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The shift ends; the argument about the pool begins.
Points-based pools split tips by responsibility, not just presence: a server at 1.0 points working 8 hours earns twice the share of a busser at 0.5 points working the same shift. This calculator does the weighted-hours math for the whole house and shows each person's cut — so the split is arithmetic, not negotiation.
Shift leads use it at close-out to split the pool where everyone can watch the math. Servers and bussers use it to verify their cut — hours times points is only fair if everyone can see the arithmetic.
Two common systems: hours-proportional (everyone shares by hours worked) and points-weighted (roles get multipliers — servers 1.0, bussers 0.5, hosts 0.25 — then shares follow hours × points). Points systems are the norm in full-service restaurants because they reflect who carries the guest experience. This calculator does points-weighted math, which degenerates to hours-proportional if everyone gets 1.0.
Under the FLSA, if the employer pays the full minimum wage (no tip credit), the pool can include back-of-house staff like cooks and dishwashers. If the employer takes a tip credit, the pool is limited to employees who customarily receive tips — managers and supervisors are always excluded. State laws can be stricter.
Written weights agreed before the shift, math visible to everyone in the pool, and a payout the same night. Most pool disputes are not about greed — they are about a split nobody could verify. Run the numbers where everyone can see them.