So back when I was a vet tech I worked for a clinic that would throw a Christmas party every year. They would shut down the clinic early (about 5 hours earlier than usual) and we would go to a local chain restaurant and have an early dinner. It's crucial to point out that we would not be paid for those missed work hours and we were all on hourly pay. When the veterinarian who owned the clinic passed out our bonuses, there was a $50 bill in an envelope, that's it. Now I was making $20/hr so essentially I missed out on around $100 in pay for a $50 “bonus.” I personally though it was rather insulting, especially since most of the techs made significantly less than I did (I was certified, the others were not). Now granted they did pay for our food, but it was still ridiculous. I left for a salaried career in a different field not long after that.