My recommendation to the tipping debate
Sandals fired me for accepting tips. Resulting in me getting an opportunity to move to the US. I will not say the achievements I have made, to convey my humility.
To this day that firing have affected me in severe ways. It was my first job, on the job for 3 weeks, as a bellman, and was offered tip because I was and is a hard worker.
It was mentally, emotionally, and financially hard for me hearing I am being fired for working hard which caused a tip to be offered to me and I accepted. In the firing report, it was stated I accepted $5usd tip (mystery guest).
When Sandals fired me, it was a Jamaican General Manager. When he fired me in front of the other managers in his office, he said, if I needed $5 so badly, I should have asked him.
Why on earth would I feel okay asking the GM of sandals Antigua, as I am just employee and have no relationship or interaction with him, for $5usd? To this day, I am confused by this comment from this GM in front of all the managers that included at the time, front desk manager, Ruth (I think her name was), a short light-skinned Jamaican, he was second in charge, etcetera.
However, I am in agreement with the government to outlaw (making it in violation of law and against public policy) hotels from banning employees accepting tips or in the alternate, only allowing such agreements between employees and hotels for substantial consideration (to employees). Substantial considerations mean high renumeration.
I wanted to go to sandals while in Antigua, but I felt like my money should never be given to them, ever. So, I decided to make substantial tips to the other hotels I was at, tipping about $19,000.00 a few months ago.
Sandals, I will be fair to you, even when you have not been fair to me. So, my solution will be to allow hotels to be able to market to guest that tipping is not necessary or encourage, but no hotel is allowed to ban the giving and accepting of tips. This is fair.
This is just my way of being fair to all sides. The hotel, the workers, the guest, the government, etcetera.
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WICKED SANDALS!!!!!
Harold Lovell WORST FINANCE MINISTER…..allowed them to HOLD ON TO OUR ABST MONIES.
“…it was a JÄMAICAN General Manager”
Lawd you see why UPP/Gisele feel so about dem? This is why richard lewis has been blocked from party leadership. The party fears an influx of YARDEES if a certain wife gets into office.
The ALP gave much more to Dato Tan Kay Hok. He was allowed to own some 3500 acres of our lands for US $1MIL and then years later,YIDA came along and got millions of dollars in concessions through fooling Gaston into believing that we were going to benefit from a $ 2 bil investment. What have we gotten so far?
They were right to fire you as it’s their policy, as with most all-inclusive hotels. You were likely paid very well due to this.
In an all-inclusive setting, guests often expect that all expenses are covered, including gratuities. Hotels may want to maintain this “no tipping” culture to ensure guests feel no additional financial pressure or obligation to tip.
Some hotels also have strict policies against tipping to avoid any perception of favoritism among staff or to prevent conflicts that could arise if some guests feel they receive better service due to tipping. Employees accepting tips may be seen as violating these policies.
Accepting tips can also create disparities among staff, as some roles (such as housekeeping, bartenders, or waitstaff) naturally interact more with guests and have more opportunity to receive tips than others. Policies prohibiting tips aim to ensure fair treatment for all employees, with compensation set at a fair and consistent level.
In some cases, hotels are concerned that tipping could lead to issues with accountability, such as employees engaging in dishonest practices to receive more tips. Strict no-tipping policies help eliminate these risks.
Its a hard pill to swallow, but there are reasons for everything. Get over it, and do better next time.
yeah but the tips should NOT go towards the Sandals Foundation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Father God help us hotel worker
@Hypocrisy! For some reason, I can’t respond to you. I see your point.
If tips were received, the employee should be terminated (per policy), and the funds either returned, which is likely not possible, or donated to “charity.” In this scenario, the charity is Sandal’s charity.
Technically, it’s still a charity that benefits the public, not Sandals, but still might not look good.
