(resonanteye)It’s a story we’ve heard any number of times, both professionally and from friends in the restaurant world. A customer splits without paying the bill, or doesn’t leave enough to cover the full amount; to make up for the loss, the manager takes it out of the waiter’s pay. Can this be legal? It all depends on how much the waiter earns as his base pay. Many servers, and other employees who rely on tips, start with a base wage that is below the current federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour.