Fortnum & Mason, the queen’s grocer, has asked staff at its Heathrow bar to accept a cut in basic pay in exchange for a share of tips. The “tronc” system would see an undisclosed proportion of the 12.5% service charge automatically added to bills, which is not presently distributed to staff, shared between them. A spokesman said: “We are working with our partners on this issue and will be making further announcements shortly.” The changes would reduce workers’ national insurance (NI) payments, but would also cut the company’s own NI bill. The company has already introduced the changes for 250 staff.
Fortnum & Mason, the queen’s grocer, has asked staff at its Heathrow bar to accept a cut in basic pay in exchange for a share of tips. The “tronc” system would see an undisclosed proportion of the 12.5% service charge automatically added to bills, which is not presently distributed to staff, shared between them. Documents seen by The Guardian indicate that staff would receive an 11% reduction in basic pay. The changes would reduce workers’ national insurance (NI) payments, but would also cut the company’s own NI bill. The company has already introduced the changes for 250 staff.