The full bonus lifecycle: from job creation to worker payout
Every step a bonus moves through, in order, with what triggers each one.
Purpose
Bonuses move through 9 distinct steps from the moment a job is created to the moment a worker sees the money in their account.
This article walks through every step so you can spot exactly where in the lifecycle a bonus is.
The 9 Steps
- Job created in your integration
- Job syncs to Protiv
- ProPay generated from the job
- Workers do the work, time tracked in your integration
- Time syncs to Protiv
- ProPay calculated — budget vs actual, bonus determined
- Manager approves the ProPay (disqualifiers + penalties applied)
- Bonus line items created on each worker's statement
- Statement paid out — money lands
Step 1: Job Created
Where: Your integration (Aspire, Jobber, etc.)
The customer-facing job is created in your scheduling or job management system. Set the budget, assign the crew, schedule the work.
Step 2: Job Syncs to Protiv
Where: Sync engine
Most integrations sync every 20 minutes or on-demand. The job appears in Protiv with all its synced fields.
Step 3: ProPay Generated
Where: Protiv (automatic OR manual)
Protiv builds a ProPay for the job — unless an exclusion rule applies. The ProPay holds the budget and is the calculation container.
Step 4: Workers Do the Work
Where: Job site
Crew clocks in, does the work, clocks out. Time gets tracked in your integration's time-tracking system.
Step 5: Time Syncs to Protiv
Where: Sync engine
Time entries flow from your integration to Protiv as time_entry and milestone_time records. Drive time gets tracked separately.
Step 6: ProPay Calculated
Where: Protiv
As time accumulates, Protiv calculates running budget vs actual. When the job completes, the final bonus pool is determined.
Step 7: Manager Approves
Where: Protiv admin
Manager opens the ProPay, resolves any disqualifiers, applies any penalties, and clicks Approve.
If a disqualifier failed, the bonus is blocked here. If penalties applied, the bonus is reduced.
Step 8: Bonus Line Items Created
Where: Protiv
After approval, individual bonus line items are created for each worker. They start in Held status, in waiting-period limbo.
Step 9: Statement Paid Out
Where: Protiv → payroll system
At the end of the pay period, line items roll up into a bonus statement. Once the waiting period clears, the statement becomes payable. Admin marks it paid, money flows through payroll, worker sees the bonus.
Where Each Step Can Stall
- Step 2 (Sync) — Integration is failing. Check sync status.
- Step 3 (ProPay) — Exclusion rule applied. Check exclusions.
- Step 5 (Time sync) — Workers haven't clocked in, or time isn't syncing.
- Step 7 (Approval) — Pending disqualifier blocking. Manager hasn't reviewed.
- Step 8 (Line items) — Held in waiting period. Will release automatically.
- Step 9 (Statement) — Statement not yet paid. Admin needs to mark paid.
The dashboard surfaces stalled items via the alerts section.
Time Estimates
Typical timeline for a single job:
Related Articles
- How does Protiv work, end to end?
- How is a ProPay calculated? (Hours budget type)
- How do I approve a ProPay?
- How do bonus pools work, and how do I configure one?