Updated
Updated · globalworkplaceinsider.com · Jul 7
UK Publishes 2026 Draft Tipping Code, Adding 3-Year Policy Reviews
Updated
Updated · globalworkplaceinsider.com · Jul 7

UK Publishes 2026 Draft Tipping Code, Adding 3-Year Policy Reviews

3 articles · Updated · globalworkplaceinsider.com · Jul 7

Summary

  • June 2026 proposals would require employers to consult workers before issuing a tipping policy and whenever it is reviewed, with the new rules expected to take effect in October 2026.
  • The draft revised Code says consultation must be genuine and documented in writing, and employers must share an anonymised summary of feedback with workers at each site.
  • Every 3 years, written tipping policies would have to be reviewed at minimum, while employers would still need to pass qualifying tips on in full and allocate them fairly, including to agency workers.
  • The government kept flexibility over how tips are split across workplaces and stopped short of mandating public display of tipping policies, though customer-facing explanations are encouraged.
  • The reforms build on the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023, in force since 1 October 2024, as part of the wider Employment Rights Act 2025 agenda.

Insights

Do new UK tipping laws give workers real power or just create a consultation loophole for employers to exploit?
As UK law mandates tip consultations, could a separate legal fight over holiday pay make tipping systems too costly for businesses?
With service charges rising, will new UK tipping laws actually get more cash into servers' pockets?