Bridgehead staff have spoken, and the majority of those who participated in a recent vote don’t want managers included in their tip pools — a result that has prompted the Ottawa coffee chain to reverse a decision some said punished the business’s lowest-paid staff.
Earlier this month, Bridgehead confirmed that in October, it began including managers in tip pools previously reserved for baristas and shift supervisors. The policy change came on the heels of the Ontario government raising the province’s minimum wage.
Bridgehead said it was looking to recognize managers’ contributions, while critics said the decision took away from baristas’ minimum wage gains, and argued the company should have instead increased managers’ salaries.
According to a Nov. 17 memo shared with Bridgehead staff and obtained by CBC, the company hosted several listening sessions with staff and proceeded to hold a vote on the issue.
Out of 164 respondents — including managers — 81.7 per cent called on the company to reverse the policy, which it did immediately, according to the memo. The survey had been sent to 228 “Bridgeheaders,” yielding a 71.9 per cent response rate.
“The managers will also be taken care of as a result of this change,” the company added in the memo.
In an emailed statement, the company clarified that managers will receive raises.
“We value the feedback from our team and we will continue to solicit their guidance in decisions that impact staff,” president Paul Pascal said in the statement.
Featured VideoOttawa’s Bridgehead coffeehouses will no longer include managers in tip pools after the issue went to a recent staff vote. Earlier this month, Bridgehead confirmed that in October, it began including managers in tip pools previously reserved for baristas and shift supervisors. The policy change came on the heels of the Ontario government raising the province’s minimum wage.
Policy was ‘diluting’ baristas’ pay: ex-worker
Izak Mason said he began working at a downtown Bridgehead branch in March, but that he quit earlier this month partly because of the tipping policy.
Mason told CBC he saw it as the company paying managers more by “diluting the pay of their lowest-paid employees.”
He’s happy those still employed by the coffee chain “get both the minimum wage hikes they deserve while maintaining the tips that they’ve earned,” he said.
Another barista who works at a different location commended the company for acting on the majority opinion.
CBC agreed not to name the employee because they’re worried about losing their job.
To some staff, “the move shows goodwill on the part of the company, [which] has shown responsiveness to internal and external scrutiny,” the employee wrote in an email to CBC.