Service Charge

Implementation of Tips Bill delayed until October

23-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

The implementation of a new tipping law has been pushed back from July to October to allow more time for businesses to introduce any changes required.

Ping Pong to trial 15% ‘brand charge’ ahead of tipping law introduction

03-Apr-2024 By James McAllister

London-based dim sum chain Ping Pong has scrapped service charge and is replacing it with a discretionary 15% ‘brand charge’ to fund wage rises for all of its restaurant teams.

UKHospitality: "tipping code offers right level of flexibility for businesses"

22-Feb-2024 By Restaurant

UKHospitality has welcomed the proposed tipping code of practice that comes into force in July as the consultation period for the draft code comes to an end.

Government publishes tipping code of practise

18-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

The Government has published a draft code of practice on the fair and transparent distribution of tips, which will come into effect on 1 July 2024.

Five things restaurateurs must consider ahead of the new Tips Bill

05-Jul-2023 By Restaurant

A new law ensuring hospitality staff receive all money left to them in tips is coming. Here’s what you need to know.

Tips Bill expected to come into force in 2024

03-May-2023 By James McAllister

A new law designed to ensure hospitality staff receive all the money left to them in tips by customers will likely come into force in 2024, the Government has announced.

Tips Bill to become law after clearing House of Lords

24-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

A private member's bill intended to ensure hospitality staff receive all the money left to them in tips by customers is set to become law after clearing the House of Lords.

The Lowdown: The new tipping bill

27-Jan-2023 By James McAllister

After years of political back-and-forth, legislation intended to ensure hospitality staff receive all the money left to them in tips by customers is now closer than ever to becoming law.

Tips Bill moves closer to becoming law as it clears Commons

20-Jan-2023 By James McAllister

A private member's bill intended to ensure hospitality staff receive all the money left to them in tips by customers is closer to becoming law after clearing the Commons.

Tip deductions costing UK hospitality workers £200m a year, Labour claims

17-Oct-2022 By James McAllister

Labour has pledged to 'stamp out' unfair tip deductions, claiming that hospitality and leisure workers are missing out on around £200m a year.

'Disappointment' as Government shelves plans for tipping legislation

06-May-2022 By James McAllister

Plans to introduce legislation prohibiting hospitality firms from taking a proportion of staff tips or service charge have been shelved, with one industry body describing the move as 'disappointing'.

ADVICE

Five steps to take towards moving to a ‘service included’ model

04-Oct-2021 By Hussein Ahmad

What businesses need to consider before moving to a ‘service included’ model.

Hospitality staff to keep all tips under new Government legislation

24-Sep-2021 By Restaurant

Restaurants will no longer be able to take a proportion of staff tips or service charge under new plans to be set out by the Government today (24 September).

Sacha Lord calls for fair tipping policy amid warning of a post-Covid decline in gratuities

15-Apr-2021 By James McAllister

Greater Manchester's night time economy advisor Sacha Lord is calling for an industry-wide fair tipping policy amid warnings of a post-Covid decline in customers leaving gratuities.

Comment

Service included - calling time on tipping

15-Apr-2021 By Ed Thaw

A well-run TRONC scheme might seem the most equable way to run a business, but there’s still too much grey and too much scope for abuse.

Comment

Scrapping service charge? Be careful what you wish for

09-Apr-2021 By Peter Davies

Abolishing service charge and tronc might seem like a step in the right direction, but it’s a costly one-way street for hospitality operators.

Friday Five: The week's top news stories

10-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

The Government's announcement of a cut in vat to 5% for hospitality was the leading story this week - here are some of the other stories that stole the headlines.

Leroy joins Oklava and Hill & Szrok in scrapping service charges

07-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Wine bar and restaurant Leroy in London's Shoreditch is the latest business to announce it will no longer be adding a service charge to its bills.

Harrods staff demand greater control over tips

04-Jan-2017 By Sophie Witts

Restaurant workers at Harrods are calling on the store to allow staff to vote on who distributes their tips in the latest row over the use of service charges.

The top 5 stories in hospitality – 12/12-16/12

16-Dec-2016 By Hannah Thompson

From service charge controversy at Le Gavroche, and Gary Usher's crowdfunding, to a £403m deal for Punch pubs, we round up the industry's biggest stories this week

Unite to hold fair tips protest outside Fortnum & Mason

15-Dec-2016 By Emma Eversham

Fair tips campaigners from Unite will gather outside Fortnum & Mason later today (Thursday) in protest at what they say is a 'Scrooge-like' raid on staff wages and service charge payments at the luxury store's restaurants.

Michel Roux Jr scraps tipping at Le Gavroche

15-Dec-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Michel Roux Jr, owner with his family of the two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche restaurant in London’s Mayfair, is to scrap tipping in favour of including a service charge on all bills.

Tips scandal: Unite protest targets STK at ME London Hotel

05-Feb-2016 By Liam Garrahan

Trade union Unite staged a protest against STK London at its ME London Hotel on Friday, amidst claims that its 15 per cent service charge is being used to increase the salaries of four senior managers by as much as £50k a year each.

The Gallivant scraps service charge and gives staff a cut of company profits

19-Jan-2016 By Sophie Witts

The Gallivant restaurant with rooms in Camber has scrapped its service charge and announced plans to share company profits with staff at the end of the financial year.

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.