For one moment, Tajia Mackyeon achieved the dream of every restaurant worker: a tip big enough to change her life forever. One man, fresh from a string of wins at the baccarat table, insisted on tipping the casino waitress $76,000 — more than five times what she makes in a year. But according to Mackyeon, casino bosses promptly confiscated it, and she never saw her tip again.
Now Mackyeon has filed a federal lawsuit against MGM National Harbor Resort & Casino, represented by DC Wage Law. Her complaint claims that the casino violated labor laws and committed conversion (that is, theft) by taking her tip. She seeks additional damages and legal penalties totaling over $1 million. MGM National Harbor has yet to comment or file a reply.
Although Mackyeon’s story has not yet been proven in court, it closely tracks the troubles plaguing many American service workers, especially in food and hospitality. Mackyeon worked as a tipped employee, meaning that the casino did not have to pay the full state minimum wage because it could expect her to make up the difference in tips.
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) governs tips and minimum wage payments for many larger employers, including MGM National Harbor. States, cities, and counties may have higher minimum wages and require businesses to pay full minimum wage regardless of tips. Even so, American workers face tip confiscation and wage theft in businesses of every size.
According to the National...
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