimum, so their livelihood is not dependent on your tips. 

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