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Tips and gratuities

The payment of tips, gratuities, cover and service charges is prevalent in a number of sectors, including hospitality and the restaurant business.

UK employment law provides that payments paid by the employer to the worker representing amounts paid by customers by way of a service charge, tip, gratuity or cover charge cannot be used to make up the national minimum wage.

If an employee’s basic pay is at the national minimum wage level, any tips paid through the employer’s payroll must be paid in addition to the employee’s basic pay.


    • Hospitality
    • Latest News
    • Employment tribunals

    Restaurant tips should be included in holiday pay

    by Jo Faragher 21 May 2025
    by Jo Faragher 21 May 2025

    Pooled tips and service charges – also known as ‘tronc’ payments – should be included in holiday pay, according to...

    • Agency workers
    • Employment law
    • Hospitality

    ‘Freelance’ apps warned they could be breaking law

    by Rob Moss 28 Jan 2025
    by Rob Moss 28 Jan 2025

    Gig economy apps Temper and YoungOnes warned they may be operating illegally by providing "freelance" workers to business.

    • Hospitality
    • Latest News
    • Employment tribunals

    Allocation of Tips Act comes into force

    by Rob Moss 1 Oct 2024
    by Rob Moss 1 Oct 2024

    Allocation of Tips Act: Rules on how gratuities and service charges are fairly distributed among workers come into force on 1 October.

    • Agency workers
    • Hospitality
    • Latest News

    Statutory code published on distributing tips fairly

    by Rob Moss 30 Jul 2024
    by Rob Moss 30 Jul 2024

    Government to introduce "further measures" on tipping as it publishes code of practice for employers on distributing gratuities fairly.

    • Hospitality
    • Latest News
    • Tips and gratuities

    Tipping law introduction delayed until October

    by Ashleigh Webber 30 Apr 2024
    by Ashleigh Webber 30 Apr 2024

    The introduction of a new tipping law has been pushed back from July to October. A statutory code of practice has been published.

    • Auto-enrolment
    • Minimum service levels
    • Collective redundancy

    An HR things-to-do list for April 2024

    by Rob Moss 5 Apr 2024
    by Rob Moss 5 Apr 2024

    Personnel Today provides an HR checklist of things to do in April 2024, as new employment laws come into force in the UK.

    • Hospitality
    • Latest News
    • Pay & benefits

    Miller & Carter refutes tip-sharing criticisms

    by Ashleigh Webber 19 Oct 2023
    by Ashleigh Webber 19 Oct 2023

    Restaurant chain Miller & Carter's tip policy has been criticised by workers and a union, but it strongly refutes the claims.

    • National living wage
    • Latest News
    • Minimum wage

    Tipping Bill receives Royal Assent

    by Jo Faragher 3 May 2023
    by Jo Faragher 3 May 2023

    The bill makes it unlawful for employers to withhold tips from employees, and introduces a new statutory code of practice.

    • Neonatal leave
    • Employment law
    • Latest News

    Tips and neonatal leave move step closer to becoming law

    by Ashleigh Webber 23 Jan 2023
    by Ashleigh Webber 23 Jan 2023

    MPs have voted through the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill and the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill.

    • Hospitality
    • Latest News
    • Pay & benefits

    Tips to go to workers, not businesses: UK government will legislate

    by Adam McCulloch 24 Sep 2021
    by Adam McCulloch 24 Sep 2021

    Rise of card payments and perceived low pay behind move to make it illegal for businesses to keep workers' tips.

    • Hospitality
    • Latest News
    • Pay & benefits

    Law banning employers from keeping staff tips to be announced

    by Personnel Today 20 Sep 2021
    by Personnel Today 20 Sep 2021

    Restaurant staff will be entitled to keep 100% of their tips under a new law expected to be announced this week.

    • Employment law
    • Latest News
    • Trade unions

    Plans to ban employers from taking staff tips announced

    by Ashleigh Webber 1 Oct 2018
    by Ashleigh Webber 1 Oct 2018

    New legislation to ensure that tips go to workers and not to their employers will be introduced in a crackdown...

    • National living wage
    • Minimum wage
    • Tips and gratuities

    Will the Government’s planned restaurant tips law end unfair tipping practices?

    by Richard Devall 9 Jun 2016
    by Richard Devall 9 Jun 2016

    Plans to increase transparency for consumers and employees in relation to tipping have recently been announced by the business secretary,...

    • Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
    • Minimum wage
    • Tips and gratuities

    Restaurant tipping practices face regulation

    by Rob Moss 3 May 2016
    by Rob Moss 3 May 2016

    Service charges that are automatically added to bills in restaurants could be a thing of the past under government plans...

    • Trade unions
    • Minimum wage
    • Tips and gratuities

    Tipping point: where employers stand on gratuities and service charges

    by Rory Brogan 10 Nov 2015
    by Rory Brogan 10 Nov 2015

    Big-name restaurants have come under attack recently for their unfair tipping policies, ranging from allegations that management take a percentage...

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