@Mr. Really
Would you love to get legalistic? At no time in life can a business require a staff to waive his or her right to accepting tips/payments. This adhesion contract is contrary to public policy and law, not only because it is unconscionable but because it is clear one party, me, had no bargaining power and was force to accept a job on a take it or leave it basis without the ability to negotiate, which is unlawful. Sandals had zero legal right to execute a termination this alleged kind of violation. I was a 18 year old uninformed boy. Today, I am Juris Doctorate (advance law degree) man.
Their actions (employment contract) were sunstantively and procedurally unconscionable. As well as the remedy for any breach of such contract was punitive (termination of employment for accepting what was given to you for hard work cannot be a remedy the law participates in, in a contract setting with this kind of facts).
The entrapment of using mystery shoppers also void all alleged violations, as the persons who accepted tips did not actually accepted tips from guest but from agents of Sandals, thereby the violation of any claimed policy to accept tips from a guest did not occur in fact. For there to be a violation, employees must accept tips from an actual guest, not any party working in concert or as an agent for sandals.
Everything statement you made @Mr. Really?? Is outright ignorant. I do not include ignorance in legal debates but proper legal reasoning.
The issue back then was that I did not know the law and from memory as I do now. You are communicating with the master of contract law, tort, and administrative/regulatory law.
If the local government was competent then and now, to publicize existing statute, and public policy, ignorant people would not be responding with ignorance like the bloggers comment I am responding to. You cannot fire for these kind of “violations” as a matter of law, it is not a violation. I would you all ignorant fools for the nothing you have.
@Mr. Really? I strongly disagree with you when you said they were right to fire him
@ Rovi, what nonsense are u talking about? ALP has been power for over 8 years so why now are they addressing it? And u have the nerve to call Harold lovell in this… u sound so stupid I can’t believe u actually said that out loud.
@Mr. Really
Would you love to get legalistic? At no time in life can a business require a staff to waive his or her right to accepting tips/payments. This adhesion employment contract is contrary to public policy and law, not only because it is unconscionable but because it is clear that one party, me at that time and now current sandals employees, had no bargaining power and was force to accept a job (terms of employment contract) on a take it or leave it basis without the ability to negotiate, which is unlawful (at minimum those unusual stipulations). Sandals had zero legal right to execute a termination for this kind of alleged violation.
I was a 18 year old uninformed boy. Today, I am Juris Doctorate (advance law degree) man.
Their actions (employment contract) were sunstantively and procedurally unconscionable. As well as the remedy for any breach of such contract/stipulation violation based on the totality of the circumstances cannot be firing, whic was punitive (termination of employment for accepting what was given to you for hard work cannot be a remedy the law participates in, in a contract setting with these kind of facts). Punitive remedies/relief are frowned upon in contract law, it is not allowed (in layman’s term).
The entrapment of using mystery shoppers also void all alleged violations, as the persons who accepted tips did not actually accepted tips from a guest but from agents of Sandals, thereby the violation of any claimed policy to against accepting tips from a guest did not occur in fact. For there to be a violation, employees must accept tips from an actual guest, not any party working in concert or as an agent for sandals. Mystery shoppers are agents/employees of sandals and not guest for legal purposes arising here.
Every statement you made @Mr. Really?? Is outright ignorant. I do not include ignorance in legal debates but proper legal reasoning.
The issue back then was that I did not know the law and from memory as I do now. You are communicating with the master of contract law, tort, and administrative/regulatory law.
If the local government was competent then and now, to publicize existing statute, and public policy, and fight for locals, ignorant people would not be responding with ignorance like the bloggers comment I am responding to. You cannot fire for these kind of “violations” as a matter of law, it is not a violation. I would sue you all ignorant fools for the nothing you have.
Stating what your intent is for breaking the law unnecessarily is not a defense to the violation, the contract breach of sandals. I am asking the PM to toll or remove the statute of limitation and allow myself and my US team to go after this matter. Let us see what sandals legal team and money can do.
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Those story makes no sense. Reads like a fairy tale
@Frank, because it is a fairytale that came through, for me.
