Photo via tipthemless.org
Photo via tipthemless.org

This is a new one, an app as a tool for generating awareness.

Created by Gabe Whaley, Toothpick (at the site tipthemless.org) is a tip calculator that factors in the average wage gap between men and women, about 22 percent. Users are meant to use the different settings to determine their tips, depending, of course, on whether their server is a man or woman. It’s available for free at the App Store.

According to the site, “Women and men were not created equal. So why should they be tipped like they are?”

The app is a clever twist on the equality debate in the workplace, which sadly comes down to women often still getting paid much less than their male counterparts for doing the exact same work. And yes, that still is a thing.

The website asks users to sign a petition asking the White House to bring attention to the Equal Rights Amendment that never got passed, guaranteeing equal rights for women. “Stand with us, because all people should be tipped equally regardless of gender.”

His team, Miscellaneous Mischief, also created the Wingman app, which helps you hook up with fellow passengers in the sky.

The 25-year-old told BuzzFeed News that the wage gap is often “too lofty of an concept for many to grasp in its gritty, harsh reality. All of a sudden, with a tip calculator that tells you to tip your server less just because she is a woman, you’re forced to confront the issue first hand.”

Love it.

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.