BBC exposes the Dorchester hotel over tips

The Dorchester will tonight be accused of docking staff service charge payments and giving the cash to senior managers instead.

A BBC London investigation will claim the luxury hotel on London's Park Lane operated a system of penalties, cutting employees' share of the 10% restaurant service charge by as much as £5,000 in five months, while boosting managers' pay by the same amount.

In a statement ahead of tonight's BBC1 show, which airs at 6.30pm, the Dorchester said: "Employees who participate in this scheme are made fully aware of its rules, which allow for deductions to be made from the service charge payments in certain circumstances

"Even without service charge payments, the staff are paid considerably more than the national minimum wage."

The hotel, which won the award for Individual Unit at Caterer's Best Places to Work earlier this year, added it had reviewed the service charge scheme in early 2008 and was confident it would not face any further claims or disputes.

The Dorchester Collection recently announced it was to reopen the former Playboy club as a hotel, 20 years after its closure.

For more on gratuities and pay see our tips round-up and national minimum wage information page.

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By Gemma Sharkey

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