Money Matters

Restaurant and café staff are delighted to be back at work, and earning tips, now that we are able to eat out again.

It used to be standard practice to pay gratuities in cash. When we realised it was more convenient (and, since the pandemic, more hygienic) to add a percentage to the bill, we frequently paid it all with a credit or debit card. You might not realise that this usually means the staff receive less money.

The way that restaurants handle workers’ tips, whether paid in cash or on cards, has long been a contentious subject. There is no law to guarantee staff will receive the money customers leave for them. Even the government’s code of best practice allows bosses to keep some of the money for themselves, and many regard tips as an excuse for paying low wages. There are instances where unscrupulous bosses have kept all the money grateful customers believed they were giving to the workers.

Fortunately, this lack of employeeprotection should be changing. The Tips Bill is edging its way through Parliament. If it becomes law, it will entitle staff to receive every penny left for them in tips.