My piece, “Gratuity Required”, is a commentary on the evolution of economic struggle and the emergence of tipflation, when the responsibility of ensuring fair wages has been moved from corporations and policy makers to the everyday consumers. By juxtaposing a Depression-era photograph with modern digital tipping comment prompts, my work illustrates how more businesses depend on gratuities rather than paying a living wage to their employees. Consumers are confronted with digital screens and QR codes that pressure them into exorbitant tipping, often feeling guilty for not subsidizing a worker’s income. The once-optional act of tipping has become an expectation, even in industries where it was never customary, exposing the growing dependence on consumer generosity to compensate for economic inequities.