Waitstaff at my former restaurant is required to tip out 2-3% of gross sales to the kitchen/bar/management. This is illegal, right? Even in North Carolina?

Tip Pooling: The requirement that an employee must retain all tips does not preclude tip splitting or pooling arrangements among employees who customarily and regularly receive tips, such as waiters, waitresses, bellhops, counter personnel (who serve customers), busboys/girls and service bartenders. Tipped employees may not be required to share their tips with employees who have not customarily and regularly participated in tip pooling arrangements, such as dishwashers, cooks, chefs, and janitors. Only those tips that are in excess of tips used for the tip credit may be taken for a pool. Tipped employees cannot be required to contribute a greater percentage of their tips than is customary and reasonable.


http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs15.htm

Question is, what are you going to do with this information? You don't work there any more.

I have friends who do.