Nicole and her friend decided to dine out at Osteria La Buca, one of her favorite Italian restaurants in Los Angeles.
The meal was enjoyable, but the surprise came when they received the check.
Ashley Nicole, a TikTok user baffled after noticing an 'employee health' charge on her restaurant bill.
Nicole shared her confusion on TikTok, asking her followers if such a charge was common.
She admitted, "I’ve never heard of that before, ever. Is it a normal thing or is this weird because I’ve never experienced this before and it feels weird, but maybe this is normal elsewhere. Let me know ’cause I’ve never seen this before.”
Nicole noticed a 5% 'Employee Health' charge under the $42 New York steak.
This additional charge amounted to nearly $5, which left Nicole and her friend perplexed.
Perplexed by the unfamiliar fee, Nicole approached the hostess for clarification.
After the incident, Nicole decided to inquire about it with the restaurant staff.
She approached the hostess and asked about the 'Employee Health' charge. The hostess explained that the charge was for the staff's healthcare.
In the comments section, many shared their thoughts about this incident, sparking a debate about the responsibility of businesses in contributing to employee healthcare.
One person said : That's to pay for counseling employees need after dealing with rude, entitled people who scream and yell at them, berate them for the smallest things.
A second wrote: Everyone here that has bought something has paid into the healthcare of that business employees; it may just be obscured by not being an individual charge and rather reflected by higher price items/services.
While a third commented: The restaurants that aren’t putting it on the receipt are just having to raise the cost of everything else, either way it’s a wash and we have to pay it because it’s required for the employer.
Another added: Since the pandemic they have been adding all types of charges as they raise prices and lower standards and service.
The employees better be serving my food doing lunges if I’m paying for their health… Someone else added.
According to the New York Times, such charges began appearing in 2008 when an ordinance passed in San Francisco required businesses with more than 20 employees to set aside money for healthcare.
The federal Affordable Care Act only mandates this for employers with 50 or more employees, often excluding smaller businesses like those in the hospitality industry.
The incident raises questions about transparency in billing and the awareness of customers about such charges.
This incident serves as a reminder for customers to scrutinize their bills and for businesses to clearly communicate any additional charges to their customers.
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