Minimum wage - Hospitality

Minimum wage rise: Businesses face £20k fine for underpaying staff

01-Oct-2015 By Sophie Witts

Hospitality businesses have been warned they could face fines of up to £20,000 per employee for failing to pay staff the new national minimum wage rate - which comes in to force today (1 October).

National Living Wage to add 3.4% to hospitality wage bills by 2020

16-Sep-2015 By Liam Garrahan

Employers in the hospitality industry will see their wage bills increase by 3.4 per cent by 2020 with almost half of employees in the sector receiving a pay rise due to the rollout of the National Living Wage (NLW).

Wetherspoon's boss: Living Wage will hit pubs in poorer areas

11-Sep-2015 By Sophie Witts

The boss of JD Wetherspoon has warned that the introduction of the National Living Wage will place added financial pressure on pubs in less affluent areas.

Whitbread to raise prices to combat cost of National Living Wage

08-Sep-2015 By Sophie Witts

Whitbread has announced it is planning to raise prices across some of its chains in order to account for the cost of the new National Living Wage.

Government calls for restaurant tips information for investigation

01-Sep-2015 By Emma Eversham

The Government is asking for information on how tips are collected and distributed in restaurants as part of an investigation into what it calls the 'abuse of tipping' within the sector.

Five tips for managing tips

27-Aug-2015 By Emma Eversham

With tipping practices back in the spotlight, BigHospitality speaks to Lydia Christie, senior associate at law firm Howard Kennedy who suggests five ways restaurant groups can check that their policies are legal and fair.

Minimum wage and apprentice rate could rise in 2016

25-Aug-2015 By Sophie Witts

The Government is seeking the views of hospitality businesses over the possibility of raising the National Minimum Wage for apprentices and under 25’s.

Côte denies it keeps service charge amid heavy media scrutiny

21-Aug-2015 By Michelle Perrett

The Côte restaurant chain has denied claims that it keeps all the 12.5 per cent service charges it adds to bills and does not distribute them to staff.

70% of hospitality operators foresee negative impact of National Living Wage

17-Aug-2015 By Mark Wingett

More than 70 per cent of restaurant and pub operators believe the introduction of the National Living Wage for the over-25s next year will have a negative impact on their businesses, according to a survey carried out by M&C Allegra Foodservice.

How will the rising Living Wage affect hospitality?

16-Jul-2015 By Sophie Witts

The Chancellor announced last week that from April 2016 all UK businesses would have to pay staff over 25 a National Living Wage of £7.20 per hour, rising to £9 per hour by 2020.

Budget 2015: Osborne criticised for failing to consult hospitality industry over Living Wage

09-Jul-2015 By Sophie Witts

Chancellor George Osborne has been criticised by the hospitality industry for failing to consult with the sector over the introduction of a compulsory Living Wage.

Summer Budget 2015: Hospitality industry mulls 'considerable impact' of compulsory Living Wage

08-Jul-2015 By Emma Eversham

Introducing a compulsory Living Wage will have a 'considerable impact' on the hospitality industry, trade bodies have warned with employers facing higher wage bills and greater administration.

Boris Johnson urges hospitality businesses to pay Living Wage

01-Jul-2015 By Sophie Witts

London Mayor Boris Johnson has called on hospitality operators to pay employees the Living Wage.

What does the rising National Minimum Wage mean for the hospitality industry?

18-Mar-2015 By Sophie Witts

Sixty per cent of hospitality businesses are planning to increase wages in the year ahead, according to Barclay’s Employers Survey 2015.

Budget 2015: Mixed news for the hospitality industry

18-Mar-2015 By Sophie Witts

The 2015 budget brought good news for pubs across the UK, with a reduction in duty on beer, cider and spirits, but failed to mention a cut in Tourism VAT.

Sundial Group makes Living Wage commitment

03-Mar-2015 By Sophie Witts

Sundial Group has announced that its Guildford based hotel and conference centre Barnett Hill has been accredited as a Living Wage employer.

Hospitality employers named and shamed for failing to pay minimum wage

24-Feb-2015 By Carina Perkins

Hospitality businesses were among 70 employers ‘named and shamed’ by the government today (24 Feb) for failing to pay their workers national minimum wage.

Licensed operators welcome minimum wage recommendations

24-Feb-2015 By Carina Perkins

Licensed operators have welcomed the Low Pay Commission (LPC) recommendation to increase the minimum wage by 3 per cent this year.

General election 2015: what it could mean for hospitality

14-Jan-2015 By Melodie Michel & Noli Dinkovski

The outcome of the general election on 7 May is the most unpredictable in decades, but the main political parties are starting to set out policies that could affect the hospitality sector.

Compulsory Living Wage could put over 200,000 hospitality jobs at risk

19-Nov-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Making the Living Wage compulsory could cost UK businesses £4bn, the equivalent of 213,247 jobs in the hospitality sector, according to a Greater London Assembly (GLA) member.

Hospitality jobs fall short of Living Wage

04-Nov-2014 By Carina Perkins

Hospitality jobs are some of the lowest paid in the UK, with the majority of bar staff, waiting staff and kitchen assistants currently earning less than the Living Wage, according to new research from KPMG.

