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Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, I attended a generously-funded research meeting that included a hotel stay, free dinners and bar drinks. There was a dedicated bar section just for us. 😋

I always wondered: At these funded events, should I tip the bartenders and hotel staff, or can I assume that the University takes care of not only the bill but also the gratuity that is expected by the service staff? 🤔

I landed up tipping on most times, but the few times that I did not, it felt a bit awkward -- walking away with a beer without tipping the bartender seemed rude 😬

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    @WolfgangBangerth it's not about tipping for a generic hotel/bar/restaurant stay, but specifically for conferences with international travellers. This differs both from personal/leisure travel, and travel working for private companies where the rules for reimbursement of expenses are different.
    – fqq
    May 18, 2020 at 22:47
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    I always figured that, even as a grad student, I made more money then them. Plus they often had good restaurant tips. You have no way of knowing whether some contract between a university and a hotel/conference center covers tips to their staff. Give them a tip, enjoy a little conversation, and move on...
    – Jon Custer
    May 18, 2020 at 23:21
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    I think it's in scope. It's a common situation at academic conferences.
    – Caleb Stanford
    May 19, 2020 at 0:52
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    Big contracts like that would usually include gratuity. It has never crossed my mind to tip on gratis drinks.
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    May 19, 2020 at 1:58
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    At least at some such events I've attended, there has been a tip jar on the bar, which seemed a clear indication that tips were expected or at least welcomed.
    – Nate Eldredge
    May 19, 2020 at 22:16

2 Answers 2

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In the end, you are asking whether you should pay out of your own pocket for work. No. You should not have to pay out of your own pocket anything in order to perform your work duties; and despite what some would say, this kind social events are very much part of work (see elsewhere on this site). Either the organizers should step up, or you should get reimbursed by your employer, like for any travel-related expense.

Now, you might very well be in the situation where the organizers and your employer have both failed. You should first realize that this is their failure, not yours. And if you do tip despite all that, you should recognize that you are going above and beyond what is required of you to help other workers (the hotel/bar staff) who are criminally underpaid make it to the end of the month. But this is an act of charity, not something that is expected of you professionally.

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  • I mean, I agree - any tip should be reimbursable, but it doesn't really answer the question of whether you should tip (and submit)
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    May 19, 2020 at 19:42
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    No no no. You aren't working for them. They are giving you a service. If you believe (correctly) that they are criminally underpaid and don't tip, then you are participating in an unjust system.
    – Buffy
    May 20, 2020 at 17:49
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It is typical for catering contracts to include some sort of 'service fee' that serves like a 'tip', and you can assume that the staff are paid a better base wage than tip-supported employees typically are. Even regular restaurants often have a non-optional 'tip' added on for larger parties (thresholds vary but "8 or more" seems common).

That said, employees in these businesses are not high-income earners, and probably make less total take-home pay per hour than their tipped equivalents (bartending, especially, can be a relatively lucrative position in the service industry at the right venue).

If you appreciate their service, if they do something above and beyond, if you're in a generous mood, or if the cost makes you feel less awkward, feel free to tip; it won't seem like you are throwing money around or anything negative like that.

If you don't have cash and especially if you aren't asking for anything special, you can have a clean conscience that you haven't committed a faux pas by not tipping in this circumstance.

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