Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, has welcomed new legislation that sees tips go direct to staff.
The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023, which recently received Royal Assent, will protect the rights of staff and will ensure that they receive their fair share of tips and gratuities.
Having worked in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Dr Evans was involved in the process of the Tips Bill passing through Parliament.
Despite most hospitality workers – many of whom are earning the National Minimum Wage - relying on tips to top up their pay, there are still sadly too many businesses who shamefully fail to pass on service charges from customers to their staff.
The Government supported the Tips Bill with agreement that tips, gratuities and service charges should go to workers, rather than employers.
This overhaul of tipping practices is set to benefit more than 2 million UK workers across the hospitality, leisure and services sectors – who tend to reply on tips the most – and will help to ease pressures caused by global inflation and an increase to the cost of living.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said “It was a pleasure to support this legislation as part of my role within the Business Department. Tips are intended to reward staff for good service and, as such, should be distributed fairly and transparently.
“I hope this new law gives people across Bosworth the confidence that, when they choose to reward hard work by leaving a tip, their money is going to the people who earned it.”
Dean Russell, MP for Watford who brought forward the Bill, said “Like many across the UK, I have always had reservations that some employers kept tips which were earnt by their staff. This new law will stop this immediately and ensure that the tips are given to the individual staff member or team.”
Kevin Hollinrake, Business and Trade Minister, said “As people face rising living costs, it is not right for employers to withhold tips from their hard-working employees.
“Whether you are pulling pints or delivering a pizza, this new law will ensure that staff receive a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.”
