My sister opened her new dental practice in NYC a few years ago and I had a hand in helping her from another state and some ensuing staffing issues. It’s going great now.

Why didn’t you simply ask those of which you presume were unhappy with their bonuses individually? What could you be doing to help them all create a better work environment for everyone?

Getting feedback whether positive or negative is essential. Communicate.

My sister, somewhat stubborn and a perfectionist, hired a front desk guy who checked all her boxes. His only weakness which she later found out was dealing with insurance numbers and it costed her $5K within his first six weeks working there. She was naturally frustrated and ready to fire him. I suggested to her to invest in him to take an online course (it wasn’t cheap) and he willingly completed it on his own off-time and on weekends. The problems are gone now and he also received a bump in hourly pay. Sometimes supporting and investing in good people are worth it. You have take some risks and have honest conversations.

Or Medicare. I have an elder family friend who worked as a security guard/custodian at the same commercial building for 25+ years. When he retired with no personal assets, the building owners retained him to work part-time under the table. If his current income gets reported, he would lose Medicare coverage and have to pay out of pocket for lesser quality health care. He’s making $12 cash/hr. and buys groceries/clothing sometimes for some homeless people in his work area which he has befriended over the years.

Go to or order from Michael’s and use their coupons. Make some holiday-themed bracelets with beads and elastic bands.

Gift some to your friends with their names on it and ask them to wear it around school.

If I’m not mistaken, USPS lost package deliveries provide up to $100 insurance claims so it’s a $400 loss. They’re slow to pay but will pay after an investigation. They don’t always require a police report but filing one doesn’t hurt. Agreed. I’d re-ship right away for a good customer after they put in a USPS claim and require a signature confirmation for any high value shipments.