Featured Image Credit: ashnichole_xo/TikTok
Topics: TikTok, Food and Drink, Tipping
Callum Jones
Those who dine regularly in restaurants across the US will know the final bill is not what you've spent on food.
And that's a little unfortunate considering food is pretty pricey nowadays.
On top of the price of the grub, plus drinks, is likely a tip - a charge that can even be controlled by the restaurant themselves.
However, there are sometimes extra charges added on top, so it's certainly important to check your receipt before paying the bill.
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Ashley Nicole was left a little bemused when an 'employee health' charge on her bill last year.
Nicole took to TikTok to share her reaction after she spotted the surprising charge and what happened when she pointed it out to a member of staff.
"The weirdest thing just happened to me," she said in the video. "It’s cold and it’s rainy in LA, so me and my bestie decided to go out to dinner. We go to one of my favorite restaurants.
"This is the Osteria La Buca. It is an Italian restaurant here in LA and I’ve been to multiple times. We enjoy our meal. We get the check, we pay for our check, and as we are like signing the tip and stuff, we notice something.”
Nicole included a picture of her receipt which doesn’t look out of the ordinary initially.
There’s some delicious-sounding crispy potatoes and short rib ravioli. But a quick glance under the $42 New York steak shows a 5 percent charge for ‘Employee Health’, which set Nicole and her friend back almost $5.
She continued: “Here’s the receipt, and if you notice down here towards the bottom, there is a $4.75 cent charge for employee health.
"Do you see that, a 5 percent charge for employee health? My immediate thought was, ‘What is employee health? What does that mean?’ We run through a couple of options and I’m like, 'You know what? I’m just gonna ask'.”
Nicole decided to ask the hostess about the charge and it’s essentially exactly what it says on the tin.
She added: “So as we’re like walking out, I go up to the hostess and I’m like, ‘Hey, quick question, just curious. I saw that you guys charged us $5 each, not total for the table, each, both of us, for employee health and I just had to ask like, what is that?’
"And she goes, ‘Oh, that’s our healthcare’ and my reaction was, ‘Your healthcare?’ And she goes, ‘Yes, our healthcare'.”
The TikToker was left feeling confused and asked the internet if it’s a common thing.
“I’ve never heard of that before, ever,” she confessed. “And I had to find out – is that normal and have I been living under a rock?
"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.”
According to the New York Times, these kinds of charges started appearing in 2008 when an ordinance passed in San Francisco required businesses with more than 20 employees to set aside money for health care.
The federal Affordable Care Act only requires this of employers with 50 or more employees, which often leaves out smaller businesses, such as those in the hospitality industry.