The Cosmic Avenger
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
They get the the base wage + tips, or the employer has to increase payment to make up for a lack of tips.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipped_wage
"The tipped wage is base wage paid to an employee that receives a substantial portion of their compensation from tips. According to a common labor law provision referred to as a "tip credit", the employee must earn at least the state’s minimum wage when tips and wages are combined or the employer is required to increase the wage to fulfill that threshold. This ensures that all tipped employees earn at least the minimum wage: significantly more than the tipped minimum wage."
Yes, that was the law when I waited tables back in the early 90s. However, just because it was the law did not mean it was practiced. People who didn't claim enough tips and had to be paid more by the employer suddenly weren't scheduled for any shifts, or worse, were scheduled for the shifts when the restaurant was dead and there were no tips, and they still wouldn't pay you the difference.