UK govt removes ‘insulting’ language from tips legislation
Following criticism from trade union Unite, the UK government has changed the wording of its tips guidance but not added further protections for workers.
Last week, the government published a factsheet that outlined why full control of tip allocation will not be handed over to workers – a U-turn on its announced policy.
The factsheet said that “direct worker control” could risk certain groups “being disadvantaged by a ‘tyranny of the majority’ or even indirect discrimination against workers with certain protected characteristics”.
Unite criticised the language, claiming it was “insulting” and demeaned collective bargaining.
The factsheet has now been rewritten, with the section addressing the U-turn removed.
Unite has welcomed the removal of the “derogatory” language, however it insists that the law change does not go far enough.
The union’s general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is glad the government saw sense and removed this insulting language towards hospitality staff, which had no place on a fact sheet released by a Labour government.
“However, the new tipping laws do not go far enough to protect workers in the sector, as the onus is still placed on guidance and consultation rather than a firm policy on collective bargaining. Unite will not stop campaigning until hospitality workers receive all of their tips.”
The new laws require employers to consult the workforce before publishing their tipping policy, which must be reviewed and reconsulted every three years. This will come into effect from October 2026.
Hospitality lead organiser Bryan Simpson added: “While there are improvements to the fact sheet in terms of the removal of offensive language towards hospitality workers, Labour must come forward with a fairer system to ensure every worker gets their tips.
“Under this new law, employers will still be able to manage tips unfairly. The act needs to be strengthened, placing workers and collective bargaining at the centre of it and Unite will continue to fight for this.”
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