Tips belong to waiters, not restaurants – industry expert clarifies

Questions surrounding restaurant tipping practices continue to resurface, with waiters at some restaurants claiming that only a fraction of the gratuities they receive actually end up in their pockets.

Despite the practice, restaurants are not legally entitled to retain any portion of tips, says Alberts. “Tips belong to the waiter. They don’t belong to the restaurant.”

She explained that, while there are no bargaining council governing waiter conditions, restaurants typically operate under internal tipping policies agreed to by staff. “All restaurants operate differently when it comes to tips, and they generally have a tipping policy that’s determined by the bulk of the staff working in that establishment.”

Alberts notes that, in some cases, waiters agree to pool a portion of tips to support kitchen staff or to cover practical costs such as laundry services for uniforms. 

“It’s always at the discretion of what the majority of the waiter staff agree to and what policy they determine they want in that establishment,” she explains.

To listen to Alberts, click below: