Cheap on a Whole New Level

Eater highlights an article regarding a withheld tip lawsuit from a Chinatown restaurant. While this seems to be an instance of cheap owners bilking the wait staff, tips, service charges and the like seem to be a recent topic of discussion. The question I ask is: should owners get involved with the tipping process as little as possible (other than to encourage it as much as possible) or should they have their hand in the pie is some way?