Tipped wages and benefits in the restaurant industry: an inquiry into health equity

Research being conducted by: Nila G. Hofman, Professor of Anthropology and Isatou Sallah, DePaul student class of 2023

Our research explores health equities associated with compensation and benefits (or lack thereof) of workers in the restaurant industry. Collaborating with Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), a nonprofit organization fighting to improve the wages and working conditions of restaurant workers, we investigate the effects of the pay and benefits structures in the restaurant industry in the Chicagoland area. We examine the impact of different modes of restaurant workers’ pay and benefits on their health and well-being. Specifically, we compare the experiences of restaurant workers who work for subminimum pay and tipped wages to those restaurant workers who receive different types of compensation including healthcare benefits.