According to service charge data for the month of December, Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi recorded the highest distribution among Maldivian resorts. Each employee at the resort received $4,117 (MVR 63,484) as service charge, marking one of the highest monthly payouts for resort workers in recent history. Statistics from Resort Workers Maldives further indicate that eight additional resorts also distributed service charges exceeding $1,000 per staff member.
Under the Employment Act, all tourism-related services are required to levy a minimum 10% service charge, which must be distributed equally among all employees. Although these payments have traditionally been made in US Dollars, some resorts have now transitioned to distributing service charges in Maldivian Rufiyaa. For most resorts, the distributions for the past month ranged between $500 and $1,000.
