My Job Told Me To Split My Tips With The House For The First Time Ever...

Location: TEXAS

I (27F) have been a bartender for 9 years. (you can bartend at 18 in TX) I work for a small family owned restaurant in a college town, and have never experienced this before at any of the bars,restaurants, or nightclubs that I have worked at.

The other bartender that was supposed to work with me tonight, splitting tips, quit last minute which left me alone. the manager and the owner came around to help periodically doing stuff like stocking my beer, making drinks for the servers tables and cleaning glassware aka barback duties. after I had worked the entire 2 person shift by myself, where the patrons assumed all of the tips they were giving were going to me, my boss stated "you will be splitting your tips with the house tonight" not sure entirely where the house tips will be going but everyone who helped me is a salaried employee or the owner. I've worked here for almost 3 years I HAVE NEVER been told to give tips to the "House." I dont know what this falls under legally but it seems like theft and if not theft it definitely feels like they are screwing me over, thank you in advance for any advice yall might have, and also we dont get tip outs from servers for making their drinks which is also F'd up but that's a different topic!

Edit: We do not have a written employment agreement/contract of any kind. they have never laid out a foundation for tip pooling of any kind other than when 2 of us bartenders are behind the bar together we do split tips.