MissChatter Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 i have had nothing but a good experience at this restaurant, however I have better ones at LF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 You shouldn't eat in a Loch Fyne restaurant. They pay their table staff less than minimum wage and pool the tips to bring them over minimum wage levels, a very dodgy and only-just-legal practice. This from the BBC: The "ethical" fish restaurant group, Loch Fyne, pays staff at rates below the minimum wage, the BBC has learned. It relies on customer tips to boost total pay to a lawful level. Loch Fyne champions marine conservation, and says it is "an enterprise with respect for animals, people and ecology". The Unite union called the company's behaviour "appalling", and said all restaurant staff should get the minimum wage, as well as a fair share of tips. Staff at Loch Fyne Restaurants say they get paid £5.05 an hour, compared with the legal minimum wage of £5.52. One waitress, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she asked about the pay rate at her interview. "Jokingly, I asked, 'it's not the minimum wage is it?' They said 'well actually it is; eventually you get paid minimum wage, because it gets made up in tips'," she said. On its website the company claims: "What sets us apart is our attention to detail and focus on quality. In everything we do, be it building a new restaurant, hiring staff or cooking the food we take huge pride in doing it to the best standard possible." The waitress said "hardly any customers realise how their tips are used". "Many customers shove tips on the (credit) card and think you are going to get it," she complained. Restaurants are legally allowed to include tips in the calculation of employees earnings, but the practice has been criticised as unethical. In a statement, Loch Fyne Restaurants said it observed the British Hospitality Association's guidelines, and "no-one is paid below the minimum wage". It pointed out that the Loch Fyne Restaurants business was owned by the Greene King brewing group "so it follows its policies". Unite is pressing the government to alter the rules on the minimum wage, to stop restaurants including tips in the calculation of employee earnings. But experts have warned that the area is fraught, and any changes could lead to a legal challenge. Loch Fyne Restaurants was set up in 1998, and employs 1,200 people at 44 sites across the UK. Last week the BBC revealed that staff at the Hard Rock Cafe in London were paid less than half the minimum wage, with waiters on £2.06 an hour. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7524021.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Damhouse Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 You shouldn't eat in a Loch Fyne restaurant. They pay their table staff less than minimum wage and pool the tips to bring them over minimum wage levels, a very dodgy and only-just-legal practice. This from the BBC: The "ethical" fish restaurant group, Loch Fyne, pays staff at rates below the minimum wage, the BBC has learned. It relies on customer tips to boost total pay to a lawful level. Loch Fyne champions marine conservation, and says it is "an enterprise with respect for animals, people and ecology". The Unite union called the company's behaviour "appalling", and said all restaurant staff should get the minimum wage, as well as a fair share of tips. Staff at Loch Fyne Restaurants say they get paid £5.05 an hour, compared with the legal minimum wage of £5.52. One waitress, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she asked about the pay rate at her interview. "Jokingly, I asked, 'it's not the minimum wage is it?' They said 'well actually it is; eventually you get paid minimum wage, because it gets made up in tips'," she said. On its website the company claims: "What sets us apart is our attention to detail and focus on quality. In everything we do, be it building a new restaurant, hiring staff or cooking the food we take huge pride in doing it to the best standard possible." The waitress said "hardly any customers realise how their tips are used". "Many customers shove tips on the (credit) card and think you are going to get it," she complained. Restaurants are legally allowed to include tips in the calculation of employees earnings, but the practice has been criticised as unethical. In a statement, Loch Fyne Restaurants said it observed the British Hospitality Association's guidelines, and "no-one is paid below the minimum wage". It pointed out that the Loch Fyne Restaurants business was owned by the Greene King brewing group "so it follows its policies". Unite is pressing the government to alter the rules on the minimum wage, to stop restaurants including tips in the calculation of employee earnings. But experts have warned that the area is fraught, and any changes could lead to a legal challenge. Loch Fyne Restaurants was set up in 1998, and employs 1,200 people at 44 sites across the UK. Last week the BBC revealed that staff at the Hard Rock Cafe in London were paid less than half the minimum wage, with waiters on £2.06 an hour. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7524021.stm ? I do wish when people comment on restaurants that they have hard facts when they put statements on here like this or that they have least been to a restaurant and had a meal there to comment. This forum is for going out in Sheffield, not about giving us caterers a bad name that puts off customers and that we eventually close. Sheffield has a very poor eating out selection compared to Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham etc.... lets give outlets a chance please and change the culture of the Sheffield'er that they may eat out more and bring every restaurateur a bit more trade. it's a hard market out there, we don't need bad press like this that is not correct or reviews which are down right cruel. The Loch Fyne staff come and dine here a lot and just had their Christmas party here and are a great bunch of people, they are, like most waiters paid on or above the minimum wage. Tips are extra if they give good service. Big shout out to Tulip lounge, Thyme, Loch Fyne, Wig and Pen, Milestone, and all the restaurants out there. SUPPORT THEM OR THERE WILL BE NO GOING OUT IN SHEFFIELD SECTION AS NO ONE WILL, well... GO OUT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesogt Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Damhouse, why so defensive? It was a quoted bbc article, so would guess they have done their research. The member is merely relaying what they have read, and personally i agree that staff should take the tips whilst being paid minimum wage, not the restaurant using it to make more profit and avoid paying staff appropriately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenam Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 The food at loch fyne is shocking all boil in the bag ready made stuff i expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bensonhedges Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 The food at loch fyne is shocking all boil in the bag ready made stuff i expect. I think you'll find it's not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Star Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Shock horror! A chain cafe/restaurant has poor staff pay and you could cook the food better at home yourself! That's what chains by and large are like - support independents and then you have proper recourse if you are unhappy with the service or the food... