Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

What are disqualifiers and penalties?

Two ways to gate or reduce a bonus when work doesn't meet the bar.

Purpose

Protiv lets you build accountability into your bonus program. Disqualifiers and penalties are the two tools you use.

This article explains what each one does, how they're different, and when to use which.

When To Use This

Use this when:

  • You're configuring your bonus program for the first time
  • A safety incident or customer complaint hits and you need to act
  • A manager asks "can we hold back this bonus?"

The Difference in One Line

  • Disqualifier — Pass it or no bonus. All-or-nothing gate.
  • Penalty — Pay the bonus, but reduce it by a dollar amount.

That's the whole concept.

Disqualifiers — Pass or Fail

A disqualifier is a checkbox question attached to a ProPay or Pro-Goal. It has three states:

  • Passed — Bonus pays normally
  • Failed — Bonus is blocked
  • Pending — Hasn't been answered yet (also blocks bonus until resolved)

Example disqualifiers:

  • "No safety violations during this job?"
  • "Customer signed off on quality?"
  • "All paperwork submitted?"

If you set up a "no safety violations" disqualifier and a worker has one, the manager marks the disqualifier as Failed, and the bonus doesn't pay out. End of story.

Penalties — Reduce the Payout

A penalty is a dollar amount that gets subtracted from the bonus. Unlike disqualifiers, the bonus still pays, just less.

Two flavors of penalty:

  • Fixed amount — You set the dollar amount up-front (e.g. $50 for every customer complaint)
  • Set at approval — Manager picks the amount when reviewing the ProPay

Example: A crew finishes a job under budget but breaks a customer's sprinkler head. Manager applies a $75 penalty. Bonus still pays, just minus $75.

The 7 Categories

Both disqualifiers and penalties use the same 7 categories:

Categorizing helps with reporting and pattern-spotting.

How They Show Up in a ProPay

When a ProPay has disqualifiers attached, they appear as checkboxes on the detail page. The manager fills them in before approval.

When a penalty is applied, it shows as a line item with the category, amount, and reason.

Setup Workflow

Step 1: Configure your defaults in settings

Go to Settings → ProPays → Disqualifiers + Penalties. This is where you define the questions and amounts that get attached automatically.

Step 2: Choose what attaches to what

You can scope disqualifiers and penalties to:

  • All ProPays
  • Specific service types
  • Specific divisions or branches
  • Pro-Goals only

Step 3: Train your managers

Managers need to know:

  • What each disqualifier means
  • When to mark it Failed
  • How to apply a penalty

A 15-minute training is usually enough. Without this step, managers will skip disqualifiers, and the whole system breaks.

When to Use Which

Common Mistakes & How To Fix Them

  • Managers leave disqualifiers as Pending forever Pending blocks the bonus from paying. Train managers to resolve all disqualifiers before approval. Consider a recurring "stale disqualifier" check.

  • Too many disqualifiers on every ProPay Pick 2-3 critical ones. More than that and managers stop reading them.

  • Penalty amounts feel arbitrary Set fixed amounts where possible. Reserve "set at approval" for unusual cases that need judgment.

  • Workers don't know penalties exist Surface this on day one. Workers need to know the rules of the game, including the consequences.

  • What are safeguards in Protiv?
  • How is a ProPay calculated? (Hours budget type)
  • How do I approve a ProPay?
  • What's a Pro-Goal vs a ProPay?