Online Reporter
Your Money, Your Call-Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
IN the hospitality sector, tipping is more than a monetary gesture — it is a heartfelt way for customers to say: “I see you and I appreciate you.”
Yet behind the smiles and thank yous lies a troubling reality. Many staff members never receive the tips left for them.
When tips are added to receipts or digital payments, they often disappear into the day’s sales — absorbed by employers without explanation or accountability.
This quiet injustice is what many workers call “daylight robbery”.
And they are not wrong.
Imagine a waiter who serves with excellence, a chef who prepares meals with care or a cleaner who ensures every corner is spotless. A customer, impressed, adds a generous tip to the bill. But instead of that money reaching the hands that earned it, it is swept into the business’ revenue — untracked, unshared and unacknowledged.
It is not just unfair. It is demoralising.
Staff across restaurants, hotels and catering services have voiced frustration over this practice. Some employers argue that tips are part of overall income and can be used at their discretion.
Others claim pooling tips is too complicated or that digital systems do not allow for proper tracking. However, none of these excuses justify withholding what was clearly intended for the workers.
What does the law say?
Zimbabwe’s catering sector is governed by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) under the National Employment Council (NEC) for the Catering Industry.
Updated through statutory instruments (SI) such as SI 119 of 2022 and SI 25 of 2022, the CBA outlines general employment conditions — wages, hours, leave and service charges. However, these instruments do not explicitly regulate tipping, especially tips added via receipts or digital payments. This legal grey area leaves room for abuse.
Clause 16 of the CBA refers to “service charges”, which are often confused with tips. Service charges are mandatory fees added to bills in some establishments, intended to supplement staff wages.
These must be distributed among employees according to agreed formulas.
If employers misappropriate service charges, staff can lodge complaints with the NEC or seek representation through the Zimbabwe Catering and Hotel Workers’ Union. But tips — voluntary and personal — are trickier.
Unless there is a clear internal policy or agreement that tips will be pooled and distributed fairly, employers are not legally bound to pass them on. This loophole allows some businesses to pocket tips without consequence, even when customers believe they are rewarding staff directly.
Steps towards fairness
Workers must unite and push for transparent tipping policies. Through unions or internal committees, they can demand written agreements on how tips are handled.
Customers should be informed. When tipping via receipt, they can ask: “Does this go directly to staff?”
If not, they may prefer to tip in cash or leave a note specifying their intent.
Ethical employers should implement systems that track and distribute tips fairly. Digital platforms can be configured to separate tips from sales and allocate them to staff accounts.
Also, there is need for clearer legislation to protect voluntary tips and penalise employers who misappropriate them. Advocacy groups and unions can lobby for amendments to existing labour laws.
This issue must be discussed openly. Articles like this one, social media campaigns and community forums can raise awareness and pressure businesses to do better.
At its core, tipping is about recognition.
And when that recognition is stolen, it is not just money that is lost — it is dignity.
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing and customer service consultant, customer experience columnist, and sales and service trainer. Contact details: [email protected] or +263712979461, 0719978335, 0772978335, www.customersuccess.co.zw