ALMR welcomes income tax pledge

03-Oct-2014 By Carina Perkins

The Association for Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has welcomed the Prime Minister’s pledge that a future Conservative government would cut income tax for low paid workers.

Labour's minimum wage pledge could hit hospitality businesses

22-Sep-2014 By Carina Perkins

Ed Miliband's pledge to increase increase minimum wage by more than 25 per cent over five years if Labour wins the next general election could be potentially disastrous for hospitality businesses, industry leaders have warned.

Hospitality businesses 'named and shamed' for failing to pay minimum wage

09-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

A pub, a restaurant and two hotels were among 25 businesses ‘named and shamed’ by the government for paying staff less than the legal minimum wage.

#WorldCup2014: Are you and your staff ready?

02-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

With less than two weeks to go before the World Cup kicks off in Brazil, operators should ensure they are prepared to avoid pitfalls – particularly when it comes to absences and temporary staff training.

East Sussex school chefs could face 9% pay loss

02-Apr-2014 By Lauren Houghton

GMB trade union claims school chefs in East Sussex employed by Chartwells, a branch of the contractor Compass Group plc, are facing a nine per cent loss in their pay.

Restaurants and pubs have reason to cheer despite ‘flat February’

12-Mar-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Sales for the nation’s pub, bar and restaurant groups evened out in February, with collective like-for-like sales up by just 0.2 per cent on the same month last year.

Hospitality businesses paying under National Minimum Wage risk ‘serious damage’ to reputation

01-Nov-2013 By Emma Eversham

Restaurants, hotels and pubs paying employees less than the National Minimum Wage (NMW) could be at serious risk of damaging their reputation and losing business, says the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) after research showed that...

Spirit sees full-year turnaround in pre-tax profit

22-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Spirit Pub Company has entered the new financial year with good momentum in the business, having reported a major turnaround in pre-tax profits over the past 12 months – up to £72m after a £589m loss this time last year.

Business rates increase would cost pubs £58m

18-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Licensed hospitality businesses may be hit with an increase in business rates that could cost the sector up to £58m, after figures released earlier this week revealed that the Retail Price Index (RPI) has risen to 3.2 per cent.

Hospitality workers protest for higher pay before new job creation

12-Jun-2013 By Emma Eversham

Members of workers union Unite are calling for leaders within the hospitality industry to address issues over pay throughout the sector before creating another 300,000 jobs.

Hotels urged to take heed of staff exploitation claims

25-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

A Parliamentary Reception has called on major UK hotel chains to ‘clean up their act’ and take more responsibility when it comes to preventing the mistreatment and exploitation of agency workers.

'Hard work' pays off at Macdonald Hotels as 2012 profit rises to £1.9m

03-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Business improved substantially for Macdonald Hotels last year with profit after tax reaching £1.9m for the year ending 29 March 2012, compared to a loss of £5.6m for the previous year.

Faucet Inn makes living wage commitment

29-Nov-2012 By Peter Ruddick

London-based pub operator Faucet Inn has announced it is to become the latest hospitality employer to pay its employees the official living wage; the first UK pub company to commit to the scheme, it says.

National Minimum Wage: Springboard expresses disappointment at freeze for under-21s

19-Mar-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The Government has announced the National Minimum Wage (NMW) will rise for adults and apprentices but will be frozen for 16-20 year-olds in a move that the hospitality careers charity Springboard described as disappointing.

Labour to push ahead with National Insurance hike

12-Apr-2010 By Chris Druce

The government has vowed to press ahead with its controversial plans to raise National Insurance next year despite widespread criticism from businesses.

Leeds diners dubbed UK's most generous tippers

26-Mar-2010 By Emma Eversham

Diners in Leeds are the most generous tippers in the UK, according to a survey by discount and deals website MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, while their Swansea counterparts are the least likely to leave a tip when eating out

Discretionary service charges deter would-be diners

27-Oct-2009 By Becky Paskin

Mid-market independent and chain restaurants that ‘copy’ high-end establishments by automatically adding service charges to bills, are inadvertently putting diners off returning

Industry urged to adopt tips code as new law comes into force

01-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

Restaurants, hotels and pubs are being urged to adopt a new code of practice on tipping and service charges as new legislation comes into force today banning the practice of using tips to bring staff pay up to minimum wage levels

D&D London abandons discretionary service charges

29-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

D&D London is to discontinue its practice of applying a 12.5 per cent discretionary service charge on customer bills in all its restaurants from October 1

Sodexo reviews payroll system after underpaying staff

26-Aug-2009 By Becky Paskin

The contract caterer has implemented a new payroll system, after it was revealed they were paying thousands of staff below the National Minimum Wage

Tips law change made at wrong time says BHA

06-May-2009 By Emma Eversham

The Government’s decision to move forward with plans to make it illegal for employers to top up staff wages with tips will land the industry with a high wage bill when it is already struggling says the British Hospitality Association

Waiting staff have final say as tips consultation closes

11-Feb-2009 By Emma Eversham

Front of house staff will today make another request to the government to change the loophole surrounding tips and service charges as a public consultation on the subject comes to a close

Give us time to adjust, industry tells tips consultation

19-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

The British Hospitality Association warns the Government against further job losses and business failures as it begins its consultation on tipping policies today