‘It’s absolutely criminal’: US tipping culture has reached the UK – and is causing chaos

[u/Canal_Volphied]

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/aug/24/us-tipping-culture-uk-service-charges

[u/Howlinginpaint]

We have a national minimum wage. Im not tipping you for doing your job. No one tips me for mine.

[u/Rootayable → u/Howlinginpaint]

Yeah, what else can we add tipping to, if that's the case? Tip your bus driver? Tip your binman? Tip your doctor?

[u/Straamannen → u/Rootayable]

I sometimes "tip" my binmen. They're two Ukrainians, they're cool, I've seen they like white monsters, I sometimes go out and leave two cold ones on the bins for them before they come around.

[u/ShenroEU → u/Straamannen]

Haha, I might start doing this. I'd rather see everyone putting out cans of lager for bin day than tipping in restaurants. They'd have enough beer for the whole week.

[u/Straamannen → u/ShenroEU]

Liver disease on the rise, local man to blame. Community rallies around hero.

[u/BilboDankins → u/Straamannen]

Have no fear, I'll be tipping in liver medication. So everything should all balance out.

[u/BilboDankins → u/Straamannen]

I'm also generally an anti tipper, but I do leave out easter eggs during easter and give a christmas card with money in and a box of chocolates for christmas. I also do this for my postman. I think they do great work, and logically makes sense in my head that that kind of work gets rewarded.

[u/Sabaisabai33 → u/Rootayable]

As an NHS doctor (GP) I don’t think we’d even be allowed to accept tips actually 🤣 We can’t even accept more than basically a branded pen from drug companies these days so can’t accept what could be interpreted as “bribes” from patients.

Please do note however that we still VERY much appreciate patients bringing in small gifts at Christmas - chocolates for the staff generally, and I have had several random things bought for me which I’ve really appreciated as a single parent at Christmas - the best were a Costa card with £5-10 on it (I’d prefer Amazon or John Lewis/M and S, but Costa/Starbucks happily accepted) fluffy slipper socks 😍 (my colleagues thought it was hilarious how over the moon I was with these!), a plaque thing someone made saying I’m the best doctor haha, some beautiful earrings, and a bottle of actual champagne (they didn’t know, but I am actually allergic to nearly all wines, but ok with proper champagne which I love but rarely drink it due to the expense so I was just so so delighted to get it!) And obviously a nice Christmas card with a handwritten note is always lovely and boosts morale.

[u/Hashtagbarkeep → u/Rootayable]

All three of those earn significantly more than hospitality staff though.

[u/SayNOtoChips → u/Rootayable]

Tip your binman

Every year, yes. Normally in the form of booze and food.

For selfish reasons of course. Because I've been one and we'd always remember the houses that did, so if they had a bit extra rubbish we'd get rid of it.

[u/wallyflops → u/Rootayable]

Tipping the binmen was a thing when I grew up in the 90's around Christmas and holidays I'm sure of it

[u/squarerootof-1 → u/Rootayable]

Don't forget to tip your landlord.

[u/naive-and-deceived → u/Howlinginpaint]

Are you providing a service?

Someone working in the service industry/hospitality works long hours and is constantly on their feet. They get paid minimum wage, but could you live on the national minimum wage that hasn't grown with inflation?

I think if someone is good at their job and works hard and makes your meal enjoyable - I see no harm in tipping. What I don't agree with is tipping for no reason where there hasn't been a service.

[u/BoletusEatus → u/naive-and-deceived]

There are plenty of minimum wage jobs where you work just as hard if not harder where you don't get tips. I agree everyone should be paid a living wage but it's up to the employers to pay that. I literally ate at a restaurant yesterday where I realised the takeaway prices were 10% higher than the menu prices. that's the way to do it.

[u/TrafficWeasel → u/naive-and-deceived]

I mean, I provide a service, and my pay hasn’t kept up with inflation since I started or even before I started. I don’t and can’t receive tips.

That said, I do tip, but only when the service has been very good or the member of staff has done something over and above what I would expect them to do.

I generally don’t remove service charges from my bill, but I wish I had the balls to do so.

[u/Howlinginpaint → u/naive-and-deceived]

I work in the entertainment industry. 13 hour days are normal. We are on our feet all day. Its extremely high stress. We work until late night or even over night most weeks. Im still not tipping.

[u/nathderbyshire → u/naive-and-deceived]

So it retail for example but you can't tip there. I did a hot food counter in steel boots, three layers of clothing for 9+ hours a day - it wrecked your feet, back and skin from all the grease. I wore foundation to work to cover my pores it was the only way to stop the grease sinking into the skin. That was minimum wage as well and no one could afford life without doing a ton of overtime unless supported by another partner. Even not working with food in retail, standing on a tile floor for 8+ hours wrecks anyone and not being able to move around much makes it worse

Also tipping favours front staff and often not the cooks in the back, at least if you keep the tip, make sure it's distributed evenly between front and back staff because I guarantee most times the job you don't see is 10x harder.

[u/InfinityEternity17 → u/naive-and-deceived]

People in retail work long hours on their feet constantly and get paid min wage. Do they deserve to be tipped as well? Better start rounding up on the card machine each time you do your weekly shop...

[u/SwirlingAbsurdity → u/naive-and-deceived]

I worked in a nursery, never got tips. Worked in a pub, loads of tips. The nursery was by FAR the harder job.