My brother. There is a lot of bitter in your banter. When my sister started in the hotel industry, there was a learning curve for her as well. That was many years ago, and it is only now I realize that we take hospitality and service for granted. In that the hotels have to train our people in that industry is a blessing. It has changed Antigua. It has changed St Lucia (where my sister has been living for 20 years). If the people say ‘no tipping’ then that a rule you have to be able to follow. If you have a problem following rules, then you are in the wrong industry. I recently went to a Montego Bay Sandals with my wife (and I see you have a thing for Jamaicans). There was a minor incident involving a misstep and a stubbed toe. The staff sprang into action, making sure she was okay and seeking to make her comfortable, even though she insisted it was her fault. We are not white Americans, by the way… we are proud black Caribbean people. I offered to tip the staffers who responded. They refused. My wife insisted. Staff refused. I went to the front desk, who informed me that guests CAN tip workers at the front desk, where it is pooled and shared among the staff in that department. I thought that was too roundabout. but the EXPLANATION is what got me… if employees work with the expectancy of tips, some guests may be treated differently to others. The experience, after forking out your (not insubstantial) hard-earned cash, is that you are treat the same as everyone else at the resort. We Caribbean people got too much of this hostile, competitive crab-inna-barrel attitude. Why not just be good for goodness sake? Rovi, maybe it’s because of that Sandals experience that you catch yourself in life… maybe.
@my way of helping. I don’t sit around in my underwear arguing on the internet like many do (hopefully you don’t). So really, at the end of the day, I am not a legal expert. You claim to be, however, the internet often lies so I cannot confirm. What can be confirmed, is where this goes in the courts as only time will tell…
@ my way of helping
To hell with you and the law, money talk and BS walk inna real life.
The bigga heads call the shots always, stay in ya lane and tek a seat, chillax, tek a panadol, ya just feel bad dawg.
You can be the best law man, that nah mek you keep ya job , ya might get ya lights out like a candle if ya get too bright, that my friend is facts, reality, inna real life.
This world is very evil, remember that, you can neva fight against the system, try and it will beat you down in the ground and you may not live to warn others of your demise.
NO MORALS
NO INTEGRITY
NO CONSCIENCE
TIPS BELONG TO EMPLOYEES not greedy management
Does no tipping only apply to all inclusive hotels?
@Allistair Defour, i follow law, not people demanding i waive protection given to me under the law. Rules that violates law, the law supersedes.
And, sometimes I blog in underwear or suits. Not sure how that has logical or legal relevance in standing up for justice and saying wrong is wrong and right is right.
But respectfully disagree.
@Boom, you make valid points. It was exactly the heads failure to protect the locals that resulted in my victimization from sandals. Because fairness and law means nothing to them, as long as they are getting dollars.
Wow, when I was working there I knock many many female guests while them husband was drinking at the bar or lying in the sun or whatever. Imagine if they woulda catch me what dem woulda do. The guests were the ones who got the tip lol
This story is fake. He tipped $19,000 in one hotel? What BS is that? Lies. Fake news, as Trump says. Just trying to impress with falsehoods.
You,the employee should have known the procedures.When you accept employment with any corporation.They would give you multiple forms to sign.Read them and ask questions before signing then get copies.Those forms are about your employment and company policies /procedures.They are in essence your contracts.You could be terminated if certain policies /procedures are not adhered to.Based on Sandals Policy in this matter.They were correct to terminate you.
