Set the policy before entering the pool
The calculator needs an approved source total, participating employees, eligible hours, and a distribution method. It does not decide who may participate or whether the restaurant controls the tips for payroll purposes. Confirm the rule that applies to the business and service date, then use the tool for repeatable distribution math.
Choose one of two calculation methods
Use Hours when the approved pool is shared in proportion to eligible hours across all participants. Use Role % + hourswhen roles receive defined portions first, with each role's amount then divided by eligible hours inside that role. The result shows each employee's hours, share, and exact-cent payout.
A $450 shift should reconcile to $450
Suppose an approved hours-based pool has $450 and four participants with 7, 6, 5, and 6 eligible hours. The 24-hour total produces payouts of $131.25, $112.50, $93.75, and $112.50. The employee rows add back to the source total without leaving a remainder cent unexplained.
| Record field | Example | Why it travels with the result |
|---|---|---|
| Source total | $450.00 | Reconciles the calculation to the approved close amount |
| Method and policy version | Hours · policy v1 | Shows which rule produced the employee rows |
| Eligible hours | 24.00 | Connects the payout to inspectable work inputs |
| Distributed and unallocated | $450.00 · $0.00 | Exposes any amount that still needs a decision |
| Reviewer and date | Manager · service close | Gives the handoff an accountable checkpoint |
Make an empty role a visible decision
A role percentage can remain funded even when nobody in that role worked. Choose one rule before calculating: redistribute the role's amount across active roles, keep it unallocated for review, or send it to a selected fallback role. If the fallback also has no eligible hours, the amount stays unallocated. The calculator does not move it silently.
See the empty-role decision before paying anyone
Imagine a $600 pool funded 60% to service, 25% to kitchen, and 15% to support. Service and kitchen have eligible hours, but support has none. The missing $90 does not disappear: redistribute it across active roles, hold $90 unallocated for review, or send it to a named fallback role with eligible hours. Record the selected rule with the result.
| Empty support rule | Distributed | Unallocated | Manager record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redistribute across active roles | $600 | $0 | Policy authorizes redistribution |
| Keep unallocated | $510 | $90 | Reviewer resolves the held amount |
| Send to fallback role | $600 if fallback has hours | $0, otherwise $90 | Fallback role named in policy |
Export the calculation, then complete the handoff
PDF and CSV downloads include the method, employee breakdown, totals, branding, and calculator URL. PDF provides a fixed review record. CSV fits the restaurant's spreadsheet or payroll handoff. Attach either file to the weekly payroll handoff checklist. The Restaurant Weekly Operations Pack adds the service date, policy version, eligible-hour total, distributed amount, unallocated amount, difference, reviewer, and export/payment note around that file.
Connect recurring tips to the saved week
The public calculator runs in the browser without registration. A free Maxuod Shift account connects tip work to saved employees and schedule weeks, so the manager does not have to rebuild the same team for every close. The account supports up to 12 active employees, eight weeks of schedule history, tips, pay estimates, and CSV/XLSX/PDF/print outputs. Maxuod Shift still does not transmit the payout or run payroll.
Use the rule source that matches the restaurant
Canadian tip rules are not one national default. Start with tip pooling laws in Canada, and use the Saskatchewan 2026 tip-law briefing when that province applies. Federal CRA treatment of controlled and direct tips is a separate payroll question. Building the work inputs first? Open the restaurant schedule maker, the catering event roster, or the employee hours calculator.