Julia Dougall-Picard swings into action when customers settle in for lunch at Frite Alors in Montreal’s downtown Quartier Latin neighbourhood.
The 20-year-old works as a server at the popular restaurant chain, dishing out burgers and beers several times a week.
She takes home a low hourly wage, making up the difference through tips left by the restaurant’s customers. But the amount of money she’ll make on each sale is about to change.
Quebec tabled a bill on Thursday that would regulate how merchants determine suggested tips, forcing businesses to calculate them based on the price before tax.
On a restaurant bill of $100, for instance, suggested tips would be calculated as a percentage of $100, not the after-tax total of $114.98.
Quebec’s minister responsible for consumer protection, Simon Jolin-Barrette, said Thursday that there is a “growing pressure around tips,” and people often end up paying more than they intend. But workers in the province’s restaurants and …