New government plans will see restaurants be legally barred from keeping tips from staff. The Prime Minister, Theresa May said the 'tough' legislation, which would apply in England, Scotland and Wales, was part of the Government's push to end exploitative employment practices.
Following this, Casual Dining Group, the owner of brands including Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia, has issued the following statement.
A spokesperson for Casual Dining Group said, “We are very disappointed by inaccurate and ill-informed comments by Government. Our staff keep 100% of cash tips, and 97.5% of credit card tips, after a 2.5% administration charge to cover credit card and banking administration charges.
'Our staff are at the heart of our business, and are well paid. Our policy on tips is in line with government sponsored guidance issued in 2009 and which was approved by Unite and HMRC.”