Hospitality workers missing out on half their salaries amid the coronavirus pandemic are urging the Government to cover service charge under its job retention scheme.

More than 17,000 people have signed a petition to Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling on these payments to be counted as part of people’s regular earnings. It comes after the Treasury promised to cover 80% of workers’ wages to stop businesses from laying off staff after restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs were ordered to close to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Katya Boirand, a Maître d’ of a high-end central London restaurant, says she launched the appeal for everyone in the hospitality industry, of which she has been a part for 23 years. She told Metro.co.uk: ‘I know that everyone is going to be struggling.’

‘The point I’m trying to make here is we have to work long, anti-social hours all year round. When the lockdown ends we, among many others, are going to be the key workers, as people will want to gather with friends, have a good meal, go dancing and get their sanity back.’

‘These places are going to have to exist. It’s really important to consider how well we look after our hospitality workers through this.’

A furloughed waiter at Michelin-starred Basque-inspired restaurant BRAT told Metro.co.uk some colleagues have been forced to move back to Australia and Glasgow because they are so dependent on service charge to survive in London.

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With the taxable payments making up 40% of his average monthly income of £2,100, he is now expecting to earn around £1,000.

He has barely enough to cover his £750 a month rent, along with utilities, council tax, food and other essentials.

Many of his co-workers have applied for supermarket jobs to make ends meet, but unsurprisingly they are in high demand.

The waiter added: ‘It’s very well saying to the landlord “I can’t pay rent this month, I’m going to have to delay it”, but you will have to pay it eventually.

‘That next pay cheque, after paying rent and utilities, I do not have enough money left to last the month unless I use a credit card.’

He said problem is likely to be worse for workers in London, where service charge can be much higher than other parts of the country.

The waiter, who asked not to be named, is applying for Universal Credit, but the five week wait means he won’t get his first payment before his rent is due.

The waiter said his restaurant, operated by Super 8 Restaurants Ltd, could have changed staff’s contracts to include an improved hourly rate, accounting for service charge, but they chose not to.

Company director Brian Hannon told Metro.co.uk: ‘It is absolutely correct, and in line with Govt and industry best practice, to keep service charge separate to employment contracts, so that the team always get 100% of the service charge collected.

‘We await, along with the rest of the industry, government clarification on whether service charge will be included as part of the Coronavirus job retention scheme.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted the Treasury for comment.

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