Brighton Restaurant charging waiters to work?

looney · Aug 26, 2015

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-las-iguanas-forcing-their-staff-to-pay-to-work?bucket=fb

Apparently Las Iguanas are charging waiting staff £30 a session to work there, I got the link of a post on facebook but think its been in the Guardian. It seems to me that the bottom end of the labour market must be swimming i cheap labour for companies to pull this kind of stunt. Ive noticed that most of those serving me coffee in starbucks etc talk like Latka from the comedy taxi. I suppose its a way to screw ignorant foreign labour as well. So who is boycotting this place then? Is it any good foodwise?

Oh I thought tips went to the whole catering team not just waiters but Im a bit ignorant of this sector.

Bombadier Botty · Aug 26, 2015

There have been several quite damning reports about some of the established restaurant chains in the news of late and their treatment of their staff in relation to wages/tiips. Depressing stuff.

Captain Sensible · Aug 26, 2015

No wonder the service is shite in most of these types of places.

Beach Hut · Aug 26, 2015

I read of another chain of restaurants recently that pockets all the tips and orders the staff to tell customers the tips go to them, cannot remember the chain

Icy Gull · Aug 26, 2015

Please can a mod change the spelling of resteraunt, it's really annoying me :smile:

Machiavelli · Aug 26, 2015

Icy Gull said:
Please can a mod change the spelling of resteraunt, it's really annoying me

Their existence is to prevent your annoyance?

Machiavelli · Aug 26, 2015

The whole tip/service charge situation is unclear and, as a consequence, open for unscrupulous operators (i.e. most businesses with their eye on the stock market) to exploit staff, customers, perhaps suppliers and anyone else that falls nicely into their remit.
It is an American [free market?] incursion that is becoming more widespread. In France, largely tipping still doesn't operate. My preferred solution is to move towards the French situation, where things are extremely clear for the customer.
In terms of staff, the reason why employers have been able to get away with it is:
-- we live in a situation in which trade unions are unpopular (and, in certain respects, assist their unpopularity)
-- the service sector is one with very low union penetration, especially compared to older manufacturing and public sectors

studio150 · Aug 26, 2015

looney said:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-las-iguanas-forcing-their-staff-to-pay-to-work?bucket=fb

Apparently Las Iguanas are charging waiting staff £30 a session to work there,
Oh I thought tips went to the whole catering team not just waiters but Im a bit ignorant of this sector.

The attachment states that the waiters are being asked to hand back 3% of the evening sales that they are responsible for, which on £1000 would be £30.

Assuming that service is not included, then any tips are likely to around 10% which immediately reduces to 7%. However some may not tip, or just leave a few pound coins if paid by card which is where you can see the waiters having to pay to work.

The excuse given by the owners is a poor one as this should be coming out of the profit and reduced wages they offer.

Also i seem to recall that HMRC assumed that waiters would take home a certain amount in tips, and this was included in their tax code, so they code be losing out further.

Triggaaar · Aug 26, 2015

Thanks for the heads up, I won't go.

Paul Reids Sock · Aug 26, 2015

Doesn't sound great however it would be interesting to see both sides.

When I worked as a barman we had 6 months where we had to give all tips in and they would go to cover if any tills were down across the night or if all were OK then go to the Christmas Party. However, if we were purchased a drink then we could keep it and take it home (if a bottle) or have it after a shift. These all had to be checked and signed off by a manager.

It all came from the fact that tills were down across the night from people giving the wrong change/petty thieving and as such they saw it as a way of making their money back.

I am not saying it was right, but it just was what it was.

Machiavelli · Aug 26, 2015

Paul Reids Sock said:
Doesn't sound great however it would be interesting to see both sides.

When I worked as a barman we had 6 months where we had to give all tips in and they would go to cover if any tills were down across the night or if all were OK then go to the Christmas Party. However, if we were purchased a drink then we could keep it and take it home (if a bottle) or have it after a shift. These all had to be checked and signed off by a manager.

It all came from the fact that tills were down across the night from people giving the wrong change/petty thieving and as such they saw it as a way of making their money back.

I am not saying it was right, but it just was what it was.

The other side is exceedingly rich CEOs, board members and shareholders.

