Several hospitality groups have voiced support for the recent Government recommendations that restaurants and bars should allow staff to collect 100% of tips left by customers, according to a recent article on Bighospitality.com. The Government investigation was launched as a response to concerns raised last year that many tips and service charges were not actually being received by staff.
The groups that have spoken up in support of the Government report into hospitality tipping practices include The British Hospitality Association (BHA), the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) and the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR).
Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of The British Hospitality Association commented: "Transparency is precisely what we asked the government to consider. Customers should be able to reward good service and know where their money ends up and how much of it goes to the staff... We believe restaurants should have to provide a written notice explaining exactly what happens to service charges and tips."
Mark Linehan, MD of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, stated: "The Government's review of tipping and service charges is a very welcome step towards ensuring a fairer deal for the 600,000 people working in the industry and the millions of people who eat out every day."
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers agreed that "no company should be profiting from tips and service charges," but added that organisations should not be penalised for legal practices, including the use of a tronc (where tips are pooled and re-distributed amongst staff).
Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary, Sajid Javid, who announced the recommendations on May 2, concluded his report with: "Underlying all our proposals are the objectives that all discretionary payments for service should be voluntary to the consumer; all discretionary payments for service should be received, in full, by workers where appropriate; and the allocation of such payments are transparent to the consumer who makes them."
Hospitality operators can have their say regarding the Government consultation up until June 27 on the Government Department of Business, Innovation and Skills website.
