Real-life MMD: Should I ask to keep my tips?

minerva_windsong

When I was a student I worked in a hotel where the tips were pooled and distributed every Christmas according to length of service, which I didn't agree with because it encouraged people who'd worked there for years to slack off rather than what tips should be for - a reward for good service. But this is different because no-one in the company is benefitting from the tips (other than presumably someone in management feeling virtuous).

If you feel that strongly about it I would go to management, preferably with other colleagues, and suggest alternative fundraising ideas as mentioned further up the thread. Don't word it too negatively though - say you think you could raise more money by doing something like putting a note in the menus saying 'all your tips this month will go to charity, please give generously' or similar. Make it about the company doing something really positive for the community not you feeling like they're cheating you out of your wages.

dorset_nurse

minerva_windsong wrote: »

...no-one in the company is benefitting from the tips...

If the company is paying themselves the money to pay from the meals it is benefiting from the tips.
I think this is a minefield and agree that customers should choose what happens to their tips.
If the company was being charitable surely it would provide the meals without using the service tips the hard-working staff have earned?

iclayt

Your pub really needs to be displaying "All tips go towards Charity/Scheme X - thank you for your donation" on menus or as small signs on the tables. Bottom line is that when customers tip staff for service and/or food recieved, they expect it to go to them in some way, pooled or otherwise. Your manager probably has the best of intentions here, but it's deception.

As a customer I personally wouldn't be put off leaving a small donation instead of a tip, although some others might be, but at least they'd have the choice. I'd rather my tip went directly to you though.

LannieDuck

I think that's pretty unreasonable of management. If a customer gives the staff a tip, it should be the staffs' money (pooled or otherwise). For management to decide that it's going to charity is akin to them deciding that their staff should be giving £X of their own money to charity each year.

If the management want to support the charity, they should do so out of their own money. I assume they don't make a similar donation out of their own pay packets?

aklmatthews

Some places give tips to charity or staff are not allowed totake tips as legally you should pay taxon tips and it can get complicated working out who as had what tips and howmuch tax should be paid.

crogers

thebaroness wrote: »

If those are the rules regarding tips, you should abide by them. It's not worth getting into trouble with your employers. The bigger issue for me would be whether the customers who leave you these tips are aware. It's not fair that customers tip based on the service you provide when you don't benefit.

I agree! I do think though that the customers should be made aware of this practise.

cheerful

Remember that tips are a device for the the proprietor to continue to pay low wages and often for tax avoidance. The tips are not for service as that is what the proprietor should be paying wages for. Percentage tips are, by definition, not a reflection of service as there is no difference in service bringing a cheap meal or an expensive meal to the table.

There are only a few industries in which the culture of tips is maintained. Most low paid workers (supermarket checkout staff, street sweepers etc.) do not get tips because there is no tradition of doing so.

It is often not easy to leave without giving a tip as there is great social pressure to tip. However, every time you leave a tip you are perpetuating this unfair, fraudulent and demeaning system.

Lagoon

cheerful wrote: »

Remember that tips are a device for the the proprietor to continue to pay low wages and often for tax avoidance. The tips are not for service as that is what the proprietor should be paying wages for. Percentage tips are, by definition, not a reflection of service as there is no difference in service bringing a cheap meal or an expensive meal to the table.

There are only a few industries in which the culture of tips is maintained. Most low paid workers (supermarket checkout staff, street sweepers etc.) do not get tips because there is no tradition of doing so.

It is often not easy to leave without giving a tip as there is great social pressure to tip. However, every time you leave a tip you are perpetuating this unfair, fraudulent and demeaning system.

Point A: Even more reason as a customer to be angry that your tips are not going to the staff. That's exactly why it bothers me. If the employers aren't going to bother paying their staff a decent wage, but the staff still make an effort, I want to be able to top up their wage for the time I was there.

Point B: Unfortunately, paying people too little for their work is a culture all of its own, and it's one that I think is becoming even more prevalent. I could 'leave without giving a tip', but it's not about the social pressure as far as I'm concerned. I feel no pressure to leave a tip, but I know that if I don't then I'm not fixing the system - I'm just depriving someone of money that could help them to make ends meet. If someone's been pleasant, done a good job and worked harder than I'd expect, I don't want to leave without rewarding them fairly.

I've never worked in jobs where people are given tips, but I've worked in plenty where people aren't paid enough for the amount of work they do. Tips shouldn't be a culture, but they are. If I had the money to tip others working minimum wage jobs, or putting in excessive amounts of hours for a low salary, I would. Unfortunately, money isn't unlimited.

couldbne1

I would agree that you should say something; as stated here previously, the customers are providing a tip for the service that they are providing and should be made aware that the tips they provide are actually donated to a charitable scheme.
I worked as bar manager for many years; I would recommend that if you do decide to approach your manager, firstly I would take a colleague in with you simply to bear witness to the conversation and to show the manager that you have support. I would also take the angle that the staff are more likely to provide a higher quality service if they are going to recieve their own tips. The manager may be trying to ensure that there is no cash in staff pockets whilst on shift (therefore being able to spot theives easily), maybe suggest that the tips are held in individual staff pot in the management office which can be declared when given and effectively signed in and out by the shift supervisors. That was you all confirm what tips were given, the management can see whos providing a good service, the staff feel appreciated by the customers and all the time maintaining the no cash on the floor policy. If the manager would still like to keep the scheme running to some degree, suggest that it is indeed an optional contribution at the end of each shift.. maybe the person who contributes the most by the time xmas comes around gets a free drink or something... therefore enticing the staff to still contribute.
Thats what I'd do anyway,... good luck

DKLS

I wouldnt be happy to find out the tips go to a charity, I am careful to pick and choose which charities I support, when i tip I expect it to go to the staff who have served me, and hopefully not shared out or any other "fair" scheme.