New tip law introduced for hospitality workers in Great Britain but not NI
From today (1 October), hospitality workers in Great Britain will have legal protection to receive 100% of tips paid by customers in restaurants, cafes, hotels and other service industries. However, these rights do not extend to Northern Ireland, leaving workers there without the same protections as the rest of the UK.
The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act, is a result of a campaign by hospitality workers in the Unite union. The legislation impacts over four million workers who receive tips or service charges and requires employers to distribute all tips – whether card, cash or service charge – fairly and transparently.
Workers can take their employer to a tribunal if the law is breached, with the potential for judges to order a reallocation of tips plus up to £5,000 in compensation per affected worker.
Despite the introduction of the new law across Great Britain, no equivalent legislation has been implemented in Northern Ireland. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is completely unacceptable that fair tips laws, which Unite has fought to win since 2007, have been introduced by Westminster but not by the Stormont executive.
Neil Moore, Unite’s lead regional officer for hospitality in Northern Ireland, added: “Stormont’s failure to implement fair tips legislation has left bosses free to dip their hand in the tips when it suits them. Hospitality workers need these rights to be legally enforceable now.”
According to the union, the lack of protections in Northern Ireland, combined with low pay, means many hospitality workers rely on tips to meet basic needs.
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