A report commissioned by Angus Reid for tip-management firm Actual says B.C. hospitality workers are the most reliant on tips for essential expenses despite the lowest share of workers receiving them.
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A new report commissioned by Angus Reid for tip management and hospitality financial operations company Actual says B.C. faces a “tipping paradox,” with fewer hospitality workers receiving tips while those who rely on them use tips to cover essential expenses.
The report found that 4 in 10 B.C. hospitality workers receive tips, the lowest proportion in Canada and below the national average of 49 per cent.
Actual also reported that 12 per cent of B.C. hospitality workers say tips account for over 40 per cent of their income. The company said 15 per cent of hospitality workers believe customers understand the financial impact of not tipping, while 41 per cent say customers understand little or nothing about it at all.
The report linked the situation to affordability pressures in B.C., noting the province has the highest housing costs in Canada. It also pointed to B.C.’s general minimum wage of $18.25 per hour as of June 1, 2026, while noting that some small business and restaurant owners have opposed minimum wage increases due to strain on their businesses.
Actual said the delay in tip payouts can affect workers’ finances, arguing that when tips are paid by credit card, they do not reach workers immediately. The company said the money must be collected, divided among staff according to the shift’s tip pooling structure, and then paid out, with each step taking time.
Actual said a full 61 per cent of tipped workers said tip income influenced their decision to stay in their role, including 74 per cent for frontline and server roles.
According to Actual, tipped workers’ top request is increased transparency around tips. The company also said closing the understanding gap “matters for workers, for operators, and for the broader conversation about the future of tipping in Canada.”
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