When I was in college I worked at a restaurant job in PA that you could also rent the back room for events/banquets. When you worked the floor, besides tipping out the usual, you took home the tips you made. When you worked the events the restaurant gave you whatever they thought was appropriate. Usually between 80-120$. These events were expensive, and we the servers were the ones handing them the check. It was the same kind of check as the ones on the floor. Which had a line for the included gratuity. So although we were making a good hourly wage, the servers working on the event did not receive the total gratuity on the check.

I complained about not receiving the whole amount, because it was clear the people paying also think it is going to the servers. We were the ones making 2.13/hour. Not the cooks and the maître d’. I was told this is how they do it there and to leave if I didn’t like it because I was already making 20/hr. So I left.

Is is legal for part of the gratuity to be given to the cooks and maître d’?