To ask IF you leave a server a tip.....

[username77668899]

To ask them (especially with card machines) how much of it they personally get. If you like to tip for exceptional service when you eat out, due to the recent change in the law regarding tips please ask your server if they actually get a decent amount of the money you leave. I'm not here for a debate, I simply want people to know that some companies are distributing it evenly between all staff - which to be honest is grossly unfair when managers and chefs aren't the ones on minimum wage 🙂

DD gets to keep 80% of cash tips. However, there is some weird formula with the card tips whereby she barely gets anything from those now.
It has certainly made me change my ways and I always give cash tips instead of card now!

It should all go to the workers (minus tax) - @wizbit93 your DDs employer is breaking the law if they are keeping any, although maybe not if they're distributing between other staff

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj9mxnyezdo#:~:text=Under%20the%20new%20law%2C%20all%20tips%20must%20be,on%20their%20tips%2C%20as%20was%20the%20law%20previously.

Edit - I found a better link!

https://www.acas.org.uk/tips-and-service-charges

We always give cash directly to our server and tell them to put it in their pocket.

As a PP has said, a new law came in on 1st October which means workers should keep 100% of tips.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-to-take-home-more-cash-as-tipping-laws-come-into-force

The new law passed is worded quite badly, it doesn't specify that the money needs to be given to the person it's actually left for it just says employees which mean that the higher paid management and chefs can legally get more of it 😫

Yep I always ask and leave a cash tip if appropriate! I don't object to it being split between staff as much as companies using it to too-up low wages

Yes workers means ALL the staff. Which means the actual server you leave it to could receive very little of it if it's also split evenly between all staff on shift. Everybody deserves a bit of tips I completely agree but managers and chefs should not be getting an equal chunk of a tip left if not more in some cases

I always give cash tips as a small salon owner told me once that any tips on card, she gives the full amount to the employee, but the full
amount paid on card will be subject to tax, so the biz owner loses.

I always leave my tip under the plate 🤗

Many of the kitchen staff will also be on NMW. Many chefs work incredibly long hours for a salary that in reality won't be much above NMW and could well be less than that per hour worked. Good service depends on the people behind the scenes working hard too.

Not that many places provide anything more than the basic expectation of good service and many fail to even meet that.

I try not to tip with card, luckily DP usually has cash as I never do.

When we give cash we give it at the table directly to them and tell them to put it away in their pockets.

I work for a large company that owns several chains. They do not pay their kitchen staff minimum wage I assure you

Whilst I agree that the server should get the lions share of the tips , I also think the chefs , prep staff , pot washers should also get some of it , without them there would be no restaurants.
So perhaps
Server 70%
Chef 10%
Prep staff 10%
Potwasher 10%

Ahh that is a shame!

I know the server often "tip out" kitchen staff and cleaners/pot washers. I haven't got a problem with that, but they shouldn't be subsiding managers and owners - that exactly what this law was supposed to stop but looks like there's some pretty big loopholes!

Shouldn't chefs get more considering their contribution?

There should be a way to tip chefs.

I only ever leave cash for waiting staff. If it's included in the bill I ask for it to be removed and leave the same, or more, in cash for the waiter/waitress.

Absolutely agree with you! But in a lot of places it's not being done like that now and servers are having to share what they make with every other member of staff equally - including the other servers which is absolutely wrong because where is the incentive to give outstanding service if you know you're getting a share of what the others make? The law should have been worded a lot better because right now it's a minefield

I think the biggest loophole is that I've noticed places have started to automatically include a "service charge" in addition to a (sometimes optional) tip line. I'm assuming a "service charge" doesn't count as a tip that has to be distributed and a lot of people will assume that's what it is.

I think having worked as a waitress and behind the scenes it’s fair for tips to be shared. It is a team effort. The pot wash is probably the hardest worker in any kitchen and many people are earning a kick in the arse off minimum wage. I’ve worked in a big hotel, not guest facing, and we all got a £2k ish bonus once a year, from the gratuities. The bulk of it was generated by the bar / restaurant but everyone is responsible for ensuring a positive experience.

Sorry, couldn't work out how to reply individually!
Yes, this is what happens with DD now. There are at least 30 workers so she barely gets any proportion of the card tips now.

A restaurant in Dublin, The Ivy had a big issue a few years ago where they were accused of not sharing tips with staff members. I think most of this applied to card payments. Now, even if I pay by card I will always tip in cash and hope that it goes to the right people i.e. not management.

Where's the other 20% going?!

We used to pool all the tips which were shared between all staff based on the number of hours they worked (chefs were capped at 30 even though they often worked twice that). Management didn't get a share. It was fair because some people don't tip whilst others are generous. There were 20 full time staff who'd get about £500 (sometimes more) in tips each in December and £300 every month for the other 11 months of the year. All staff paid above minimum wage and we had excellent staff retention and morale.

Back of house I imagine

On the ACAS Website it does say they count as tips under the new law - so they are trying!

The Tipping Act and Code apply to tips and service charges that employers have 'control and significant influence' over.
This includes:

• tips and services charges that go directly to an employer – for example, a service charge added to a bill
• tips that go to the employee first, but that the employer collects and divides between employees