Well, a mouthfull was said here, but I have to agree and disagree with Allistair. I would not call what happened the young man at 18 years, (bantering )when something to this degree happens to a young person in society, you never forget. So let him alone. This tipping story has nothing to do with following Sandals rules. I would say it like this, the hotel belongs to them, and only they must benefit from all it’s juicy returns. It’s time to done with the house slave mentality. You talk about following rules on Sandals behalf!!!! Those workers, in the Sandals hotel in Jamaica,can’t do no better. Some of them have to swollow a lot. Because, the USD is powerful down there. So they will try their best to follow the no tipping rule,Sandals has put in place. I don’t care about who is the bigger man where ever I go. Fair is fair. And if an employer can’t be compassionate to his workers. He or she does not deserve those, who give their time, their efforts, their good character, to ensure the work is done properly. Antigua has benefited from tourism a great deal. But, that does not mean, we the locals should be kissing the glutimus maximuses of those hoteliers. They to must learn to have respect for us. And not try to dilly dally about with peoples lively hoods. It is sad, when the other black people are defending white people nonsense, when they come to our shores. I’m not going to put up with it. I give respect to those close to me and people that I don’t know. I don’t care who you are. But, when people that I don’t know,or people that are close to me are being disrespectful. I make no apologies, you are going to get it right back.according to my grandmother,( in grand style)!!!!!!!!!. And don’t believe for one minute, that I’m going to use indecency to do so. I’m well educated, and fluent enough in the English language to do so. We need to stand up for ourselves. And stop the stupity. Good pay or not. Let the people them get them tips. Just imagine, a little small change have Sandals behaving like a little child, who just taste a lollipop. What a hight of ignorance. I have said my piece.
Writer Ruth died during the covid years. Suspect the manager you encountered was Mr. Eaton. To be fair to Sandals, the law does not allow them to fire you simply after one infringement like that (has to be something more extreme). It would more call for a warning. The Union I suspect would have fought for you and gone after Sandals for unfair dismissal, if this was your only recent infringement. The tip is actually part of your gratuity which you got each pay period The only bellman I recall getting fired was due to the theft of guests personal items. He was caught blue-handed(ok red) I am no fan of Sandals because I see them more like locusts. However they do have some good practices that other businesses should learn (eg their cost control methods, their maintenance methods …)
@Concerned, thank you for speaking up.
@bugsby, there is something in contract law called adhesion contract, public policy, unconscionability, reformation, and other equitable remedy. It means you can enter into the employment contract, without waiving your rights to challenge terms in the contract that you do not agree with for various reasons that could be highly unfair, to unlawful, etcetera.
So reading a contract and signing it does not necessarily mean you have up, waive, your rights to be in a fair contract.
I was trying to explain this to Mr. Yes, Mr. Really.
@not so common, don’t be a dunce. Nobody is stupid enough to make up tipping that substantial amount of money at a hotel in the Small Island of Antigua, giving you exact dates, knowing folks talk a lot. Oh and it was two hotels. Why not investigate before you place someone in false light. It is time you begin using intelligence. But I know it is jealousy that is blinding you of the truth or you are just an idiot?
I demand you speak to employees at the hotel. Count, do math, or have someone do math for you.
I knew it was Tenman. My firing occurred in 2002. Ruth was the front desk manager. I was on probation, my first job, and about 3 weeks in. I needed to do 1 month to complete probation.
Sandals had a report from mystery shoppers, stating I accepted $5 tips. They fired me. My only “violation”. It seems as if you worked at Sandals. They may still have records there.
Morality means everything to me and i know accepting the tips offered to me was moral and legal.
I was not part of any Union. It was my first job. And they I said since I am on probation (new employee), I can be fired for anything and anytime. So, they fired me for accepting that tip and during the firing said, “you are the best out there but we have to fire you for accepting the tip”.
So this bellman is not your stealing bellman. Ask about me, where everyone really loved/appreciate me, well, that is what they said
There is one dude, his only goal on this medium, is to do anything immoral to the people he dislikes and consider to be his and his people’s enemy. Pretty sure his day will come.
Keep falsifying information and placing folks in falselight. Your days before justice will soon come. I spoke to former manager while in Antigua months ago, told me he remembered me somewhat and many others that got fired for accepting tips.
In fact, recently, the PM spoke about other workers who are victims of this sandals violation. There are those with hatred in their heart and will try to employ deceptive tactics to point your mind somewhere to discredit their perceived enemies. It is time we begin working for justice. As of today, my work for justice begins.
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