Where does tips for volunteer work go?
 

I've volunteered for some Bicycle Valet Parking.

A couple of venues have the valet parking being run by our local bike coop.

Anyway, the last time I was there, they used to have a "FREE Bicycle Valet Parking" sign with a tip jar on the counter.

This last time they had a "$3 Tip Recommended" (with no free sign). Still, it isn't required or tracked. However, the tip jar was absolutely stuffed.

Done right, and one can see at least half of a concert that could have very expensive tickets, so there are "perks". I'm not quite sure where the tips go. There are coop employees that get paid working along side of the volunteers. And I realize it would be difficult to keep the events organized without someone to help with the setup/tear down and do logistics.

At least a pizza for the two "employees" appeared to come out of the tip jar, while the volunteers paid for their own.

I suppose this isn't limited to bike parking, but there are many other places where paid workers work along side with volunteers, and there may be tip jars for the services.

Thoughts?

My general thoughts?

If you get tipped, and throw it in the jar, you share with everyone else.

If you get tipped, and keep it...you don't get a share of the jar.

Just a general sense, I can't speak for the particular venue, as I've never worked in a paid/volunteer situation where it wasn't abundantly clear that accepting money was a no-no.

Restaurant Servers and Bartenders get tips here , not the Event Bike Valet Parking, as there is None.

But I Understand, I was with the Start Up at Van Der Tuin's C.A.T. in the 90's, when I lived in Eugene.

Work it out at a Meeting ... Before the event and come to a Consensus.

I would presume they should go to the local bike coop to be used to purchase stuff for the coop ... like, I don't know, perhaps tubes, or a new tire pump if the one they have ceases working, or maybe another work stand or whatever.

But you could ask them.

This is a question that should be answered before anyone signs on. Some states have laws that states that tips cannot go to the house, but even in those cases I doubt a co-op situation like his would be covered.

So, given that it's a co-op and you volunteered, I'd expect that the tips would go to the house (co-op) unless something else were explicitly agreed on.

However, picking up the pizza tab for employees and not volunteers is tacky, at the very least. It should be the same for paid and unpaid workers, or if not the same, it's the unpaid workers who should get a free meal.

What is your definition of "volunteer"?

When I've worked charity things with a tip jar, the jar also goes to the charity. This would be especially true of free with suggested tip.