The government has come under renewed pressure to crack down on restaurants that ask waiters to hand over some or all of their tips. As restaurateurs feel the pinch from a combination of the rise in the national minimum wage, increased competition and flagging consumer spending, there is concern that some are using a variety of methods to withhold tips from staff.
These include: requiring waiters to pay a percentage of the sales they have generated back to pay other staff; persuading all staff to cut their wage rate to the legal minimum and make up the difference using tips; and asking waiters to hand over some of their tips to kitchen staff in lieu of the latter receiving a wage rise.
They would say: 'I’m really sorry but you are going to have to get cash and cover it'
Related: True or false? 'If you do a runner, the waiter has to pay your bill'
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