Westdene Seagull · Aug 26, 2015

Paul Reids Sock said:
Doesn't sound great however it would be interesting to see both sides.

When I worked as a barman we had 6 months where we had to give all tips in and they would go to cover if any tills were down across the night or if all were OK then go to the Christmas Party. However, if we were purchased a drink then we could keep it and take it home (if a bottle) or have it after a shift. These all had to be checked and signed off by a manager.

It all came from the fact that tills were down across the night from people giving the wrong change/petty thieving and as such they saw it as a way of making their money back.

I am not saying it was right, but it just was what it was.

The Black Lion Harvester used to do that to the waiting staff. It also included them having to cover 'walk outs'. One night a waitress was expected to cover a £200 walk out. She complained to the manager at the time of the walk out that it would mean her working a fair number of shifts for free and that it was unfair - his response - "tough". No food was served for over 30 minutes as all waiting staff just stopped working. Strangely Harvester ended up covering walk outs from then on.

Return of the Rev · Aug 26, 2015

triggaaar said:
thanks for the heads up, i won't go.

this!

Seasidesage · Aug 26, 2015

Just cancelled our reservation there for 5 Friday night and told them why too. Whoever I spoke to said they didn't know if that was true or not...

Westdene Seagull · Aug 26, 2015

Triggaaar said:
Thanks for the heads up, I won't go.

Return of the Rev said:
this!

Likewise.

Interesting quote "“Where you pay a discretionary tip when dining, approximately 3% of the servers’ sales are shared with the restaurant staff including incentives, investment in training and to pay individuals in our bar and kitchens more than minimum wage to reflect the fact they have contributed to the good service you have received."

So they are actually admitting they pay some of their staff LESS than the minimum wage ..... nice. Also, I expect the COMPANY to pay for staff training and incentives NOT the tip I've given to my waiter / waitress ( hate the word server ).

Pantani · Aug 26, 2015

Paul Reids Sock said:
Doesn't sound great however it would be interesting to see both sides.

When I worked as a barman we had 6 months where we had to give all tips in and they would go to cover if any tills were down across the night or if all were OK then go to the Christmas Party. However, if we were purchased a drink then we could keep it and take it home (if a bottle) or have it after a shift. These all had to be checked and signed off by a manager.

It all came from the fact that tills were down across the night from people giving the wrong change/petty thieving and as such they saw it as a way of making their money back.

I am not saying it was right, but it just was what it was.

That is illegal. You are not allowed to take money off of staff as a punishment. That is essentially what they were doing in this situation. If the tills were regularly down then the bosses should have just kept firing people until they were correct. That would soon stop the thieving, and 'miscalculation' of change.

Westdene Seagull · Aug 26, 2015

We could Jamie Las Iguanas - imagine if we all rang up and reserved tables for the same evening and then rang up and cancelled them the day before.

brightn'ove · Aug 26, 2015

So it's not enough for these restaurant chains to use zero hour contracts, charge extortionate amounts of money for cheaply produced and poor quality food, pay minimum wage and scalp off of the top of tips paid by credit card, but they also make staff PAY them back money at the end of their shift?

Nothing short of an absolute disgrace.

Pantani · Aug 26, 2015

I shall not be eating in Las Iguanas either, though that said I would not have done so anyway, the food is shit. This sort of thing really makes me mad though. Most waiting staff in chains such as this are kids and students earning a little to keep them in spending money, they do not deserve to be ripped off in this manner, just so the shareholders at the top of these companies can get a little richer.

Las iguanas is owned by Casual Dining Group who also own Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge. So not only are these crooks ripping off their hard up staff, they have also been serving some of the blandest, pretend authentic crap all over our High Streets for many many years, and have contributed hugely to the identikit nature of most of the UKs town centres too. Again, I would boycott them all but I would sooner have one of those microwave burgers than eat in any of these 'restaurants'.

Pantani · Aug 26, 2015

Westdene Seagull said:
We could Jamie Las Iguanas - imagine if we all rang up and reserved tables for the same evening and then rang up and cancelled them the day before.

Why would we cancel? Just leave them with an empty restaurant...

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Brighton Restaurant charging waiters to work?

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