Montreal restaurant pilots tip sharing among employees to guarantee stable salaries
A Montreal restaurant is piloting a project where serving staff tips are pooled to guarantee a stable income for their fellow employees.
Rôtisserie Chez Cécile started the pilot project in March.
When a tip is collected, the money is pooled into a fund and the amount is distributed weekly to staff in accordance to their position, hours and seniority, said co-owner Robert Herrera.
As well, the owners created a start-up fund to absorb weekly fluctuations in tips and maintain stable paycheques.
“When we are in the red with regard to tips, the fund makes up the difference for everyone; when we are in surplus, the employer takes back their share,” said Herrera.
Chez Cécile’s redistributive solution to the restaurant industry’s low salaries is atypical, as most establishments are instead eliminating tipping and increasing menu prices.
At least five Quebec restaurants and one in Toronto have chosen to eliminate tipping.
In 2023, an Angus Reid poll revealed that 59 per cent of Canadian adults would prefer a no-tip policy and higher base wages for servers, compared to 40 per cent in 2016.
Your job. Your mission. Your news.
With your support, the sector you're building gets the journalism it deserves, and you get a tax receipt.
Author
