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What are the 4 bonus distribution types?

How Protiv divides the crew's bonus share, with worked examples for each option.

Purpose

After the bonus pool determines how much money the crew gets, you still need to decide how it splits between individual workers. That's the distribution type.

This article walks through all 4 options with worked examples so you can pick the right one.

When To Use This

Use this when:

  • You're setting up a new ProPay
  • You're configuring bonus pools in settings
  • A worker asks "why did Bob get more than me?"

The 4 Distribution Types

Setup for All Four Examples

To compare apples to apples, every example below uses the same setup:

  • Crew bonus pool: $300
  • Crew of 3 workers
  • Worker A: $30/hr (crew lead)
  • Worker B: $25/hr
  • Worker C: $20/hr

Only the distribution type changes.

1. Equal Rate

Each worker gets the same percentage of their wage.

Math

  • Combined hourly wage = $30 + $25 + $20 = $75
  • Each worker's share = (their wage / combined wage) × $300

When to use

  • You want bonuses scaled to each worker's pay rate
  • Higher-paid workers get more, in line with their wage
  • Most "fair" by hours-equivalent value

2. Equal Weighted

Same dollar amount for everyone, regardless of wage.

Math

  • Each worker's share = $300 / 3 = $100

When to use

  • The crew did equal work
  • You want the simplest, most transparent split
  • Wage gaps between workers are small

3. Crew Lead Weighted

Crew lead gets a configurable bigger share. Everyone else splits the rest equally.

Math

Lead weight set to 1.5x in your config. So:

  • Lead's weight = 1.5
  • Each crew member's weight = 1.0
  • Total weight = 1.5 + 1.0 + 1.0 = 3.5
  • Each unit of weight = $300 / 3.5 = ~$85.71

When to use

  • Crew leads carry coordination responsibilities and you want to recognize that
  • Your culture rewards leadership roles
  • You want to give crew leads an upgrade path

4. Manual Distribution

You assign custom amounts per worker. No formula. The manager picks.

Example

Manager decides:

When to use

  • Performance varied a lot within the crew on this specific job
  • Specific behaviors deserve specific recognition
  • You need maximum manager discretion

Don't use this every time. Manual distribution is powerful but creates extra work and can feel arbitrary if used too often. Default to one of the formulaic types.

Where to Set the Distribution Type

Two places:

  • On the bonus pool (settings) — Default for all ProPays using that pool
  • On an individual ProPay — Override the default for a specific job

Common Mistakes & How To Fix Them

  • "Why did Bob get less than me when we worked the same job?" Likely equal_rate distribution and Bob has a lower wage. Either explain it, or switch to equal_weighted if it doesn't fit your culture.

  • Crew lead is barely getting more than the crew Increase the crew lead weight in your bonus pool config.

  • Manual distribution doesn't add up to the pool Protiv won't save until the totals match. Check for typos.

  • How is a ProPay calculated? (Hours budget type)
  • How do bonus pools work?
  • What happens if I change worker wages mid-cycle?