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Star Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 ? I do wish when people comment on restaurants that they have hard facts when they put statements on here like this or that they have least been to a restaurant and had a meal there to comment. This forum is for going out in Sheffield, not about giving us caterers a bad name that puts off customers and that we eventually close. Sheffield has a very poor eating out selection compared to Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham etc.... lets give outlets a chance please and change the culture of the Sheffield'er that they may eat out more and bring every restaurateur a bit more trade. it's a hard market out there, we don't need bad press like this that is not correct or reviews which are down right cruel. The Loch Fyne staff come and dine here a lot and just had their Christmas party here and are a great bunch of people, they are, like most waiters paid on or above the minimum wage. Tips are extra if they give good service. Big shout out to Tulip lounge, Thyme, Loch Fyne, Wig and Pen, Milestone, and all the restaurants out there. SUPPORT THEM OR THERE WILL BE NO GOING OUT IN SHEFFIELD SECTION AS NO ONE WILL, well... GO OUT! Sorry mate, but you seem a little barmy? There are plenty of new small independent places starting up - support them! Not some goliath chain that treats its staff badly and serves food that isn't great! Allow people to point out the flaws in such places, and encourage those who deserve it to thrive! I am guessing you are worried about being laid off from Loch Fyne? Get applying out there to the independents and see how you go - many are still setting on, and you might even get a pay rise out of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesogt Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 ? I do wish when people comment on restaurants that they have hard facts when they put statements on here like this or that they have least been to a restaurant and had a meal there to comment. This forum is for going out in Sheffield, not about giving us caterers a bad name that puts off customers and that we eventually close. Sheffield has a very poor eating out selection compared to Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham etc.... lets give outlets a chance please and change the culture of the Sheffield'er that they may eat out more and bring every restaurateur a bit more trade. it's a hard market out there, we don't need bad press like this that is not correct or reviews which are down right cruel. The Loch Fyne staff come and dine here a lot and just had their Christmas party here and are a great bunch of people, they are, like most waiters paid on or above the minimum wage. Tips are extra if they give good service. Big shout out to Tulip lounge, Thyme, Loch Fyne, Wig and Pen, Milestone, and all the restaurants out there. SUPPORT THEM OR THERE WILL BE NO GOING OUT IN SHEFFIELD SECTION AS NO ONE WILL, well... GO OUT! I was mobile before, but I fully agree with naming and shaming the restaurants that abuse this loophole and underpay their staff. It gives the staff no incentive to work hard to please their guests as there is no bonus for them at the end of it! Tragus restaurant group appear to be one of the worst for this practice- "While many restaurant groups have dragged their feet on changing their tipping policy, their parent companies have reaped handsome rewards. Tragus Group, which controls the Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia and Strada chains, and is one of Britain’s largest restaurant operators, is understood to be lobbying the Government for a delay of several years before implementing the new policy. The company is 81 per cent-owned by the American private equity giant Blackstone and recorded a 56 per cent rise on its pre-tax profits last year to £44m on earnings of £248m. It confirmed last year that it dips into the gratuities earned by its staff to bring their earning up to the minimum wage. Tragus paid one of its directors £325,000 last year – a 128 per cent increase on the previous year. Stephen Schwarzman, the chief executive of Blackstone, last year received a remuneration package including stock and shares worth $729m (£689m). The average salary in Tragus restaurants was £10,855 a year." Here are some further links to this problem- http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/28/restaurant-chains-scare-tactics-gratuities http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/2791615/Annabels-wrong-to-top-up-staff-pay-with-tips.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/fair-tips-fair-pay-now-the-waiters-bite-back-870724.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/may/06/tips-minimum-wage-ruling http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/PressItems.asp?NodeID=98564 Only 3 more months for them anyhow as it has recently been ruled illegal, so Loch Fyne/Cafe Rouge etc, along with the rest will be forced to pay NMW to their staff. As you can see below not only are they cheating staff but also the tax man, - "But managers and staff at both Café Rouge and Bella Italia, where Tragus has claimed the exemption since 2005, insist that no independent system for handling tips exists and that those left on cards are allocated directly by the company. They also say that Tragus manages tips in such a way that waiters nearly always receive only the minimum wage. If Tragus is not entitled to claim the exemption, it could face a tax bill of up to £3.5m." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissChatter Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 all big chains are the same, they pay **** wages, for long hours, to be treated like **** etc etc dont get me started as i in the past have worked for one of the big chained pubs and never again. However the chain restaurant are everywhere offering deals, that is the culture we live in, and unless people do stop eating in these places then they will grow putting pressure on the independant restautant. I have not been to LF in ages have been frequenting other none chained places i hate weatherspoons etc the food is bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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