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Restaurant tips and gratuities policy

A discretionary gratuity charge of 10% is added to each bill.

Any gratuity that you pay is a direct reward for the team who made your experience special. We therefore ensure that all gratuities paid for by credit or debit cards are distributed equally amongst the team in the restaurant where it was given, including the waiting staff, the front of house team and the kitchen brigade.

It is entirely your choice whether or not to pay this gratuity charge. Please ask if you wish for it to be removed.

Any gratuities paid for by a credit or debit card is paid to our restaurant teams through our payroll. There is never excess money and the House of Commons never takes money in any form from the card gratuities paid.

Any tips paid in cash are retained by the individual waiter and may or may not be shared with other staff in the restaurant. It is the responsibility of those receiving cash tips to declare the income for tax purposes to HM Revenue and Customs. The House of Commons does not manage the administration of cash tips.

We are committed to supporting our teams and making our catering venues fantastic and fair places to work.

We also offer all our team:

  • An employee assistance programme which provides them with free access to helplines, counselling and advice for all aspects of their life that assists them with personal problems and/or work-related problems that may impact their job performance, health, mental and emotional well-being;
  • Membership of the Civil Service pension scheme;
  • Generous holiday entitlements;
  • Family friendly benefits including:
    • Flexible working;
    • Childcare voucher scheme;
    • An in-work nursery;
    • In-house gym;
    • Sports and social club;
    • Career break scheme;
  • Interest-free loans;
  • Meals when on duty;
  • Uniforms;
  • Training and mentoring opportunities;
  • We are an acredited London Living Wage employer.

The House of Commons fully supports the UK Government's voluntary code of best practice on service charges, tips and gratuities. More details of this code can be found on the Gov.UK website.

Download a copy of our restaurant tips and gratuities policy (pdf, 370KB)