Fifth of UK hospitality staff say they steal tips

Almost one fifth of workers employed in the UK hospitality industry steal money they have received from customers as tips at least twice a month, research has suggested.

A survey by security products supplier Versapak of 2,107 hospitality workers who are regularly tipped found that 19% were taking the money rather than sharing the profits equally with co-workers.

Meanwhile, 8% of respondents admitted they had taken money from a till in the past or short-changed customers in order to keep the difference.

Of those polled, 82% stated that, in their current jobs, tips were added up and divided between colleagues working during the shift, whilst the remaining 18% stated that they were allowed to keep the tips given to them personally by customers they had served or looked after.

Of the 82% who were the recipients of split tips, 33% were happy with the way tips were handed out, while over half 54% admitted they felt the system was unfair and they would prefer to simply keep the tips they made themselves. The remaining 13% admitted they saw benefits and advantages to each system of dividing tips.