Entitled to tips/gratuities while on maternity leave?

*Blondie*

I was just wondering.

I will be starting maternity leave in September (my employer only offers the shockingly basic SMP) and I was curious where I stand re. my monthly share of the tips. As employees we all receive an equal monthly amount which is payed with our normal wages. Is it discrimination to discontinue tips for a woman on maternity leave?

I asked a union rep who said this issue had been raised a few times before but nothing ever came of it - she said the tronc committee had voted on it and decided women on maternity leave shouldn't receive tips.

Can I argue this? Bearing in mind the tronc commitee is mostly made up of grumpy old men who would never vote any differently! I've done a bit of hunting online but can't seem to find any relevant advice.
Just wondering whether this is something worth pursuing - receiving tips would make a HUGE difference to my ability to survive on SMP!!
Thanks in advance.

nickyhutch

I really hope you're not entitled. Why should you have a share of the "extras" when you're sat at home and the other staff are working hard to earn those tips?

AnxiousMum

Have you declared your tips to the taxman?

I would like to think that, No, you wouldn't be entitled to receive tips. Aren't the tips divided up according to how many hours per week each employee has been working?

The way you want it to work, you could have 6 people working 40 hours per week, and one person coming in to do a four hour shift on the weekend, and getting the same amount of tips as everybody else! Do you think that is fair? It's no different to giving tips to someone who hasn't even contributed to the service which enabled the staff to get the tips in the first place.

sunnyone

*Blondie* wrote: »

I was just wondering.

I will be starting maternity leave in September (my employer only offers the shockingly basic SMP) and I was curious where I stand re. my monthly share of the tips. As employees we all receive an equal monthly amount which is payed with our normal wages. Is it discrimination to discontinue tips for a woman on maternity leave?

I asked a union rep who said this issue had been raised a few times before but nothing ever came of it - she said the tronc committee had voted on it and decided women on maternity leave shouldn't receive tips.

Can I argue this? Bearing in mind the tronc commitee is mostly made up of grumpy old men who would never vote any differently! I've done a bit of hunting online but can't seem to find any relevant advice.
Just wondering whether this is something worth pursuing - receiving tips would make a HUGE difference to my ability to survive on SMP!!
Thanks in advance.

You dont have a clue, today you get 100% or even more than mothers got even 10-15 years ago when it was normal to expect a mother to be back at work within 3 months after the birth or less if the family needed the money because there was no such thing as tax credits.

I was back at work 6 weeks after my daughter was born because I had to be, my husband was a builder and work was slack BUT we had to provide for our self apart from under £10 of child benefit, thats whats shocking and not the very generious benefit system of today.

McKneff

I really think youre on a hiding to nothing with this one.
Just relax, enjoy your pregnancy and your baby.
Good luck

[Deleted User]

sunnyone wrote: »

You dont have a clue, today you get 100% or even more than mothers got even 10-15 years ago when it was normal to expect a mother to be back at work within 3 months after the birth or less if the family needed the money because there was no such thing as tax credits.

I was back at work 6 weeks after my daughter was born because I had to be, my husband was a builder and work was slack BUT we had to provide for our self apart from under £10 of child benefit, thats whats shocking and not the very generious benefit system of today.

before tax credits there was FIS so low paid families got help way before tax credits

slscarborough

I doubt you will be entitled to as this appears to be a working bonus.

sunnyone

woodbine wrote: »

before tax credits there was FIS so low paid families got help way before tax credits

FIS was totally diffrent and only for VERY low income families and definatly not anywhere near the level of benefits around for todays means tested benefit (tax credits are means tested though most of the country dont get that) families on up to £50k income per household are getting means tested benefits which is totally diffrent from the years before tax credits and the married mans allowance was pennies in comparison before you or anyone else mentions it.

JCS1

Some details here, but it apears that it's down to each tronc master to decide how to deal with tips whilst on sick, maternity, holiday etc.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/TheNationalMinimumWage/DG_181935

clairec79

If someone was off on the sick or leave for a month would you expect them to get a share of the tips? No because they didn't work in that period, how is maternity leave different? (and I'm also pregnant btw so it's not like it's just old men who won't give birth who think that way)