OWNERS of a Glasgow restaurant will introduce a new 'fairer tips scheme' amid claims that staff were told they would lose cash for not ‘applying themselves properly’.

Unite Hospitality shared a message sent by a senior manager to workers at Oscar Bar & Kitchen in Shawlands informing them that they would be penalised if the running of the kitchen was impacted.

Penalties threatened included taking £10 from the kitty if a spoon was left in a tub, a £5 'fine' for failing to go through fridges at the end of services and the loss of a week's tips for failing to clean out microwaves.

However, bosses at the Kilmarnock Road eatery today labelled the email from a senior boss 'unacceptable' - and insisted a resolution has been reached after discussions with union chiefs.

The correspondence, which has been seen by the Glasgow Times, told staff that gratuities were classed as 'a bonus'.

It said: “Tips are a bonus and as that is the case we will be working off this system where not applying yourself properly to how the kitchen runs will result in loss of tips.

"Failure to fill up bottles at the end of both services will be minus £2, failure to go through fridges at end of both services is minus £5 and making me constantly have to repeat myself will be a deduction of £2.

"Using the last of something and not saying is minus £2 and leaving a spoon in a tub will be minus £10. Failure to clean the microwave at the end of both services will equate to the forfeit of a week of tips.

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“Some of you might find these a bit excessive but if we all want to keep our full tips, we will stick to this and the kitchen will run a lot more efficiently. I fully expect all of us to be receiving tips in full every fortnight."

Glasgow Times:

However, following negotiations with Unite Hospitality on Monday, owner Daniyal Schafaei released a statement via the union which read: “We would like to distance ourselves entirely from the post that was sent to workers by a senior manager entitled ‘Tips Scheme’. It was ill-informed and completely unacceptable.

“Our workers are incredibly important to us and as such we have decided to adopt a new 'Fair Tips Policy' which will ensure that all tips go directly to the team responsible for the great service that our customers have come to expect.

“Not a penny of these will go to management. They will be shared fairly among all other workers according to the hours they work.

“We welcome the Employment Allocation of Tip Act 2023 and hope to work with Unite on all matters relating to the terms and conditions of our staff.”

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Bryan Simpson, lead organiser for Unite Hospitality, said he was pleased the restaurant had abandoned the "morally reprehensible and potentially unlawful tipping system".

He added: "We now need Daniel to fully implement a fair tips policy which ensures that workers receive 100% of all tips, fairly distributed to the workers who earned it.

"This case wasn't just about a shocking management position; it highlighted the real need for fair tips legalisation to ensure that businesses cannot get away with deducting tips or indeed using them as a performance management tool."