The Pain and Pleasure of Working for Tips

Working at a “gratuity-free” restaurant made waiting tables in New York worth it.

Classic Billfold: My Life as a Magnolia Bakery Cupcake Bouncer

“Sometimes people act like children,” my boss told me the first day she designated me the cupcake bouncer. “So you have to treat them like children.”

From Middle Class to Public Assistance

Within a short time I knew all the acronyms: UI (Unemployment Insurance), EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer), SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), KYHC (Keep Your Home California), Medi-Cal.

5 Things I Learned as a Door-to-Door Salesperson

The experience was surreal and taught me a lot about the world, in the way that only personal experience in a difficult task can.

Starfish Inn Seeks Caretaker

If you love fixing stairs, and believe something sinister is hiding under them, this job is for you.

What I Learned as an Artist Model

I’d never expected to embrace any kind of nudity, still less be paid for it.

I Got a Job. Then the Government Shut Down.

I’m supposed to start working for the IRS in February — and I need this job.

My First Furlough

Being furloughed is exceptionally weird.

#YOLOing Through My Layoff

Any concern for the future has been replaced by a persistent desire to blow off all my funds.

What Happened When I Instituted Wage Transparency at My Coffeeshop

There isn’t a single job I’ve ever worked where I didn’t wonder what my coworkers were making.