Doherty Moves to Stop Employers Using Tips to Top Up Wages
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
New Measures Also Introduce Requirement for All Premises to Publicly Display Tipping Policy
The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty T.D. today emphasised that the new measures she is bringing to Government shortly, in relation to Tips and Gratuities, are the most realistic option for ensuring fairness and transparency for low paid staff and customers alike. The Minister was speaking ahead of a Second Stage reading in the Dáil of an opposition Bill on the matter.
The Minister proposes:
Regarding this approach, the Minister said:
“I wish to build on the advances I have already made with my recent Employment Act which helped low paid workers and workers in precarious employment. I believe that this approach to tips and gratuities will support workers and avoid the downsides for workers identified by the Low Pay Commission in their recent report where they recommended against primary legislation on this matter. My approach is about doing what’s possible, not what’s populist.”
On the opposition Bill, Minister Doherty emphasised that the proposed legislation was flawed. She cited the Low Pay Commission’s findings late last year where they reported:
The Minister added:
“I note that, in submissions to the Low Pay Commission on this matter, the Green Party argued that it would be extremely unlikely that the State could provide the level of inspection and enforcement required to make the Bill effective and Fianna Fáil submitted to the Low Pay Commission that the State shouldn’t create more bureaucracy in an area that doesn’t warrant it. If those are their honestly held opinions, I expect that they will support the more realistic approach set out in my proposals.
“Just like I did with the Employment Act 2018 - when I restricted zero hours contracts and introduced banded hours contracts - I will continue to try to make any advances I can in relation to the employment rights of low paid and precarious workers because workers in the service industry and low-paid jobs deserve real support rather than posturing.”
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