Distribution rules are the heart of any TRONC scheme. They determine how the pooled tip money is divided among eligible employees. Rocket Tronc supports multiple rule types — each designed for different business needs — and gives your TroncMaster full control over which one to use.
Why Rules Matter
Without clear rules, tip distribution becomes arbitrary, unfair, and non-compliant. HMRC expects TRONC schemes to have pre-agreed, documented rules that are applied consistently. Employees must be able to understand how their share is calculated — this is also a requirement under the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023.
Distribution Rule Types
Rocket Tronc supports three core distribution types, plus universal options that can be layered on top:
1. Equal Split
The simplest and most transparent method. The total TRONC pool is divided equally among all eligible employees.
Example: £1,000 TRONC ÷ 10 eligible staff = £100 each
Best for: Venues where all roles contribute equally to service, small teams, or as a starting point.
2. Role Score (Points-Based)
Each job role is assigned a points value (TRONC score) that reflects its contribution to service. Employees earn their share based on their role’s score relative to the total.
Example: Server = 3pts, Bartender = 2pts, Kitchen Porter = 1pt
Total pool: £1,000 | 2 Servers (6pts) + 2 Bartenders (4pts) + 1 Porter (1pt) = 11pts
Each Server: £1,000 × 3/11 = £272.73 | Each Bartender: £1,000 × 2/11 = £181.82 | Porter: £1,000 × 1/11 = £90.91
Best for: Venues that want to reward front-of-house or customer-facing roles more heavily.
3. By Department
The TRONC pool is first split between departments (e.g. FOH 70%, BOH 30%), then distributed equally among employees within each department.
Example: £1,000 TRONC | FOH: 70% (£700) ÷ 5 FOH staff = £140 each | BOH: 30% (£300) ÷ 3 BOH staff = £100 each
Best for: Venues that want to ensure both front and back of house receive tips, but with different weightings.
Universal Options (Applied to Any Rule)
On top of the base rule type, Rocket Tronc offers universal options that can be enabled or disabled:
Hours Factor
Weigh each employee’s share by the hours they actually worked during the distribution period. An employee who worked 40 hours gets twice the share of someone who worked 20 hours. The weight is configurable (0 = no effect, 1 = fully weighted by hours).
Seniority Factor
Apply a multiplier based on length of service. E.g. 0–6 months = 0.8×, 6–24 months = 1.0×, 2+ years = 1.2×. Seniority bands are fully configurable.
Minimum Floor
Guarantee a minimum amount per employee before the remainder is distributed proportionally. Ensures no one receives a negligible amount.
How Rules Are Managed
- Rules are created by the TroncMaster (or Tenant Admin in Employer Distribution Mode)
- Only one rule can be active at a time per tenant
- Rules have effective dates — activation requires at least tomorrow's date
- When a new rule is activated, the previous rule is automatically deactivated
- Draft rules can be tested with preview calculations before going live
- Once a rule has been used in a distribution, it cannot be deleted (audit trail)
- Rule changes are logged in the full audit trail with before/after snapshots
Eligibility Rules
Before a distribution rule is applied, Rocket Tronc determines which employees are eligible. Eligibility rules are configured at the tenant level:
- Employee must be active and marked as TRONC-eligible
- Job role must be active and TRONC-eligible
- Optionally exclude employees in probation
- Optionally require minimum service days
- Optionally require minimum hours worked in the period
- Optionally exclude management roles
- Automatically exclude employees who haven't started or have left
Preview Before You Distribute
Rocket Tronc provides a distribution preview feature that shows exactly how the pool would be divided before you commit. The TroncMaster (or Manager) can see each employee’s calculated share, the rule being applied, and any adjustments — all before approval.
If manual adjustments are needed, the system flags them. In TroncMaster Mode, any manual overrides require TroncMaster approval before the distribution can be finalised.