A fantastic graphic by Nicolas Rapp and Anne Vandermey examines job growth at the 100 Best Companies to work for according to Fortune Magazine. The graphic sorts companies by whether they lost or gained jobs in 2011. While Google experienced the largest job growth with 7,020 jobs added at a staggering growth rate of 33%, Microsoft is at the other end of the spectrum, losing 2,354 jobs with a growth rate of -4%.

Several service companies made the list of companies experiencing job growth; consistent with our findings that the service class keeps on growing and growing. Starbucks received the most job applicants of any company on the list, with a whopping 7.6 million aspiring baristas applying in 2011 and also experienced job growth of 3%. Restaurant operator Darden – which includes brands such as Red Lobster and Olive Garden – is cited as the largest employer on the list, with 169,516 full-time and part-time employees, and also experienced job growth of 12%.

Grocery chains Wegmans Food Markets and Whole Foods both experienced positive job growth, at 5% and 6% respectively, which could be attributed to their reputations as exemplary service class employers. A recent article in Progressive Grocer singled out Wegmans’ dedication to employee health, citing policies aimed at cutting back employee smoking levels. The article also noted that last weekend, employees and customers were treated to free cake at all Wegmans locations to celebrate their Fortune Magazine ranking. The article also cited Whole Foods for policies such as “capping the salaries of executives at 19 times the average full-time salary”.

I guess that depending on where you work, you really can have your cake and eat it too.

In an article in yesterday’s Toronto Star, restaurant critic Amy Pataki commented on the small, but growing, trend in Toronto restaurants to tip 20% when dining out. Several Toronto restaurants are cited as changing the standard tip prompt on credit and debit handheld terminals from the conventional 15% to 20%. One restaurant is quoted to go as far as switching credit card machine companies to one that allowed the tip prompts to be changed. The article also cites several popular restaurants across the City, such as Mildred’s Temple Kitchen and Milagro’s, who have increased their standard tip option to 18% and 16% respectively.

The seemingly harmless article caused quite a stir when it went viral. Several Toronto news outlets, such as Toronto Life and Blog TO were quick to run the story. When Blog TO asked their Twitter followers what they thought the standard tip should be, the results were all over the map. While the vast majority agreed that sub-par service deserves a minimal tip at best, several others claimed to already be tipping 20% and above. Many expressed their frustrations towards the prompts, as they felt the tip they left is always based on the level of service they received, and should not be assumed.

But the article also raised a more pressing issue: minimum wages for servers. “We feel we are providing great service. Waiters don’t get paid too much,” said Tom Earl, co-owner of The Westerly. But, rather than the restaurants themselves rewarding servers for excellence on the job, through higher hourly wages, owners are placing the onus on customers. From working at a restaurant, I can attest to the fact servers must ‘tip out’ to several other positions in the restaurants – from hostesses to bus boys – and that 15% doesn’t always stretch as far as you might think. Restaurants rely on their servers, to be the ‘face’ of their establishment, and are vitally dependent on the service they provide to customers. However, in this competitive industry, many employers are still not prepared to reward them financially.