This wasn’t regular pay.
It was a bonus and from the sounds of it, just a few hundred dollars per employee.
Yes, I understand that it adds up when you have enough employees, but really, do they NEED to be so stingy about it?
The goodwill gotten from letting them keep the bonus would likely more than pay itself back in the long run. Asking for it back is just rude.
"Maybe I'll go to the movies......by myself!"