MP seeks to bring tipping legislation back to the forefront

A new bill being brought forward by MP Dean Russell could see it become law for all tips in hospitality establishments to go to staff.

Russell has brought forward his own Private Members' Bill after previous attempts to legislate on tips have failed to materialise.

The MP for Watford told Sky News: "Most businesses have been very fair with their staff and if a tip is given by a customer… you tend to know, especially with cash, that person's going to be able to keep it, or if they pool it with their colleagues, they'll get to share that fairly.

"But some businesses don't do that and as we see with the rise of credit card payments, we've seen through Covid, actually, less places take cash at the moment. I just want to make sure that people, when they're given a tip, that they get to keep it. And I think it's about fairness."

The bill is expected to go to a second reading in September.

The government committed to deliver an Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill to ban employer deductions from tips in the Queen's Speech in 2019. However, it was not mentioned again in her speech last month and does not appear to have materialised in the last parliamentary session.

Five years ago the then business secretary Sajid Javid led a consultation into tips, service charges and troncs; and former prime minister Theresa May said a ban on employers making any deductions would be introduced at "the earliest opportunity".

Any moves to legislate have long been opposed by industry body UKHospitality.

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