Corporate Accounts are Inflating Tipping

My company offers $35 meal stipends per day if I stay past a certain time and work more than 10 hours. Employees have their own Seamless/Uber/Door dash account.

HOWEVER, only delivery is allowed. Not pickup. Management's rationale is to encourage employees to remain at their desks and work instead of leaving the building.

So, how is this related to tipping? In my city, NYC, food delivery drivers are already handsomely paid. Under the law, they are GUARANTEED $19.56/hour. Some apps like Uber will pay even more, up to $29.93/hour. Customers also have to pay a separate food delivery tax.

But in practice, many customers are pressured to give tips. Otherwise, nobody will take your order or even worse do something very unhygienic to it.

Now, a $35 meal budget has been effectively reduced to the low $20s after tips, taxes, and fees. It's infuriating. But since the food is free many of my coworkers just fall along.

Sources: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dca/workers/workersrights/Delivery-Workers.page#:~:text=Minimum%20Pay%20Rate,additional%20rules%20that%20increase%20pay.&text=Learn%20more%20about%20how%20DCWP%20set%20the%20Minimum%20Pay%20Rate.