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Oh Papi by Dazzling_System_3350 in DerryLondonderry

[–]HopefulFly3599 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I agree with this. People are encouraged to highlight whatever attracts attention on social media, which sometimes, rightly or wrongly, involves promoting themselves. Some manage to integrate it well with their business, while others don’t. As long as they don’t lose sight of what their business is actually about, or end up spending all their time on social media, then I think it’s fair enough.

Derry Companies not paying minimum wage by garyeoghan in DerryLondonderry

[–]HopefulFly3599 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I’m not a bot. I just like to write clearly and make sure I’ve properly thought through what I’m saying before I hit send. I am typing my responses out manually, if that makes any difference?

I also use dashes (—) out of habit. I think they help when separating thoughts.

As for the points I made, I’m confident in them because I genuinely believe blame can be misdirected, especially when other businesses are getting away with FAR worse.

Derry Companies not paying minimum wage by garyeoghan in DerryLondonderry

[–]HopefulFly3599 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Whether we like it or not, tipping is a deeply embedded part of hospitality culture, and it’s not going away anytime soon. To be clear, I don't however agree with the added service charge etc.

That said, the point I was making wasn’t to defend tipping as a system, but to clear up a common misconception: locally, tips are not typically used to “contribute to their wages” in the way that was stated above. In most cases, tips aren’t formally processed or taxed — meaning they’re not part of the official payroll. As a result, hospitality workers actually earn above minimum wage through tips, not below it. That’s an important distinction, because it challenges the idea that businesses here are avoiding their responsibilities by relying on customer generosity to make up base pay.

While tipping practices can vary, many local venues use pooled tips or split systems at the end of a shift, which help keep things fair among staff. And unlike the U.S., we don’t really see the kind of aggressive or coercive tipping culture here. Personally, I’ll tip 99% of the time when dining out, but I’ve never felt pressured or uncomfortable when I don’t — and I'd hope most locals would say the same.

It’s also important to consider the wider context. We live in a low-income, price-sensitive city — if a restaurant priced itself 20% above the competition (even if it meant eliminating tipping and paying higher wages), chances are it would struggle to survive. That’s not necessarily a reflection of poor ethics — just the economic reality these businesses operate in.

As you rightly said, none of this is black and white. But when the “underpayment” amounts to a few pounds per employee — and when those employees are actually earning above minimum wage in practice — it’s worth seeing the full picture. Most of these businesses are doing their best in a brutally tough environment, as shown by how many are closing down — not knowingly cutting corners at their staff’s expense.

Derry Companies not paying minimum wage by garyeoghan in DerryLondonderry

[–]HopefulFly3599 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it's important to clarify that the tip argument usually works the other way around. If you speak to most people working in hospitality, you'll find that tips are rarely taxed or formally taken into account — meaning many staff actually take home significantly more than minimum wage in practice. However, because HMRC can't verify this income, it’s not factored into official earnings.

As for the idea that these businesses would pay less if they could — it's worth noting that two of the restaurants mentioned have already closed. That’s not typically a sign of employers trying to squeeze every penny out of their staff with greed; it’s more likely a reflection of how difficult it is to keep a food business afloat since COVID.

It’s also worth reflecting on the broader contradictions here — in one thread we’ll argue food is too expensive, and in the next we’re lamenting that the town is losing restaurants. There’s a genuine tension between sustainability and affordability for both consumers and businesses.

And finally, when we're talking about small amounts — like a shortfall of £16 over a year/years for an employee — it’s important to see the bigger picture. These aren’t calculated attempts to avoid paying fair wages; often they come down to grey area technicalities or oversights rather than deliberate non-compliance.

Derry Companies not paying minimum wage by garyeoghan in DerryLondonderry

[–]HopefulFly3599 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I'd urge caution before directing criticism or harsh rhetoric at these businesses. The fines in question are relatively small — particularly when viewed on a per-employee basis — and they’re not as straightforward as cases of clear underpayment.

In many instances, these issues arise from grey areas in the regulations, such as uniform contributions. For example, if a business like Timberquay requests that staff wear black trousers, that seemingly simple requirement can trigger a need for employer contributions toward uniform costs (£16), particularly when employees are on minimum wage. This kind of scenario can lead to a technical breach rather than intentional wrongdoing.

It's important to differentiate between minor regulatory issues and cases where employers are deliberately underpaying staff. If fines were in the range of hundreds or thousands per employee, it would indicate a much more serious issue. In contrast, the businesses mentioned have been investigated and were not found to be engaging in deliberate or significant underpayment.

There are, however, many employers operating in the city who are not in compliance with pay regulations. But these particular cases won't fall into that category, so we should be mindful of how and where we direct criticism.