Tipping is one of those everyday habits that feels simple, until you think about it...

In England, it sits somewhere between politeness, tradition and quiet confusion. Do you tip? How much? And crucially for trade unionists, does the money actually reach the workers?

A Short History of Tipping in England

England’s tipping tradition has always been informal, faintly awkward, and shaped by class. The word tip is often traced back to 17th-century London coffee houses, where bowls marked “To Insure Promptitude” invited customers to reward quicker service.

In Victorian hotels and gentlemen’s clubs, tipping became a status symbol for the wealthy, quietly passed to porters and waiters expected to remain invisible. Outside these elite spaces, however, the custom never truly took hold.

England’s preference for fixed prices and fairness meant tipping remained discretionary, a gesture of thanks rather than an obligation. This contrasts with practices elsewhere, from France’s communal le tronc to the United States’ tip-dependent service economy.

England chose another path. Service staff here have long been paid wages, not “tipped wages”, which is why tipping remains optional, restrained and rooted in appreciation rather than necessity. This legacy still shapes how people tip today.

How We Tip in England (and Why It Matters)

In restaurants, a tip of around 10–12.5 per cent for good service is common if a service charge is not already included. Taxi fares are often rounded up. In pubs and cafés, tipping is uncommon, though a few coins in a jar are a friendly gesture. Hairdressers and hotel porters typically receive around 10 per cent. (These figures are guidance, not rules.)

In 2023, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act was passed to protect hospitality and service workers, ensuring that tips, gratuities and service charges are allocated fairly and transparently. The Act prevents employers from keeping or skimming tips and guarantees that money left by customers reaches workers as intended.

Although it received Royal Assent in May 2023, the legislation came into force on 1 October 2024. From that point, employers across England, Scotland and Wales must pass on 100 per cent of qualifying tips and service charges (minus lawful tax deductions), maintain a clear written tipping policy, keep records, and distribute tips in line with a statutory Code of Practice.

This marked a significant step forward for hospitality workers and wider workers’ rights. It is a win, but only if workers and customers stay alert. Always check your bill. Ask how tips are shared. Transparency matters.

A World of Difference

Compare this with the United States, where tipping 15–20 per cent is effectively mandatory because staff rely on tips to survive. In Japan and much of Scandinavia, tipping is rare and can even cause offence. Much of Europe sits closer to England, where tips are appreciated but not expected.

Context matters, and importing American tipping habits wholesale does not necessarily help workers here.

A Trade Union Question

When you tip, do you know where the money goes? If a service charge is added and there is still a blank “tip” line, do you ask why? Would you rather see higher wages and fewer awkward payment screens?

These are not small questions. They go to the heart of dignity at work.

Hospitality staff remain among the lowest-paid workers in the UK economy, despite long hours, evening and weekend shifts, and physically demanding, high-pressure environments. Many earn only the legal minimum wage, with insecure hours and limited access to sick pay or progression.

Rising rents, energy bills and food costs have hit these workers especially hard. That is why tipping appropriately, checking that tips reach staff, and backing campaigns for a genuine living wage are not acts of charity, but acts of solidarity.

This connects directly to the union’s wider work on fair pay and secure employment across service industries.

Statement from the Workers of England Union

As Workers of England Trade Union General Secretary Stephen Morris explains:

“Tipping should never be a substitute for a living wage. Our priority is making sure workers are paid properly by their employers and that any tips left in good faith actually reach the staff they are meant for.”

So yes, tip appropriately. Tip thoughtfully. But above all, support the bigger fight for decent pay, clear rules and respect for the people who keep our pubs, cafés, restaurants and hotels running.

Good service deserves recognition. Fair wages should never be optional or reliant on tips.