What to Do If Your Boss Steals Your Tips or Breaks Tip-Sharing Laws

For many workers in Kansas City, tips make up a significant portion of their income. Whether you’re a server, bartender, barista, or other service employee, you rely on those tips to cover essential expenses. Unfortunately, some employers unlawfully withhold tips, force improper tip pooling, or violate federal and state wage laws. Knowing your rights is the first step to protecting your hard-earned money.

Federal and Missouri Tip Laws

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), tips are considered the property of the employee, not the employer. Employers cannot take tips for themselves or force employees to share tips with managers or supervisors. However, they may require employees to participate in a valid tip pool, but only with other workers who customarily receive tips.

In Missouri, employers who take a “tip credit” toward the minimum wage must ensure that employees’ combined wages and tips equal at least the state’s minimum wage. If your tips and hourly pay do not meet this threshold, your employer is required to make up the difference.

Signs Your Employer May Be Breaking the Law

• Managers or owners keep part of your tips.
• You’re forced to share tips with employees who do not normally receive tips, such as kitchen staff or supervisors.
• Your paycheck plus tips does not meet the minimum wage.
• Your employer deducts business expenses, such as broken dishes or customer walkouts, from your tips.

What You Can Do If Your Boss Steals Your Tips

1. Keep Records – Document your hours worked, tips received, and any tip-sharing arrangements. Written evidence can be crucial.
2. Address It Internally – If you feel safe, raise the issue with your employer or HR department. Sometimes problems result from misunderstanding the law.
3. File a Complaint – You can report wage theft to the U.S. Department of Labor or the Missouri Department of Labor.
4. Seek Legal Guidance – Employment law attorneys can help you evaluate your claim, file a complaint, or pursue compensation through legal action.

Losing tips is more than an inconvenience—it’s wage theft. Workers should not be left struggling because an employer has ignored the law.

How LG Law LLC Can Help

At LG Law LLC, we provide legal assistance to the Kansas City public in matters of wage theft, tip disputes, and employment law violations. If your boss has stolen your tips or broken tip-sharing laws, our team can review your situation, explain your rights, and guide you through the next steps.