Byron staff oppose changes to how service charge is divvied up
Staff at burger chain Byron have claimed their tips may be diverted to increase pay for kitchen workers and restaurant managers.
A 10 per cent service charge is currently split between front of house staff, who get 70 per cent, and kitchen workers, who get 30 per cent.
However, the company told staff a new system will mean the charge is split in a “fair and equal” manner, with restaurant management teams expected to now get a share.
Waiting staff told The Guardian that the chain was intending to use the service charge to up the wages of chefs and managers instead of dipping into company profit.
Staff argued they should continue to receive a greater proportion of the charge because of their five-hour or zero-hours contracts compared to the fixed salaries and bonuses managers are in receipt of.
A tronc committee will decide the future of tips at the chain, with a representative from each of the company’s 21 sites elected – but only 12 people out of those elected will sit on the committee.
There have been concerns the chain will ensure the committee is boltered with employees who support its approach.
“As the business has started to come out of lockdown and fully reopen, and staff come off the furlough scheme, we are reviewing the use of external companies as a way of maintaining the high standards that the business has always maintained,” the burger chain said in a statement.