Canadian youth push back against tipping culture as survey links frustration to rising costs and stagnant wages

A growing number of young Canadians say they're nearing their limits with tipping culture, calling it unsustainable and increasingly unreasonable, especially as living costs soar.

According to a recent nationwide online survey conducted by H&R Block Canada from February 12-13, 2025, among 1,790 respondents, most Canadians feel tipping expectations have become excessive, and gratuity prompts appear in too many places

According to CTV News, an Edmonton university student, Ren Alva, recounted his surprise at being asked to tip at a U-pick berry farm, where he and his friends did all the work. He commented, “They didn’t have to do anything. I don’t know who the money’s going to.

H&R Block’s findings highlight widespread tipping fatigue:

• 94 percent of Canadians say tipping culture “has gotten out of hand,” and 90 percent believe current gratuities are too high.
  
• On average, people consider 9 percent a reasonable tip, well below standard prompts
  
• Many feel obligated, 57 percent admit feeling awkward skipping a tip prompt, so they tip regardless
  

Respondents also reported seeing tip options in more places than before. Those who spoke to The Canadian Press said they’ve seen prompts everywhere from student-oriented bodegas to physiotherapy clinics.

Aditi Roy, a student at Toronto Metropolitan University, who grew up in cultures without tipping norms, encouraged Canada to reconsider its approach.

In Asia, she explained, customers pay service fees that go directly to workers. Tipping in Canada, she said, often leads to guilt: “It’s ridiculous to have to tip up to 20 per cent; if I opt out, I feel terrible for it.”

Large chains like McDonald’s say tips are not accepted because its restaurants are a “team environment” and it’s “not about rewarding individuals.”

The combination of economic pressure, cultural misalignment, and workplace realities is fuelling calls for reform. While tipping has traditionally aimed to reward service, many now see it as a forced expectation or a systemic workaround for low wages.