You’re a waiter. Do you split your tips with the bussers? How about with shift supervisors? In a recent decision, the California appeals court found that the public expects the tips collected in a tip jar at Starbucks would be split with the shift supervisors. I don’t know what I expect when I leave a tip. But, you see the sorts of things a judge will look at when they make a decision. They make their best guess regarding what the "public" thinks, sometimes. A judge’s life experiences make a big difference in a close decision like this one. The court indicated, according to this report, it would have made a different ruling if the tip had been left specifically for the barista. So, apparently, the court decided that tips left in a tip jar were intended for employees in general, not specifically for the barista at the counter.
BTW, this decision reversed a $100 million decision in favor of the baristas. It will surely be appealed.